Health and Fitness Facts

Archive for the ‘Surgeon’ Category

A new sinus surgery procedure has emerged in recent months. It is called sinuplasty, and it is similar in concept to angioplasty. That is, a small balloon is inserted into the sinus passages of the patient, the balloon is inflated, then deflated, and then removed. It is claimed that the passage will remain open for some time because of the small malleable bones in the part of the head where the sinuses are located. The theory is that once the balloon is withdrawn, these bones have been moved slightly and will remain in place. If this in fact proves to be true by follow-up tests and studies, this would undoubtedly be an interesting option for many sinus sufferers.

It is claimed that there is little pain in the sinuplasty procedure. I personally have had two sinus operation, and the pain and discomfort involved in each was substantial. After the first operation my nose was “packed”. That is, a large amount of gauze was placed in each nostril to stop bleeding and help start the healing process. Thus, all breathing has to be done through the mouth for the week or so that the gauze stays in the nose. It is very difficult to eat like this, because one cannot swallow food and breathe at the same time. Removing the gauze was another painful experience. The ENT specialist said that “this will feel like I’m pulling your brains out”. He was right, and that is exactly what it felt like. With regard to pain, I feel that I’m willing to tolerate it if going through the pain will accomplish something. In the case of my two sinus operations, I was still coming down with infections afterwards, so all the pain was really for nothing.

There are no long-term, scientific studies yet to show how effective the operation is. Several are under way, however, and it will be interesting to see the results. One study of 100 patients is due to be released in September, and another with 80 participants should be released subsequently. I personally don’t recommend sinus surgery to people because it seems that even if there are positive results, they only last a short time. I’ve heard of people having had 4 or 5 sinus operations, and one wonders what operation number 5 might accomplish that numbers 1-4 did not. The anecdotal stories of people who had suffered from chronic sinusitis and tried sinuplasty are encouraging, however. The ABC evening news ran a story about the procedure not long ago, and they interviewed a person who said her results were immediate and excellent. In any case I would recommend trying pulsating nasal irrigation with a saline solution before any surgery procedure, but if simplasty proves to be effective in the long term, this may be an excellent option for many sinusitis sufferers. If one has polyps, however, it should be noted that sinuplasty will not be an option, as the polyps will need to be removed by invasive surgery.

If you have recently begun to feel intense amounts of neck or back pain, you may have a condition that needs treatment from a medical professional. Often such conditions are easily curable with a simple hot or cold pad or regular visits to a chiropractor, but for more advanced, for more severe cases, your only option may be neck surgery.

Surgery on your neck involves cutting into your spine in order to correct some sort of anatomical defect which is causing your pain. While there are other, less invasive types of surgeries and treatments available, neck surgery is often your only choice if you are suffering from a pain that cannot be treated in any other way. This is only provided that the source of your pain can be identified, as exploratory surgery on your neck is never an option that you should consider due to the relatively high risk of damaging a vital part of your body.

All surgery which is done on the spine or the neck should only be conducted by an orthopedic surgeon or a neurosurgeon. If you are considering receiving surgery in this area of your body from a surgeon that is not one of these two types, you should definitely think it over and go with a licensed and trained orthopedic surgeon or neurosurgeon instead.

The most important thing to remember about any type of spinal surgery, including surgery on the neck, is that it is totally elective. There are often a variety of other ways in which you can treat your pain or discomfort without having to go under the knife. Sometimes neck surgery is not even the best way to treat such problems. However, it should always be a type of surgery that you should really only consider as a relatively last resort, as there is usually more risk involved in such surgery than potential benefits.

Millions of people suffer from gallbladder attacks every day, but are completely baffled by what causes them. As a result, almost all of them continue to do, on a daily basis, the exact things that will make their condition worse. It’s not a question of adding new things to your life, in the form of medication, but stopping what you did that has caused the pain in the first place. The first thing you need to know is that your condition was not caused by genetics. You are causing every single gallbladder attack you have by your actions throughout the day. And what are those actions? Very simply, a gallbladder attack is caused by what you eat.

But, before we get to that, I want you to know that having your gallbladder taken out is not a good option. About 750,000 people in the United States have their gallbladders removed every year. A very large portion of these people continue to have frequent gallbladder attacks well after the surgery. In other words, it is not effective at reducing a gallbladder attack AND you will be without a very important organ for the rest of your life. The gallbladder is important because it works in conjunction with your liver to remove fats, cholesterol, and other harmful waste and toxins out of the body. Since your condition was caused by your diet, removing your gallbladder and continuing to eat the same way won’t make you better. In fact, it puts you at much greater risk for other diseases. Remember, your gallbladder isn’t doing anything wrong: You are. It’s doing the best it can to keep you healthy, but you are eating in such a way to make that impossible. Taking out your gallbladder because of what you are eating would be like taking out the engine in your car, because you put in the wrong kind of gasoline and the car stopped running.

I would like to simplify this for you so you can go about this the right way and stop any future gallbladder attack. So, what is the problem with your diet? Well, let’s take a look at cholesterol, which is the prime culprit in your condition. Although a very small amount of cholesterol is necessary for good health, your liver naturally produces all the cholesterol you will ever need. However, other animals produce cholesterol too. When you eat meat and dairy foods, you take in their cholesterol which causes your cholesterol to skyrocket. This increase in cholesterol is what leads to heart disease and many other harmful conditions, including gallstones which is the cause of your gallbladder attack. You see, gallstones are actually cholesterol deposits! It is this daily action of eating unhealthy foods that causes you to have a gallbladder attack, not your gallbladder.

Every woman ought to have at least one pair of boots. The question is, what style of boots do you want? Well, first we are going to divide boots into two categories: ankle boots and knee-high boots. Yes, there are indeed thigh-high boots, and they can be very fun, but they are not quite as versatile as your basic knee-high or ankle-high boots.

Ankle Boots

Ankle boots tend to weave their way in and out of fashion trends, year after year. So, while ankle boots are hot right now, you might remember that they were also hot in the 1980’s, and they may not be so hot again for another few decades. Nonetheless, ankle boots are still great boots, and they look great with many different outfits.

As far as what style of ankle boots you should get – suede, stiletto, purple, fringed, buckled, etc. – that is completely up to you. Have fun with your ankle boots. Go crazy!

Knee-High Boots

So, you just learned not to wear your ankle boots with a short skirt, right? Well, let me tell you that you can wear your knee-high boots with a short skirt – just do not try to wear them with a short and tight mini-skirt, unless you are trying to look like a street-roamer.

Rather, choose an A-line mini skirt that does not hit higher than mid-thigh. This is still a sexy look, but it is much more sophisticated than the aforementioned look. You could also choose a fitted skirt with an above-the-knee hemline. You want to be sure that there is a gap between the top of the boots and the hem of your skirt.

A mid-calf skirt also looks great with a pair of knee-high boots. Just avoid a fitted skirt – something with an A-line cut is going to be much more flattering.

Spine surgery is done on patients who suffer from back pain or pain related to the spine. Surgical procedures on the spine are of two kinds - open procedures and minimally invasive procedures. Open procedures require large incisions and muscle stripping. These procedures also require more anesthesias, operating time, and hospitalization and recuperation time. Minimally invasive surgical techniques use tiny incisions made in the skin through which small, specialized instruments are inserted. These techniques cause minimal damages to muscle tissues. Less damage means less pain and a shorter period of hospitalization. The recovery time is also less. Different types of spine surgery can be performed utilizing minimally invasive techniques. Some types of minimally invasive spine surgery use laser technology. Lasers are used to separate or eliminate tissue.

There are several causes for back pain. Once the cause is determined, surgery is done to relieve the patient of pain in the neck, arms, lower back and legs. The first step in a surgery is to make precise incisions to access the affected area. These incisions are made using laser technology.

Another use of laser is in the treatment of herniated or ruptured discs. Discectomy and microdiscectomy are terms that mean the surgical removal of a part or an entire intervertebral disc. Discectomy is an open procedure and microdiscectomy is a minimally invasive procedure to remove a herniated or ruptured disc. In microdiscectomy, a laser fiber is passed through a needle and placed into the disc to vaporize the inner core of the disc. Laminotomy may also be performed in cases of ruptured discs. The ruptured disc puts pressure on one or more nerve roots. Surgery is done to expose the nerve root by removing a part of the covering or lamina that covers the nerve root. Laser beams are used in making incisions and in removing affected parts.

Cosmetic surgery is the new rage; every time we turn around it seems that someone else is having something done. Magazines and television shows pay homage to plastic surgery and more and more of us are finding that the relative risks are far outweighed by increased self-esteem. When we have something about our face or body that we feel self-conscious about then it’s hard to ignore a procedure that can eradicate it from out lives.

However, many people, thinking that cosmetic surgery is cost-prohibitive, do not give surgery much thought. Little did they know that with cosmetic surgery financing, they too could have the face and body they’ve always wanted.

Cosmetic surgery financing can not only ensure that you have the necessary funds to get the surgery – or combination of surgeries that you want, but that you are able to choose the doctor that comes the most recommended. Not having to work within a restricted insurance network will allow you to pick the most appropriate and highest skilled cosmetic surgeon.

When looking for cosmetic surgery financing you can look to any financial institution. Start with your own bank; a solid relationship and prior history can sometimes benefit you when it comes to getting lower rates of interest. Check online for competitive cosmetic surgery financing rates. You can shop interest rates from the comfort of your own home, taking the time to make the decision that works best for your situation.

Finally, some cosmetic surgery offices offer their own cosmetic surgery financing. If you have found a doctor that has met all of your qualifications reputation, experience, and recommendations then check with the office staff to see if there is cosmetic surgery financing available directly through them.

Did you know that unlike gastric bypass surgery, the adjustable gastric band or lap band surgery procedure is reversible? The LAP-BAND System received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States back in June 2001. Another type of gastric band, the Swedish adjustable gastric band, differs from the LAP-BAND because it’s not designed for use with keyhole laparoscopic surgery.

In general, gastric banding, including the Lap Band procedure and weight loss system is indicated for people for whom: Body Mass Index is above 40, or for those who are 100 pounds (45 kg) or more over their estimated ideal weight according to the 1983 Metropolitan Life Insurance Tables or for those between 30 to 40 with co-morbidities, which may improve with weight loss (high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, and arthritis). Mentally disabled or emotionally unstable people won’t be considered for lap band surgery. The lap band surgery is usually not performed if one has an untreated glandular disease like hypothyroidism, where other solutions may still be sought.

In order to be considered for surgery one must have the comprehension of the risks and benefits of the gastric band procedure and willingness to comply with the substantial lifelong dietary restrictions required for long term success. Failure of dietary or weight-loss drug therapy for more than one year can also make one eligible for the adjustable gastric band procedure.

Gastric dumping syndrome problems that occur in other types of surgeries do not occur in lap band surgeries because no intestines are removed or re-routed. Unlike those who have procedures such as Roux -en -y gastric bypass surgery, duodenal switch or biliopancreatic diversion, it’s unusual for gastric band patients to experience nutritional deficiencies or malabsorption of any micronutrients. Another plus is the surgeon uses a specialized needle to avoid damage to the port membrane.

The last thing you want to think about is prostate cancer surgery. With the thought of all the uncomfortable tests and then the surgery itself, which takes organs from your body, scares many people. You never want to think about it or imagine it could happen to you.

The surgery itself is irreversible and over time, the affects this has on ones life will become known. Although the side effects are not life threatening to speak, but if complications arise from other health problems it could be. Men experience a sexual performance problem and in some cases and will need counseling.

What is Prostatectomy This type of procedure consists of removing the entire prostate gland along with nearby tissue that may have cancer cells that have spread to them. The two methods used are perineal and retro public.

The retro public method requires removal of the prostate through a small incision right below your belly button and about an inch above the penis. The other procedure, perineal is done with an incision between the rectum and the scrotum. This way sounds more painful than the retro public method.

Before the prostate cancer surgery, a catheter is inserted in your bladder through the tip of the penis. While the catheter is in place, all urine is drained from the bladder during the surgery and your recovery. Usually two weeks past before having the catheter removed.

Once they remove the catheter, you might experience some problems with urinary control for days, weeks and sometimes months. Not all men experience this unfortunate condition. An exception would be sometimes when you lift things or cough you might notice a little incontinence.

Gastric banding is a relatively new form of weight loss surgery first pioneered in Sweden in 1985 with the band being designed initially to be fitted using open surgery. The first laparoscopic surgery for the insertion of a gastric band was performed in France in 2000 and a year later in 2001 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of an American adjustable gastric banding system for use in the United States. Since then gastric banding has grown rapidly in popularity.

The laparoscopic adjustable gastric band is a form of restrictive gastric bypass surgery which many surgeons are beginning to favor as it avoids many of the nutritional problems associated with malabsorption surgeries. It also involves no cutting or stapling of the stomach and this, combined with the fact that the procedure can be performed laparoscopically, means that the death rate from surgery is about one-tenth of that seen in the widely used open Roux-en-Y form of surgery.

From the patient’s point of view the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band means a relatively short stay in hospital and a quick recovery. Once in place the band can also be adjusted without further surgery so that the surgeon has much greater control of patient management in the critical weeks following surgery, making it possible to react quickly and easily to problems which the patient might experience.

The laparoscopic adjustable gastric band procedure is also fully reversible and, after removal of the band, the stomach will return to its normal pre-operative state.

As with most restrictive forms of surgery weight loss tends to be less dramatic than in malabsorption or combination surgeries and patients have to work a little bit harder in the early months following surgery to achieve a satisfactory rate of weight loss. However, because weight loss is not quite so easy and patients have to learn a strict set of eating habits, laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery tends to produce better long-term results and weight stability.

Nose reshaping surgery is also known as rhinoplasty. You will not be able to undergo this surgery before the age of 14 or 15. Boys should wait even longer. The nose may not be fully developed at a younger age. Of course, cosmetic surgery is not something one should be thinking of at that age. As a teenager, your plastic surgeon will want to be certain that you have thought carefully about surgery and that the desire to change your appearance is based on your own feelings rather than those of your parents or friends.

Assuming you are in good health, there is no upper age limit for having your nose reshaped. Rhinoplasty is sometimes performed in conjunction with a facelift or other rejuvenate surgery to correct aging changes of the nose such as a drooping tip.

Sometimes certain breathing problems related to the internal nasal structures can be corrected at the same time as nose reshaping is performed. Your plastic surgeon will be able to help you determine whether these structures should be modified along with reshaping your nose.

During your initial consultation you may be asked to look in a mirror and point out exactly what you would like to see improved. This will help your plastic surgeon to understand your expectations and determine whether they can realistically be achieved.

Some indications that you may be a good candidate for rhinoplasty are:
Your nose appears too large for your face
There is a bump on the nasal bridge when viewed in profile
Your nose seems too wide when viewed from the front
The nasal tip droops or plunges
The tip is thickened or enlarged
Your nostrils are excessively flared
Your nose is off-centre or crooked
Previous injury has made your nose asymmetrical

It is important that you have a clear idea of how you would like your nose to look and, at the same time realise that there are limitations to the procedure. Patients with sufficient physical and emotional maturity who undergo rhinoplasty because they want to enhance their self-image are usually very satisfied with their decision.