September 4th, 2011 by Medgadget in News, Research
No Comments »
Though mastectomies are often a necessary and even welcome intervention to save the lives of women suffering from breast cancer, they also may contribute to the overall physical and emotional trauma facing the patients. In order to alleviate some of these problems, surgeons have developed breast reconstruction procedures that usually entail restoring the mound by implanting a silicone sac filled with salt solution (saline) or gel under the skin and pectoral muscles. The traditional process to prepare for implantation of the sac may be long and sometimes painful because it involves weekly bolus saline injections (sometimes up to 22 weeks) in order to create a pocket of sufficient size.
A potential alternative solution is being developed by AirXpanders, a med tech start-up in Palo Alto that focuses on tissue expansion for breast reconstruction following cancer. Their system, known as AeroForm, just recently Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
August 25th, 2011 by RamonaBatesMD in Research
No Comments »
I was alerted to this Archives of Surgery article (full reference below) by MedPage Today: Role Playing Boosts Surgical Residents’ Bedside Manner.
I find it intriguing. Role playing gives you a chance for a “do-over” when you make a social or communication faux pas.
So much of medicine is communication. Those of us who have been at it for years, deliver bad news differently (learned the hard way) now than we did previously. You choose your words more carefully (though I still occasionally screw up). Some words are more emotionally charged than others. Some patients want more information than others.
The University of Connecticut Health Center conducted a prospective study of a pilot project designed to teach surgical residents patient-centered communication skills.
The study offered Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
August 17th, 2011 by RamonaBatesMD in Opinion
2 Comments »
A couple of nice articles recently on latex allergy have crossed my path – one in a journal I subscribe to (Aesthetic Surgery Journal) and the other via twitter and @Allergy (Ves Dimov, M.D., blogs at Allergy Notes). I’ve put both full references below.
Latex allergy became widely recognized in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The increase in latex allergies cases is felt to be associated with the increase use of latex gloves and implementation of universal precautions (now known as standard precautions) in the 1980s.
Management of possible or confirmed latex allergic patients begin with history and suspicion:
All patients who present for surgical procedures or exams which require latex gloves (pelvic exam, dental exams, etc) should be questioned about possible latex allergy.
Patients at highest risk include those who Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
August 14th, 2011 by ChristopherChangMD in Health Tips, Opinion
No Comments »
I was informed about this interesting concept on ABC news…
With many aging baby boomers tapping into cosmetic surgery in order to look younger, some are taking it a step further to “sound” younger as well with a “voice lift”.
For some, it’s not right to look 10-20 years younger after a facelift but still sound like 70 years old.
A hoarse voice with aging is not unusual, but a surgical “voice-lift” is not necessarily the first step that should be taken.
First things first… Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Fauquier ENT Blog*
August 14th, 2011 by John Di Saia, M.D. in Health Tips, Opinion
No Comments »
I have a wide scar on my leg that I got years ago. I have tried creams and stuff. When is surgery a good idea to improve a scar? Can a cream or a laser make it thinner?
Scar improvement has several phases and the condition of your body and how the wound occurred have parts to play. Early on after wounding there is the question of whether or not to have surgery to repair the wound. If the edges are clean and close together, then surgery is not always beneficial. If they are apart or the wound is dirty a proper medical evaluation and/or surgery can make things better down the line. When in doubt, get that evaluation.
Once the wound has started healing, Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*
