October 14th, 2011 by John Di Saia, M.D. in Health Tips, Opinion
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Breast Lift surgery (Mastopexy) is obviously surgery to lift the breast. There are variations of this operation – quite a few variations. Breast lift operations are usually discussed relative to the “full breast lift” which has also been called the anchor lift. This operation leaves scars around the areola, under the breast and vertically between the two. The shape of the scar configuration resembles an anchor, hence the name. The potential for scars is one of the major concerns potential patients have with the surgery. This version of the operation also has the greatest potential to change the shape of the breast.
Reduced scar breast lifts came into creation to limit the potential for scarring. The important compromise, however, is that these modified breast lifts “lift” less. Reduced scar lifts can involve any portion of the full lift scar pattern. The modified lift with an incision above the areola only is called a “Crescent lift.” It provides only Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*
October 14th, 2011 by Michael Craig Miller, M.D. in Health Tips
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The hectic pace of daily life and the stresses that accompany it may make you want to tune out. A healthier approach may be to tune in.
I know that sounds counterintuitive. But paying more attention to what is going on around you, not less, is the first step toward cultivating mindfulness, an excellent technique to help you cope with a range of mental and physical problems, including stress.
The practice of mindfulness, which has its roots in Buddhism, teaches people to be present in each moment. The idea is to focus attention on what is happening now and accepting it without judgment.
Although it sounds simple, and even simplistic, mindfulness is Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Harvard Health Blog*
October 13th, 2011 by CodeBlog in Opinion, True Stories
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At work, we have Voceras. They are little phones that we wear around our necks. We use them to call each other, other departments, take phone calls. They were a little annoying at first and kind of hard to get used to using, but now we all use them every day and I personally have found them to be really helpful. Our unit is large, and instead of walking around trying to find Susie Q RN to tell her she has a phone call, we just click our Vocera button and can reach her instantly. Easy.
They added a feature a little while ago. The Voceras now tie in with the patient monitors. I don’t know how it all works; for all I know, the unit secretary brings out a magic wand, chants a spell, and then the monitor and Vocera both know what patient I have that day. This results in a couple of things.
First, Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at code blog - tales of a nurse*
October 13th, 2011 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Health Tips, Opinion
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Dr. Robert “Brownie” Schoene, an enormously talented, accomplished, and insightful physician who resides within the bedrock of wilderness medicine, gave a wonderful presentation about the concept of risk at the 2010 annual summer meeting of the Wilderness Medical Society. Risk is inherent in outdoor activities, whether it is part of exploration, adventure, science, or industry. I am going to summarize his approach to the topic, which is among the most important general concepts in the field, and editorialize with some of my thoughts.
When one thinks of risk related to outdoor health, it is about the possibility of suffering harm, damage, or loss. When a person is aware of the possibility of a specific risk, he or she usually weighs the risk against the possible benefits. When you hike on a slippery, snowy trail in early spring, where the trail winds over patches of ice near ledges from which a fall would cause a severe injury, is the experience worth the risk? When you ride a wave on your surfboard when the waves are intimidating and you are outside your comfort zone, is the improvement in performance worth the possibility of a tumble and possible muscle tear or broken bone? Sometimes the answer is easy. When I travel to a third world country, I always run the risk of acquiring infectious diarrhea. The benefits of the mission supersede the discomfort, and I both anticipate the risk and prepare for treatment by carrying oral rehydration supplies and appropriate antibiotics.
I love the quote from Winston Churchill that Dr. Schoene used to illustrate a risk-taker’s approach: Read more »
This post, Understanding Risk Related To Outdoor Health, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
October 13th, 2011 by Dinah Miller, M.D. in Opinion
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Oh, we’re not kiddy shrinks, so this post is not really about children. But I like the term, it implies that the person needs something more, that they have special– presumably increased– needs. It says nothing about potential. I use the term often, and sometimes with a bit of humor, to remind people that the playing field is not always level. There are people who start any given race with a handicap– a learning disability, dyslexia, major health problems, mental illnesses, horrible childhoods, addictions — and these set them on a slightly different course.
Some people overcome tremendous adversity. They function ‘as if’ they had no special needs. They have stories that would let you understand if they didn’t do very well in life, stories that would explain burying their heads in the sand, or crawling under a large rock. Sometimes these special needs people are Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Shrink Rap*