A woman is told that her gallbladder is inflamed and has to come out. A man has been waiting for a knee replacement, and the operation is scheduled for next week. Before either of these individuals shows up at the hospital for their operations, they and their doctors should take steps to avoid medical problems before, during and after an operation. Read more…
New treatment for obese people combines dieting with therapy. At her lowest ebb Marion Russell weighed 30st. For years she had struggled with diets to deal with her obesity until, seven years ago, in desperation, she sought surgery. “I was told that in order for an operation to to be carried out I had to lose 6st. If I could have done that, I would not have been asking for surgery. So I had my jaw wired,” she says. Read more…
Other people’s blood scares patients. It brings to mind AIDS, hepatitis, or some undiscovered infectious organism that could be lurking in the blood supply. In increasing numbers, people are getting the Red Cross to stockpile their own blood before elective surgery. A recent mid-term report of the Krever Commission, which is investigating the safety of Canada’s blood supply, suggested another way the public could be better protected: eliminate unnecessary blood transfusions. Read more…
As the musical note vibrates through my body, I feel relaxed yet strangely invigorated. But whether the frequencies emanating from my bed – a cross between a psychiatrist’s couch and a sun lounger – are bringing me back to a state of harmony and enhancing me physically and chemically, I cannot tell. Read more…
Dental Health should be the most predictable part of your life. If done with pre planning and approached systematically, a lifetime of dental health and function can be attained. Many patients initially seek the “aesthetic” aspect of dentistry before seeking restorative function. This request is understandable. We greet the world with our smiles, and our smiles reflect the overall health of our physical bodies. Looking first at the overall function and condition of the existing teeth, however, cannot be overemphasized. Read more…
The nation’s top 13 cancer centers have joined to make sure doctors, not insurance companies, decide the best treatment for cancer patients. The fledgling coalition has developed treatment guidelines, a move experts hope will prevent standards from being watered down as managed care companies like HMOs increasingly decide what care patients receive. Read more…
Last week, at J.T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson, two needles were placed in either arm and units of blood and plasma were drawn out. The plasma was passed through a filter to remove antibodies thought to trigger the joint inflammation that characterizes the disease, and finally, after two hours, the patient’s blood and plasma were coursing again through his body. Then it became a waiting game. Read more…