What Is an Appendectomy? An appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix. It’s a common emergency surgery that’s performed to treat appendicitis, an inflammatory condition of the appendix. The appendix is a small, tube-shaped pouch attached to your large intestine. It’s located in the lower right side of your abdomen. The exact purpose of the appendix isn’t known. However, it’s believed that it may help us recover from diarrhea, inflammation, and infections of the small and large intestines. These may sound like important functions, but the body can still function properly without an appendix. When the appendix becomes inflamed and swollen, bacteria can quickly multiply inside the organ and lead to the formation of pus. This buildup of bacteria and pus can cause pain around the belly button that spreads to the lower right section of the abdomen. Walking or coughing can make the pain worse. You may also experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It’s important to seek treatment right away if you’re having symptoms of appendicitis. When the condition goes untreated, the appendix can burst (perforated appendix) and release bacteria and other harmful substances into the abdominal cavity. This can be life-threatening, and will lead to a longer hospital stay. Appendectomy is the standard treatment for appendicitis. It’s crucial to remove the appendix right away, before the appendix can rupture. Once an appendectomy is performed, most people recover quickly and without complications. Why Is an Appendectomy Performed? An appendectomy is often done to remove the appendix when an infection has made it inflamed and swollen. This condition is known as appendicitis. The infection may occur when the opening of the appendix becomes clogged with bacteria and stool. This causes your appendix to become swollen and inflamed. The easiest and quickest way to treat appendicitis is to remove the appendix. Your appendix could burst if appendicitis isn’t treated immediately and effectively. If the appendix ruptures, the bacteria and fecal particles within the organ can spread into your abdomen. This may lead to a serious infection called peritonitis. You can also develop an abscess if your appendix ruptures. Both are life-threatening situations that require immediate surgery. Symptoms of appendicitis include: stomach pain that starts suddenly near the belly button and spreads to the lower right side of the abdomen abdominal swelling rigid abdominal muscles constipation or diarrhea nausea vomiting loss of appetite low-grade fever Although pain from appendicitis typically occurs in the lower right side of the abdomen, pregnant women may have pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. This is because the appendix is higher during pregnancy. Go to the emergency room immediately if you believe you have appendicitis. An appendectomy needs to be performed right away to prevent complications. What Are the Risks of an Appendectomy? An appendectomy is a fairly simple and common procedure. However, there are some risks associated with the surgery, including: bleeding infection injury to nearby organs blocked bowels It’s important to note that the risks of an appendectomy are much less severe than the risks associated with untreated appendicitis. An appendectomy needs to be done immediately to prevent abscesses and peritonitis from developing. How Do I Prepare for an Appendectomy? You’ll need to avoid eating and drinking for at least eight hours before the appendectomy. It’s also important to tell your doctor about any prescription or over-the-counter medications you’re taking. Your doctor will tell you how they should be used before and after the procedure. You should also tell your doctor if you: are pregnant or believe you may be pregnant are allergic or sensitive to latex or certain medications, such as anesthesia have a history of bleeding disorders You should also arrange for a family member or friend to drive you home after the procedure. An appendectomy is often performed using general anesthesia, which can make you drowsy and unable to drive for several hours after surgery. Once you’re at the hospital, your doctor will ask you about your medical history and perform a physical examination. During the exam, your doctor will gently push against your abdomen to pinpoint the source of your abdominal pain. Your doctor may order blood tests and imaging tests if appendicitis is caught early. However, these tests may not be performed if your doctor believes an emergency appendectomy is necessary. Before the appendectomy, you’ll be hooked up to an IV so you can receive fluids and medication. You’ll likely be put under general anesthesia, which means you’ll be asleep during surgery. In some cases, you’ll be given local anesthesia instead. A local anesthetic numbs the area, so even though you’ll be awake during the surgery, you won’t feel any pain. How Is an Appendectomy Performed? There are two types of appendectomy: open and laparoscopic. The type of surgery your doctor chooses depends on several factors, including the severity of your appendicitis and your medical history. Open Appendectomy During an open appendectomy, a surgeon makes one incision in the lower right side of your abdomen. Your appendix is removed and the wound is closed with stiches. This procedure allows your doctor to clean the abdominal cavity if your appendix has burst. Your doctor may choose an open appendectomy if your appendix has ruptured and the infection has spread to other organs. It’s also the preferred option for people who have had abdominal surgery in the past. Laparoscopic Appendectomy During a laparoscopic appendectomy, a surgeon accesses the appendix through a few small incisions in your abdomen. A small, narrow tube called a cannula will then be inserted. The cannula is used to inflate your abdomen with carbon dioxide gas. This gas allows the surgeon to see your appendix more clearly. Once the abdomen is inflated, an instrument called a laparoscope will be inserted through the incision. The laparoscope is a long, thin tube with a high-intensity light and a high-resolution camera at the front. The camera will display the images on a screen, allowing the surgeon to see inside your abdomen and guide the instruments. When the appendix is found, it will be tied off with stiches and removed. The small incisions are then cleaned, closed, and dressed. Laparoscopic surgery is usually the best option for older adults and people who are overweight. It has fewer risks than an open appendectomy procedure, and generally has a shorter recovery time. What Happens After an Appendectomy? When the appendectomy is over, you’ll be observed for several hours before you’re released from the hospital. Your vital signs, such your breathing and heart rate, will be monitored closely. Hospital staff will also check for any adverse reactions to the anesthesia or the procedure. The timing of your release will depend on: your overall physical condition the type of appendectomy performed your body’s reaction to the surgery In some cases, you may have to remain in the hospital overnight. You may be able to go home the same day as the surgery if your appendicitis wasn’t severe. A family member or friend will need to drive you home if you received general anesthesia. The effects of general anesthesia usually take several hours to wear off, so it can be unsafe to drive after the procedure. In the days following the appendectomy, you may feel moderate pain in the areas where incisions were made. Any pain or discomfort should improve within a few days. Your doctor may prescribe medication to relieve the pain. They might also prescribe antibiotics to prevent an infection after surgery. You can further reduce your risk for infection by keeping the incisions clean. You should also watch for signs of infection, which include: redness and swelling around the incision fever above 101°F chills vomiting loss of appetite stomach cramps diarrhea or constipation that lasts for more than two days Although there’s a small risk of infection, most people recover from appendicitis and an appendectomy with little difficulty. Full recovery from an appendectomy takes about four to six weeks. During this time, your doctor will probably recommend that you limit physical activity so your body can heal. You’ll need to attend a follow-up appointment with your doctor within two to three weeks after the appendectomy.

Excerpt from my Normal Skin Histology video: https://kikoxp.com/posts/3660.

A complete organized library of all my videos, digital slides, pics, & sample pathology reports is available here: https://kikoxp.com/posts/5084 (dermpath) & https://kikoxp.com/posts/5083 (bone/soft tissue sarcoma pathology).

Please check out my Soft Tissue Pathology & Dermatopathology survival guide textbooks: http://bit.ly/2Te2haB ‬

Also, in the past I used "keratinocyte" and "squamous cell" interchangeably (this is because in dermatopathology, we see and talk about squamous cell carcinomas all the time, and those tumors are composed of keratinocytes). But technically, in normal skin histology, "squamous cell" refers only to the flattened keratinocytes in the superficial epidermis. Thankfully, a histology PhD colleague pointed this out to me and corrected my lazy nomenclature!

This video is geared towards medical students, pathology or dermatology residents, or practicing pathologists or dermatologists. Of course, this video is for educational purposes only and is not formal medical advice or consultation.

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Male Foley Catheterization Technique

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. The virus is one of several types of hepatitis viruses that cause inflammation and affect your liver's ability to function. You're most likely to contract hepatitis A from contaminated food or water or from close contact with someone who's infected. Mild cases of hepatitis A don't require treatment, and most people who are infected recover completely with no permanent liver damage. Practicing good hygiene, including washing hands frequently, is one of the best ways to protect against hepatitis A. Vaccines are available for people most at risk.

A usage instruction on how to use a female condom (also know as a Femidom). Female Condom Application and Removal.

Histology lab video reviewing the structure and cells of thin skin, thick skin, and skin sensory structures on digital histology slides. This video is a part of our Histology Video Course (https://youtube.com/playlist?l....ist=PLnr1l7WuQdDynxT

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As the liver becomes more severely damaged, more obvious and serious symptoms can develop, such as: yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice) swelling in the legs, ankles and feet, due to a build-up of fluid (oedema) swelling in your abdomen, due to a build-up of fluid known as ascites.

If you have placenta previa, it means that your placenta is lying unusually low in your uterus, next to or covering your cervix. The placenta is the pancake-shaped organ – normally located near the top of the uterus – that supplies your baby with nutrients through the umbilical cord.

Vascular dementia is a general term describing problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain. You can develop vascular dementia after a stroke blocks an artery in your brain, but strokes don't always cause vascular dementia. Whether a stroke affects your thinking and reasoning depends on your stroke's severity and location. Vascular dementia also can result from other conditions that damage blood vessels and reduce circulation, depriving your brain of vital oxygen and nutrients

Tension pneumothorax develops when a lung or chest wall injury is such that it allows air into the pleural space but not out of it (a one-way valve). As a result, air accumulates and compresses the lung, eventually shifting the mediastinum, compressing the contralateral lung, and increasing intrathoracic pressure enough to decrease venous return to the heart, causing shock. These effects can develop rapidly, particularly in patients undergoing positive pressure ventilation.

Electrical cardioversion is a procedure in which an electric current is used to reset the heart's rhythm back to its regular pattern (normal sinus rhythm). The low-voltage electric current enters the body through metal paddles or patches applied to the chest wall.

FemTouch Vaginal Rejuvenation Laser

Indwelling urinary catheters are commonly used in hospitals and can lead to preventable catheter-associated UTI. How can rates of catheter-associated UTI be reduced in hospitals? New research findings are summarized in a new NEJM Quick Take. Learn more at http://nej.md/1WoeHdF SHOW MORE

DMC Surgeon uses minimally-invasive surgery to remove uterine fibroids to hasten recovery. ~ Detroit Medical Center

The majority of fetuses are in a breech presentation early in pregnancy. By week 38th week of gestation, however, the fetus normally turns to a cephalic presentation. Although the fetal head is the widest single diameter, the fetus’s buttocks [ breech], plus the lower extremities, actually takes up more space. The fundus, being the largest part of the uterus, probably accounts for the fact that in approximately 97% of all pregnancies, the fetus turns so that the buttocks and lower extremities are in the fundus. Vaginal delivery of a breech presentation requires great skill if the fetus is not to be damaged. With the low rate of vaginal breech deliveries in the developed world, experience is being lost. 6% of women with breech presentation still have a vaginal breech delivery as they present too late - so units need to retain a high level of preparedness. Types of breech presentation: I. Complete breech [ flexed breech]: The fetal attitude is one of complete flexion, with hips and knees both flexed and the feet tucked in beside the buttocks. The presenting part consists of two buttocks, external genitalia and two feet. It is commonly present in multiparae. II. Incomplete breech: This is due to varying degrees of extension of thighs or legs at podalic pole. Three varieties are possible; - Breech with extended legs [ frank breech ]: The breech presents with the hips flexed and legs extended on the abdomen. 70% of breech presentations are of this type and it is particularly common in primigravidae whose good uterine muscle tone inhibits flexion of the legs and free turning of the fetus. - Footling breech: This is rare. One or both feet present because neither hips nor knees are fully flexed. The feet are lower than the buttocks, which distinguishes it from the complete breech. - Knee presentation: This is very rare. Thighs are extended but the knees are flexed, bringing the knees down to present at the brim.

The objectives of hemodialysis are to extract toxic nitrogenous substances from the blood and to remove excess water. In hemodialysis, the blood, laden with toxins and nitrogenous wastes, is diverted from the patient to a machine, a dialyzer, in which the blood is cleansed and then returned to the patient. Diffusion, osmosis, and ultrafiltration are the principles on which hemodialysis is based.

The toxins and wastes in the blood are removed by diffusion—that is, they move from an area of higher concentration in the blood to an area of lower concentration in the dialysate. The dialysate is a solution made up of all the important electrolytes in their ideal extracellular concentrations.

The electrolyte level in the patient’s blood can be brought
under control by properly adjusting the dialysate bath. The semipermeable membrane impedes the diffusion of large molecules,
such as red blood cells and proteins.

#hemodialysis #dialysis #viral #urinaryinfection #shorts #medical #animation

Understand Chest CT (Computed Tomography) scans with this clear explanation

Pancreatic cysts are saclike pockets of fluid on or in your pancreas, a large organ behind the stomach that produces hormones and enzymes that help digest food. Most pancreatic cysts aren't cancerous, and many don't cause symptoms. They're typically found during imaging testing for another problem. Some are actually noncancerous (benign) pockets of fluids lined with scar or inflammatory tissue, not the type of cells found in true cysts (pseudocysts). But some pancreatic cysts can be or can become cancerous. Your doctor might take a sample of the pancreatic cyst fluid to determine if cancer cells are present. Or your doctor might recommend monitoring a cyst over time for changes that indicate cancer.