September 30th, 2011 by DeborahSchwarzRPA in True Stories
No Comments »
Robert Loftus
On August 5, 2011,19-year-old Robert Loftus tripped while catching the game-winning touchdown pass in a football game with friends. He broke his leg — both his tibia and fibula — and was rushed to the ER at Hudson Valley Hospital Center. On the morning of the 6th, he was visited by his orthopedist, Dr. Steven Small, and surgery to place a rod in his broken leg was scheduled for 3 pm that day. Just as the operation was beginning, however, the anesthesiologist was alarmed to find that Robert’s lungs were dangerously filling with fluid. The surgery was called off, and while still in the OR, Robert was put on a mechanical ventilator.
Robert had developed a severe case of ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome; his lungs were failing. After four days on the ventilator, Robert’s breathing was not improving; on the contrary, it was rapidly getting worse. Recognizing the severity of his patient’s condition, Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Columbia University Department of Surgery Blog*
September 26th, 2011 by Medgadget in News, Research
No Comments »
A couple years ago, a team of researchers from the University of Utah managed to create a wireless network made from standard home automation devices to “see” through walls.
Now, the engineers are using the same technology to monitor breathing in patients with sleep apnea, post surgery, and babies at risk for SIDS. The system consists of Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
September 25th, 2011 by RamonaBatesMD in Health Tips, Opinion
No Comments »
Don’t simply look for a surgeon who is board certified. Make sure they are trained to do the procedure you are having. Yes, board certification is important, but the training is more so (in my humble opinion).
If you are having a breast augmentation, you don’t want a board certified maxillofacial surgeon or Ob-Gyn or neurosurgeon. You want someone trained in plastic surgery. It is a bonus if they are board certified. By the same token, if you need brain surgery you don’t want a board certified plastic surgeon you want someone trained in neurosurgery.
This rant was prompted by Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
September 13th, 2011 by RamonaBatesMD in Opinion, Research
No Comments »
Many women with large breast and weight issues seek breast reduction. I was taught to encourage them to lose weight first. Now there is a very small study that backs this up (full reference below).
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons issued a press release entitled “Breast Reduction and Bariatric Surgery—Which Should Be Done First?” and provided the answer “Final Results May Be Better When Weight Loss Comes First.” I agree, but find it odd that such a small study was published. There should have been more patients included.
Jeffrey A. Gusenoff, MD, and colleagues reviewed two groups of patients who sought consultation for body contouring surgery August of 2008 and February of 2010 after massive weight loss (defined as a weight loss of greater than 50 pounds).
Group I (n=15) included Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
September 12th, 2011 by ChristopherChangMD in News
No Comments »
Surgery is messy… and I don’t mean in terms of blood and guts…
What I mean are wires, cables, tubing, etc.
Electric cord for the operating tableLet’s take a routine tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for example…
- Electric cord for the anesthesia machine
- Electric cord for the surgeon’s headlight
- Light cord from the surgeon’s headlight to the lightbox
- Breathing circuit tube from the patient to the anesthesia machine
- Carbon dioxide outflow tube from the patient to the anesthesia machine
- Suction tubing from the surgical table to the vacuum canister
- Vacuum cable from the vacuum canister to the wall socket
- Electrocautery cable (along with electric cord to power the machine)
- Coblation cable (along with electric cord to power the machine)
- IV fluids lines from patient to IV bags
- EKG lines
- Grounding pad cable
- All the wires and cables that go with running a computer
- etc. etc. etc. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Fauquier ENT Blog*
