news about medical tourism and patients travelling to foreign countries for medical treatment
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Monday, May 07, 2007
Scar-Free Surgery
Many surgeons are today opting for scar free surgery or the natural-opening approach which has vastly reduced pain and recovery time.
The standard procedure to remove a tumour in the brain would be to cut open the face but this would leave an ugly scar. Today much of the tumour can be removed through the nose.
This technique is not confined only to to the removal of a brain tumour. There are varied cases where surgeons decide on this approach i.e.
the removal of a woman's gall bladder through the vagina in New York, appendectomies through the mouth in India,
Researchers are exploring new ways to do surgery using slender instruments through the body's natural openings, avoiding cutting through the skin and muscle.A video camera lens at the site of the surgery guides doctors who watch their progress on video screens as they manipulate the surgical instruments.
With the natural-opening approach even the punctures of laparoscopic surgery which substituted long incisions with three or four holes - 0.5cm to 1.27cm wide - can be done away with.
Sometimes one natural body opening is preferred to the other because it causes less inconvenience to the patient.
With natural opening surgeries patients can probably return to work the next day. There is less chance of tissues getting damaged; less pain; no visible scars.vastly reduced recovery time.
"This is the dawn of this phase of neurosurgery," said Rosseau, a spokesperson for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
She says this new approach is exciting and new and may well be better for patients. She also adds that cancers can come back if they're not completely removed and the risk of meningitis from spinal fluid leakage exists.
Dr David Rattner of Massachusetts General Hospital said new tools must be developed to perform this kind of surgery.He stated that it has not been proved yet that people recover faster from such procedures.
Questions and barriers remain but the possibilities are endless.
Scar -Free Surgery
The standard procedure to remove a tumour in the brain would be to cut open the face but this would leave an ugly scar. Today much of the tumour can be removed through the nose.
This technique is not confined only to to the removal of a brain tumour. There are varied cases where surgeons decide on this approach i.e.
the removal of a woman's gall bladder through the vagina in New York, appendectomies through the mouth in India,
Researchers are exploring new ways to do surgery using slender instruments through the body's natural openings, avoiding cutting through the skin and muscle.A video camera lens at the site of the surgery guides doctors who watch their progress on video screens as they manipulate the surgical instruments.
With the natural-opening approach even the punctures of laparoscopic surgery which substituted long incisions with three or four holes - 0.5cm to 1.27cm wide - can be done away with.
Sometimes one natural body opening is preferred to the other because it causes less inconvenience to the patient.
With natural opening surgeries patients can probably return to work the next day. There is less chance of tissues getting damaged; less pain; no visible scars.vastly reduced recovery time.
"This is the dawn of this phase of neurosurgery," said Rosseau, a spokesperson for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
She says this new approach is exciting and new and may well be better for patients. She also adds that cancers can come back if they're not completely removed and the risk of meningitis from spinal fluid leakage exists.
Dr David Rattner of Massachusetts General Hospital said new tools must be developed to perform this kind of surgery.He stated that it has not been proved yet that people recover faster from such procedures.
Questions and barriers remain but the possibilities are endless.
Scar -Free Surgery
Does Bariatrics Result in New Addictions?
Bariatric surgery is a solution to reduce weight but it does not solve the basic problem which might be addiction to food.
After a weight loss procedure it has been found that patients end up with other addictions that they did not have before the surgery.
This underlines the importance of counseling and regular support group meetings for those who have undergone weight loss surgery.
Counselling Important
After a weight loss procedure it has been found that patients end up with other addictions that they did not have before the surgery.
This underlines the importance of counseling and regular support group meetings for those who have undergone weight loss surgery.
Counselling Important
Federally Funded Study on Benefits, Risks of Teen Weight-Loss Surgery
Extreme obesity among the young is becoming a serious problem especially in the U.S.
Surgery has been effective in treating extreme obesity in adults. Researchers want to find out whether adults and adolescents who have the surgery have significantly different health problems and whether there is any benefit to having the operation earlier in life.
An estimated 2,744 U.S. youngsters underwent weight loss surgery from 1996 through 2003. 200 teenagers will be enrolled in a five-year, federally funded study on the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery on adolescents.
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that about 2 million U.S. adolescents may be severely obese and have complications of obesity previously seen only in adults.
The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disorders provided more than $5 million last year for the study. Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Children's Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham and the University of Pittsburgh also are collecting data.
Kerri Green, director of education for the Weller Health Education Center in Easton, Pa., believes studies are needed to find out if young people can understand the physical, psychological and emotional consequences of bariatric surgery, which she said should be done only for compelling medical reasons.
Is Earlier Better?
Surgery has been effective in treating extreme obesity in adults. Researchers want to find out whether adults and adolescents who have the surgery have significantly different health problems and whether there is any benefit to having the operation earlier in life.
An estimated 2,744 U.S. youngsters underwent weight loss surgery from 1996 through 2003. 200 teenagers will be enrolled in a five-year, federally funded study on the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery on adolescents.
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that about 2 million U.S. adolescents may be severely obese and have complications of obesity previously seen only in adults.
The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disorders provided more than $5 million last year for the study. Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Children's Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham and the University of Pittsburgh also are collecting data.
Kerri Green, director of education for the Weller Health Education Center in Easton, Pa., believes studies are needed to find out if young people can understand the physical, psychological and emotional consequences of bariatric surgery, which she said should be done only for compelling medical reasons.
Is Earlier Better?
Study on Risk Factors in Weight Loss Surgery
It is estimated that 200,000 patients will undergo weight loss surgery this year. A Duke University gastric bypass surgeon has developed an assessment tool to help surgeons identify high risk and low risk patients.
A male over 65,with BMI above 50,with high blood pressure and with a high risk for developing blood clots in the lungs has been identified as a high risk patient for weight loss surgery. There may also be various other factors which have not been identified.
Data from 4,433 patients who had weight loss surgeries was used for the study. All the patients in the low risk category survived the surgery. The mortality rate among low-risk patients ranged between 0.2 percent to 0.3 percent. Although less than 3% of the patients belonged to the high risk category, the risk of death after surgery was seen to be six times more than for other patients.
High risk patients (with a 65% lower mortality rate following surgery), benefit the most from such studies. The studies also point out that weight loss surgery should be opted for by younger, healthier patients before the onslaught of health problems caused by obesity.
mortality rates lower
A male over 65,with BMI above 50,with high blood pressure and with a high risk for developing blood clots in the lungs has been identified as a high risk patient for weight loss surgery. There may also be various other factors which have not been identified.
Data from 4,433 patients who had weight loss surgeries was used for the study. All the patients in the low risk category survived the surgery. The mortality rate among low-risk patients ranged between 0.2 percent to 0.3 percent. Although less than 3% of the patients belonged to the high risk category, the risk of death after surgery was seen to be six times more than for other patients.
High risk patients (with a 65% lower mortality rate following surgery), benefit the most from such studies. The studies also point out that weight loss surgery should be opted for by younger, healthier patients before the onslaught of health problems caused by obesity.
mortality rates lower
Guidelines for Bariatrics Eased
Objections by patients, doctors and state health officials have led to the easing of new guidelines laid down by Tuft's Health Plan for bariatric surgery in Waltham, Mass.
The earlier rules by causing delay,would have endangered the lives of seriously obese patients.
rules eased
The earlier rules by causing delay,would have endangered the lives of seriously obese patients.
rules eased