The voice box, or larynx, has three important functions. It is necessary for breathing, voice and swallowing. The vocal folds have two positions, open (apart) for breathing (picture I) and closed (together) for making sound, coughing and sealing off the lungs when swallowing (picture II). When one of the vocal folds are paralyzed, it usually rests in an in-between position (picture III), and neither opens for breathing, nor closes for voicing, coughing, or swallowing. Usually, the effects on the voice are the most dramatic. The voice becomes weak and breathy. People can only say a few words per breath, and are frequently out-of-breath, or physically tired when trying to speak for more than a few minutes straight. The voice may also get somewhat high and squeaky, with a diminished range. Swallowing may be affected as well, where you may notice some choking or coughing with certain liquids. Your cough is frequently different and very weak. This is a serious problem for patients with with vocal fold paralysis because one of the most important functions of the larynx is to keep liquids out of the lungs, and to be able to cough up mucus. When this does not happen, you are at risk for getting an "aspiration" pneumonia. The surgical procedure to restore these important functions is called "medialization laryngoplasty"

Thoracoscopic Discectomy

Egyptian Conjoined Twins Surgery Part 1

The biceps muscle is located in the front of your upper arm. It is attached to the bones of the shoulder and elbow by tendons — strong cords of fibrous tissue that attach muscles to bones. Tears of the biceps tendon at the elbow are uncommon. They are most often caused by a sudden injury and tend to result in greater arm weakness than injuries to the biceps tendon at the shoulder. Once torn, the biceps tendon at the elbow will not grow back to the bone and heal. Other arm muscles make it possible to bend the elbow fairly well without the biceps tendon. However, they cannot fulfill all the functions of the elbow, especially the motion of rotating the forearm from palm down to palm up. This motion is called supination. To return arm strength to near normal levels, surgery to repair the torn tendon is usually recommended. However, nonsurgical treatment is a reasonable option for patients who may not require full arm function.

Gallbladder cancer is cancer that begins in the gallbladder. Your gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ on the right side of your abdomen, just beneath your liver. The gallbladder stores bile, a digestive fluid produced by your liver. Gallbladder cancer is uncommon. When gallbladder cancer is discovered at its earliest stages, the chance for a cure is very good. But most gallbladder cancers are discovered at a late stage, when the prognosis is often very poor. Gallbladder cancer is difficult to diagnose because it often causes no specific signs or symptoms. Also, the relatively hidden nature of the gallbladder makes it easier for gallbladder cancer to grow without being detected. Symptoms ShareTweet Aug. 07, 2014 References Products and Services Book: Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health Give today to find cancer cures for tomorrow See also Abdominal pain Can you recommend a diet after gallbladder removal? Chemo Targets Chemotherapy Chemotherapy and hair loss: What to expect during treatment Chemotherapy and sex: Is sexual activity OK during treatment? Chemotherapy nausea and vomiting: Prevention is best defense Show more Advertisement Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Advertising & Sponsorship PolicyOpportunitiesAd Choices Mayo Clinic Store Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. NEW! – The Mayo Clinic Diet, Second Edition Relief for America's epidemic of indigestion Keeping your bones healthy and strong Manage blood pressure for better health The Mayo Clinic Diet Online

Scientists have developed a wireless brain implant that enabled a paralyzed monkey to walk again.

Benex II Surgical Extraction System

COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary (lung) disease. COPD is a term applied to a family of diseases that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema due to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. COPD usually progresses gradually, causing limited airflow in and out of the lungs. COPD adds to the work of the heart. Diseased lungs might reduce the amount of oxygen that goes to the blood. High blood pressure in blood vessels from the heart to the lungs makes it difficult for the heart to pump. Lung disease can also cause the body to produce too many red blood cells, which might make the blood thicker and harder to pump.

Only about a third of people with lupus get the tell-tale butterfly-shaped rash on their face. What you should know:

Tongue and lip-tie are common causes of nipple pain, uneven breast drainage, slow weight gain and low milk supply. Many physicians do not properly assess for tongue or lip-tie or recognize their impact on the breastfeeding relationship, leaving babies vulnerable to early weaning. Ultrasound studies have shown that the tongue movements used by tongue-tied babies are qualitatively different from those used by by babies who are not tongue-tied. These movements are not as effective at removing milk from the breast and can cause significant pain and nipple damage. In these studies, tongue-tied babies also did not draw the nipple as deeply into the mouth as babies who were not tongue-tied.

A short lecture on albuterol for self-study or review.

Reconstruction of a shoulder separation or acromio-clavicular dislocation.

During root canal treatment, the inflamed or infected pulp is removed and the inside of the tooth is carefully cleaned and disinfected, then filled and sealed with a rubber-like material called gutta-percha. Afterwards, the tooth is restored with a crown or filling for protection.

Mitral valve regurgitation, known as leaky heart valve, can be treated with the MitraClip procedure, especially if you're not a candidate for surgery. As premier heart specialists in the Rocky Mountains, Aurora Denver Cardiology Associates physicians perform this procedure and believe it can be an essential treatment for heart health.

Liver Metastasis Resection. A Technique That Makes It Easier. Authors: de Santibañes E, Sánchez Clariá R, Palavecino M, Beskow A, Pekolj J. Background: Liver resection is the only therapeutic option that achieves long-term survival for patients with hepatic metastases. We propose a tech...nique that causes traction and counter traction on the resection area, thus easily exposing the structures to be ligated. Since the parenchyma protrudes like a cork from a bottle we named this procedure “Corkscrew Technique”. Objective: To describe an original surgical technique to resect liver metastases. Technique: We delimite the resection area at 2 cm from the tumor. We place separated stitches, in a radiate way. The needle diameter must allow passing far from the deepest margin of the tumor. The stitches must be tractioned all together to separate the tumor from the normal parenchyma. Material and Methods: Between years 1983 and 2006, we perform 1270 liver resection. We used the corkscrew technique like only procedure in 612 patients whereas in 129 patients we associated it to an anatomic resection. Results: Mortality was 1%. Morbidity was 16% with a reoperation rate of 3%. Conclusions: The Corkscrew Technique is simple and safe, it spares surgical time, avoids blood loss, ensures free tumor margins and it is easy to perform.

This is the CT of a 43 year old male patiënt with infected necrotizing pancreatitis that will undergo a VARD procedure; Videoscopic Assisted Retroperitoneal Debridment. Two weeks before this procedure two large bore percutaneous drains were placed in the peripancreatic collection. The patient i...s placed in supine position with the left side 30 degrees elevated. A 5-7 cm subcostal incision is made in the left flank. With help of CT images and by following the percutaneous drain, the subcutaneous tissue and the fascia are dissected and we enter the retroperitoneal peripancreatic collection. First, with a regular suction device any pus encountered is removed. Two long sympathectomy hooks are inserted in order to keep in the incision open. We than insert the zero degree laparoscope. The first necrosis encountered is removed under direct sight with the use of long grasping forceps. Following the percutaneous drain deeper into the cavity, parts of loosely adherent necrotic material are removed. Gently pulling we remove the necrotic tissue. The suction device is helpful in removing any fluid obstructing the view. Complete necrosectomy is not the ultimate aim of this procedure. Only loosely adherent pieces of necrosis are removed thereby keeping the risk of tearing underlying blood vessels to a minimum. In the rare case of extensive bleeding, the retroperitoneal cavity can be easily packed, either awaiting the bleeding to definitely stop or to act as a bridge to angiographic coiling. This patient is now 6 weeks after onset of disease. We always try to postpone surgical intervention, if possible up to 30 days. On the left side of the collection is the percutaneous drain. In this patient the drain had worked well for 2 weeks. When the patient deteriorated again it was decided to perform the VARD procedure. Large pieces of necrotic pancreas can be removed with VARD. This is a big advantage ov VARD over pure endosopic or percutaneous techniques. When all the necrotic tissue is removed we clean the cavity. Two drains are left in situ as a postoperative lavage system. The VARD procedure is performed via a 6 cm incision, which is closed and continuous postoperative lavage started immediately.

Keratoplasty is the procedure whereby abnormal corneal tissue is replaced by a healthy donor cornea.

In the United States, end-stage liver disease (ESLD) is the 12th leading cause of death and the 7th leading cause of death in people between the ages of 25 and 64 years. Complications of ESLD such as ascites, variceal hemorrhage, hepatic encephalopathy, and renal impairment primarily account for these deaths. Patients with ESLD require increasingly complex medical support and manifest a spectrum of complications and symptoms that have significant impact on both survival and quality of life.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defined as progressive, chronic airflow obstruction due to chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both. The majority of patients have components of both, although one of these entities will frequently dominate the clinical picture. Emphysema�airspace enlargement distal to the terminal bronchioles due to destruction of alveolar septa. Chronic bronchitis�chronic airway inflammation and bronchospasm. Clinically defined as productive cough lasting for at least 3 mo over 2 consecutive years. Although COPD is irreversible, patients with acute exacerbations do have reversible bronchospastic and inflammatory components.