Procedure Descriptions
Abdominoplasty
Adenoidectomy (Adenoid Removal)
Arthroscopic Surgery
Breast Augmentation
Breast Biopsy
Bunionectomy
Colonoscopy
Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
Hernia Repair
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Spinal Injection
Tonsillectomy
Upper Gastrointestinal Series
For those patients who require the most correction, the abdomen is cut from hipbone to hipbone. The incision will be made low, at about the same level as your pubic hair. Your surgeon will then manipulate and contour the skin, tissue and muscle as needed. Your belly button will have a new opening if you undergo this procedure, because it's necessary to free your navel from surrounding tissue. Drainage tubes may be placed under your skin, and these will be removed in a few days as your surgeon sees fit.
For patients whose fat deposits are located below the navel and require shorter incisions, the belly button most likely will not be moved. Your skin will be separated between the line of incision and your belly button. This type of surgery may also be performed with an endoscope, a small camera on the end of a tube.
Adenoidectomy (Adenoid Removal)
Adenoidectomy is the surgical removal of the adenoid glands, which are located between the nasal airway and the back of the throat. This surgery is often done in conjunction with a tonsillectomy.
While the patient is under general anesthesia, the ENT surgeon props open the patient's mouth with a small instrument. The adenoid tissue is cauterized or removed with a curette or a microdebrider. Bleeding is controlled with packing or cauterization.
Arthroscopic Surgery is used to diagnose and treat many joint problems. This significant advance in joint care allows for rapid return to improved activity. Most commonly used in knees, shoulders and ankles, the arthroscope can also be sued for spine, hip, wrists and elbows.
Step 1 Two small incisions are made around the join area. Surgical instruments will be positioned in these incisions.
Step 2 A tube-like needle is inserted in one incision. Fluid is pumped through the tube and into the joint. This expands the joint, giving the surgeon a clear view and room to work. The tube will also be used as drainage needle to regulate the amount of fluid in the joint during the procedure.
Step 3 Through another incision, the surgeon insets the arthroscope. This instrument has a light and a small video camera that send images to a TV monitor in the operating room.
Step 4 With the video images from the arthroscope as a guide, the surgeon can look for damaged tissue. If the surgeon sees an opportunity to treat a problem, a variety of small surgical instruments can be inserted through the third small incision.
Step 5 The surgeon may close the incisions with stitches or tape. Recovery from arthroscopy is faster than recovery from traditional open joint surgery.
For a virtual demonstration of this procedure, check it out: HYPERLINK
http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/surgerycenter/surgerycenterflash/arthroscopy.html
Breast augmentation, technically known as augmentation mammoplasty, is a surgical procedure to enhance the size and shape of a woman's breast for a number of reasons:
To enhance the body contour of a woman who, for personal reasons, feels her breast size is too small. To correct a reduction in breast volume after pregnancy. To balance a difference in breast size. As a reconstructive technique following breast surgery.
In a needle biopsy, a needle is inserted into the lump. Fluid and tissue samples are taken for pathological studies. There is no incision in this procedure.
In an open biopsy, the lump is removed through an incision. Some surrounding tissue may also be removed. The tissue sample will then be examined by a pathologist. Local or general anesthesia is used for this procedure.
In a stereotactic biopsy, a patient lies in the prone position with one breast passing through a hole in the table. After mammographic images of the breast have been taken to localize the area to be biopsied, the skin is anaesthetized with a local anesthetic. A small nick is made in the skin to allow for passage of a needle into the breast. Several core biopsies are then taken. After a bandage has been applied to the wound, the patient is free to drive themselves home if they so desire since the procedure requires only a local anesthetic.
A bunion is a painful deformity of the bones and joint between the foot and the big toe. Long-term irritation caused by poorly fitting and/or high-heeled shoes, arthritis, or heredity causes the joint to thicken and enlarge. This causes the big toe to angle in toward and over the second toe, the foot bone (metatarsal) to angle out toward the other foot, and the skin to thicken
Surgical removal of a bunion is usually done while the patient is under general anesthesia and rarely requires a hospital stay. An incision is made along the bones of the big toe into the foot. The deformed joint and bones are repaired, and the bones are stabilized with a pin and/or cast.
A Colonoscopy enables the physician to look inside a patient's entire large intestine. This procedure is used to look for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum, as well, as diagnose the causes of unexplained bowel habits.
Before the procedure, the patient is usually given a mild sedative. While the patient lies on their left side, the physician will inset a long, flexible, lighted tube into the patient's rectum and slowly guide it into the colon. The tube, called a colonoscope, transmits an image of inside the colon and can inflate the colon with air to help the physician see clearly.
The physician can remove all or part of an abnormality using tiny instruments passed through the scope. If there is bleeding, the physician can pass an instrument through the scope to stop the bleeding or inject medicine.
Endoscopic Sinus Surgery involves the insertion of the a very thin fiber-optic tube into the nose for a direct visual examination of the openings into the sinuses. With micro-telescopes and instruments, abnormal and obstructive tissues are then removed. In the majority of cases, the surgical procedure is performed entirely through the nostrils, leaving no external scars.
A hernia develops when the outer layers of the abdominal wall weaken (or have a defect), bulge, and tear. The hole in this outer layer allows the inner lining of the abdomen to protrude and form a sac.
Open Repair Surgery is the more traditional approach to Hernia treatment. There are 5-10 different approaches and can be performed with local and general anesthesia. In a typical surgery, the protruding tissue is returned to the abdominal cavity and the sac that has been formed is removed. The surgeon repairs the hole in the abdominal wall by sewing strong surrounding muscle over the defect. Mesh may be used in place of sewing.
Videoscopic (Laparoscopic) Hernia Surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia. A telescope is attached to a camera is placed through a small opening under the belly button. Two more small cuts are made in the lower abdomen. The hernia defect is covered with a mesh and secured with stitches, staples, titanium tacks, or tissue glue.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ that lies on the underside of the liver, in the upper right portion of the abdomen. The surgeon creates four very small incisions. One of these holes is made in or near the patient's navel so that the surgeon can insert a special instrument called the laparoscope, a long, rigid tube that is attached to a tiny video camera and a light. Before the laparoscope is inserted, the patient's abdomen is distended with an injection of carbon dioxide gas, which allows the surgeon to see inside the body.
Once the laparoscope has been inserted, the surgeon then guides the laparoscope while watching the view it provides on a video monitor. The other small incisions are made in the abdomen; two of them are on the right side below the ribcage, and one is in the upper portion below the breast bone. Other specialized instruments are placed through each of these three incisions. Two instruments are used to grasp and retract the gallbladder and the third to free the gallbladder from its attachments. The surgeon will use an electrocautery device to cut free the gallbladder. Once the gallbladder has been cut free, the surgeon collapses the organ and removes it through the incision at the navel.
The most common type of pain management procedure is an Epidural Steroid Injection or Spinal Injection. Prior to an epidural steroid injection, the patient's skin is cleaned with a sterilizing solution and a sterile drape is placed over the skin. Local anesthesia is injected into the skin to provide numbness at the injection site. The steroid injection consists of a local anesthetic and/or steroids. A small bandage may be placed over the injection site.
Tonsillectomy (Tonsil Removal) is the surgical removal of the tonsils, which are glands located at the back of the throat. Normally, tonsil glands serve as agents against infection. In some people, however, especially children, these glands can cause ear and throat infections. While the patient is under general anesthesia, the ENT surgeon removes the tonsils with an instrument or cautery (burning device), which controls bleeding. The cut heals naturally without stitches.
The Upper Gastrointestinal Series uses x-rays to diagnose problems in the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, and, in some cases, the small intestine. This procedure can show blockage, abnormal growth, ulcers, or a malfunction in the organ.
Before the procedure, the patient will drink a thick, white, milkshake-like liquid called Barium. This liquid coats the inside lining of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, so they can be clearly seen on x-rays. A physician will examine these x-rays for abnormalities.
With the assistance of a fluoroscope, the physician can also watch the digestive system work as the barium moves through it. This part of the procedures helps identify any problems in the digestive system's functions.