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Cirrhosis is a late stage of scarring (fibrosis) of the liver caused by many forms of liver diseases and conditions, such as hepatitis and chronic alcoholism. The liver carries out several necessary functions, including detoxifying harmful substances in your body, cleaning your blood and making vital nutrients. Cirrhosis occurs in response to damage to your liver. Each time your liver is injured, it tries to repair itself. In the process, scar tissue forms. As cirrhosis progresses, more and more scar tissue forms, making it difficult for the liver to function. Decompensated cirrhosis is the term used to describe the development of specific complications resulting from the changes brought on by cirrhosis. Decompensated cirrhosis is life-threatening. The liver damage done by cirrhosis generally can't be undone. But if liver cirrhosis is diagnosed early and the cause is treated, further damage can be limited and, rarely, reversed.
Are you getting enough vitamin B12? Many people don’t, and that deficiency can cause some serious problems. Vitamin B12 does a lot of things for your body. It helps make your DNA and your red blood cells, for examples. Since your body doesn't make vitamin B12, you'll need to get it from animal-based foods or from supplements, and it needs to be consumed on a regular basis. Exactly how much you need and where you should get it from depends on things like your age, the diet you follow, your medical conditions, and in some cases what medications you take.
Initial symptoms may include: Pain or discomfort in the upper tummy (abdomen), especially after eating. Indigestion. (Note: most people who have indigestion do not have stomach cancer.) Feeling sick, and being off food. ... Weight loss and/or loss of appetite. You may pass blood out with your stools (faeces).
LASIK or Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis is a surgical procedure intended to reduce a person's dependency on glasses or contact lenses.
LASIK surgery is most commonly performed as a cure for myopia (nearsightedness), but can also be used to cure hyperopia (farsightedness) or astigmatism (corneal irregularities).
LASIK is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of the cornea using a special laser and thus focusing the light rays exactly on the retina.
The steps of the procedure are as follows:
A suction ring is placed on the eye to stabilize and check the eye pressure.
The microkeratome, a cutting instrument, is attached to the suction ring.
The blade of the microkeratome is used to cut a flap in the cornea.
The exposed inner layer of the cornea is then reshaped with an excimer laser.
The corneal flap is returned to its original position.
LASIK is an ambulatory procedure; the patient can walk into the surgery center, have the procedure and walk out again and is awake the whole time. Occasionally, the doctor may administer a mild oral sedative.
Esophageal atresia is an abnormality, or birth defect, of the esophagus that occurs early in pregnancy, as the baby is developing. The esophagus forms in the first few months of fetal life as a long, hollow, continuous tube joining the mouth to the stomach. In newborns with this birth defect, formation of this continuous esophageal tube is interrupted. esophageal-artresia-2In most cases, two separate tubes are formed, an upper (proximal) tube connected to the mouth and a lower (distal) tube connected to the stomach. This seperated tubes are sealed off creating a pouch on either side; the gap between these pounches can be short or very long. Saliva can accumulate in the upper pouch as it cannot drain into the stomach.
Depending on the underlying cause, some types of kidney disease can be treated. Often, though, chronic kidney disease has no cure. Treatment usually consists of measures to help control signs and symptoms, reduce complications, and slow progression of the disease. If your kidneys become severely damaged, you may need treatment for end-stage kidney disease. Treating the cause Your doctor will work to slow or control the cause of your kidney disease. Treatment options vary, depending on the cause. But kidney damage can continue to worsen even when an underlying condition, such as high blood pressure, has been controlled. Treating complications Kidney disease complications can be controlled to make you more comfortable. Treatments may include: High blood pressure medications. People with kidney disease may experience worsening high blood pressure. Your doctor may recommend medications to lower your blood pressure — commonly angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers — and to preserve kidney function. High blood pressure medications can initially decrease kidney function and change electrolyte levels, so you may need frequent blood tests to monitor your condition. Your doctor will likely also recommend a water pill (diuretic) and a low-salt diet. Medications to lower cholesterol levels. Your doctor may recommend medications called statins to lower your cholesterol. People with chronic kidney disease often experience high levels of bad cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease. Medications to treat anemia. In certain situations, your doctor may recommend supplements of the hormone erythropoietin (uh-rith-roe-POI-uh-tin), sometimes with added iron. Erythropoietin supplements aid in production of more red blood cells, which may relieve fatigue and weakness associated with anemia. Medications to relieve swelling. People with chronic kidney disease may retain fluids. This can lead to swelling in the legs, as well as high blood pressure. Medications called diuretics can help maintain the balance of fluids in your body. Medications to protect your bones. Your doctor may prescribe calcium and vitamin D supplements to prevent weak bones and lower your risk of fracture. You may also take medication known as a phosphate binder to lower the amount of phosphate in your blood, and protect your blood vessels from damage by calcium deposits (calcification). A lower protein diet to minimize waste products in your blood. As your body processes protein from foods, it creates waste products that your kidneys must filter from your blood. To reduce the amount of work your kidneys must do, your doctor may recommend eating less protein. Your doctor may also ask you to meet with a dietitian who can suggest ways to lower your protein intake while still eating a healthy diet.
A prostate gland biopsy is a test to remove small samples of prostate tissue to be looked at under a microscope. ... For a prostate biopsy, a thin needle is inserted through the rectum (transrectal biopsy), through the urethra, or through the area between the anus and scrotum (perineum).
Your doctor says your chest pain (angina) is caused by blockages in your heart arteries and that you need to get those blockages taken care of. What are your options? First, it's important to determine what type of angina you have. Different types of angina may need different treatments. Common types of angina are chronic stable angina — a type of angina that occurs when your heart is working hard — and unstable angina, which is new chest pain or chest pain that is getting worse. Other types of angina include variant angina — a rare type of angina caused by a spasm in the coronary arteries — and microvascular angina, which can be a symptom of disease in the small coronary artery blood vessels. Unstable angina is a serious situation and requires emergency treatment. Treatment for unstable angina involves hospitalization with medications to stabilize your condition. Some people with unstable angina may require a procedure called angioplasty (also known as percutaneous coronary intervention), usually combined with the placement of a small metal tube called a stent. In some cases of unstable angina, heart surgery (coronary bypass surgery) may be needed. Generally, if you have mild stable angina that is controlled by medications, you may not need further treatments. If you're experiencing symptoms of chronic stable angina even after taking medications and making lifestyle changes, or if you're at higher risk of serious heart disease, your doctor may recommend angioplasty or coronary bypass surgery. Making a decision on how to treat your angina can be difficult, but knowing the benefits and risks of stents and medications may help you decide.
Herniated or Ruptured Disc: Between each of the vertebre of the spine is a disc which is filled with a gel type material to cushion the connection between the vertebre. With age or injury these intervertebral discs can rupture or herniate. This herniation causes them to push against the adjacent nerves which come from the spinal cord. This can frequently cause pain, numbenss and tingling. This animated video reviews herniated disc.
The external jugular vein receives the greater part of the blood from the exterior of the cranium and the deep parts of the face, being formed by the junction of the posterior division of the retromandibular vein with the posterior auricular vein.
A deviated septum occurs when the thin wall (nasal septum) between your nasal passages is displaced to one side. In many people, the nasal septum is displaced — or deviated — making one nasal passage smaller. When a deviated septum is severe, it can block one side of your nose and reduce airflow, causing difficulty breathing. The additional exposure of a deviated septum to the drying effect of airflow through the nose may sometimes contribute to crusting or bleeding in certain individuals. Nasal obstruction can occur from a deviated nasal septum, from swelling of the tissues lining the nose, or from both. Treatment of nasal obstruction may include medications to reduce the swelling or nasal dilators that help open the nasal passages. To correct a deviated septum, surgery is necessary.
Dr. David Rivadeneira from Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, NY will host a panel discussion on how to obtain improved outcomes during open surgery through the application of advanced techniques and technologies, including the new LigaSure Impact™ instrument. "It provides excellent and reliable hemostasis on major blood vessels, but the big advancement is that it is faster than traditional techniques and leaves no foreign material behind."
The program will begin with a brief introduction of the topic, followed by video presentation of two procedures, a right hemicolectomy and a sigmoid colectomy. Dr. Rivadeneira will discuss the techniques that he uses. "You'll be able to see the impact of applying multifunctional energy-based instruments to enable rapid and reliable dissection of the mesentery and ligation of colonic blood supply. This is particularly evident on tough diverticular cases, where it works very well with complicated tissue." Joining Dr. Rivadeneira, to review and discuss the cases, will be Dr. Sang Lee from Weill Cornell Medical College, NY.
The goal of a decompression surgery is usually to relieve pain caused by nerve root pinching. There are two common causes of lumbar nerve root pressure: from a lumbar herniated disc or lumbar spinal stenosis. This type of pain is usually referred to as a radiculopathy, or sciatica. A decompression surgery involves removing a small portion of the bone over the nerve root and/or disc material from under the nerve root to relieve pinching of the nerve and provide more room for the nerve to heal. The most common types of decompression surgery are microdiscectomy and laminectomy.