Surgeries & Operations

If you are planning to have weight loss surgery, attending a support group on a regular basis can make all the difference in your success. At a weight loss surgery support group, you can talk to...

Scalpels can be instrumental in a variety of professions and hobbies. Surgeons use them to slice the delicate tissues of the body, while hobbyists use them to carve, etch, or dissect things....

PE tubes help to open up the ear tubes in infants, allowing fluid to drain instead of building up and causing infections in the ear. To help prevent a postoperative infection, many surgeons...

The shoulder has four muscles that surround the shoulder joint and are called the rotator cuff. The shoulder joint is the most movable joint in the body, and these four muscles are what lift,...

Some 99,000 heart valve surgeries take place each year in the United States, many of them heart valve replacements. Additionally, coronary artery bypass grafting has become the most common "open...

Hip nailing, also referred to as hip pinning, is a surgical procedure done to stabilize a hip joint fracture. Depending on the type and extent of the fracture, a surgeon uses plates and pins or...

Trying to persuade someone to make an organ donation, whether from themselves or from a loved one, can be a difficult task. However, many lives can be saved from the gift of an organ donation and...

Anytime you have surgery, there is a recovery period afterward. Understanding the surgical procedure and what to expect in the days and weeks that follow will assist in the speed of healing.

Crystalens is a relatively new eye surgery intended to treat cataracts and restore a full range of vision in the patient by treating presbyopia (a loss of near vision). Unlike other laser eye...

BKA stands for below-the-knee amputation, a type of surgical procedure where a leg or foot is surgically removed due to a variety of reasons. Historically, BKA resulted in permanent disabilities....

Rotator cuff surgery is designed to relieve stiffness in the area, and help you get back full range of motion. It's important to begin a physical therapy regimen soon after surgery, because scar...

Preparation for bariatric surgery is crucial if the surgery is going to work. You will need to start eating in a way that is similar to your post-op diet to help prepare your body for the reduced...

C5 back surgery attempts to resolve a herniated disc, a disc bulge, or tumor located in the spine (between cervical vertebrae 4-5-6), just above the area where the neck attaches to the shoulders.

If conditions exist that require more intensive treatment for cervical erosion than antibiotics or antiviral medications, laser treatment benefits exceed those of cauterization. And for those...

A gallstone is a minute crystalline particle that can form in your gallbladder. It can grow larger over time, moving around in your gallbladder and blocking certain ducts that prevent your...

Arthroscopic surgery of the knee is used to treat a variety of conditions. The doctor makes small incisions in the knee area to accommodate a tiny camera and access for other surgical tools to...

Women often consider breast augmentation (breast enlargement) to improve their self-image, give them a younger appearance, or compensate for breast tissue lost due to pregnancy or weight loss....

Like a traditional breast reduction surgery, the goal of breast reduction with liposuction is to reduce the size of the breasts. The difference is that breast reduction with liposuction utilizes...

ACL tears or strains are one of the leading injuries in sports, but with modern technology they are becoming more manageable.

Penile enlargement surgery (or phalloplasty) is a procedure to enhance the size of the penis in length, width or both. Surgery is the only permanent option for penis enlargement. According to the...

Are breast implants something you've considered? Read on for information on breast implants.

Interested in lip augmentation? There are over-the-counter lip plumping products, lip fillers via injection, or lip surgery for permanent lip augmentation.

Eating in restaurants after a gastric bypass can be a challenge. That’s because after a gastric bypass, you need to eat a low carb, high protein diet, and you need to eat foods that are...

LASIK, or Lasik vision correction surgery, or laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, is refractive surgery. It’s performed by an opthamologist using a laser to correct myopia, hyperopia and...

Want a nose job? Over 350,000 nose jobs are performed each year in the U.S. - it is the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure.

Although many foot problems can be corrected through nonsurgical methods, other problems will require surgery. Foot surgery is often necessary for bunions, flatfoot condition, severe arthritis,...

Arthroplasty is a type of surgical procedure that replaces damaged joints. When joint damage is too severe and causes too much pain, arthroplasty is a treatment that relieves pain and restores...

The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, is responsible for producing hormones that regulate the metabolism. Disorders or cancer may necessitate its partial or complete removal. This...

There are many different types of surgeries that people have which require them to rebuild stomach muscles afterwards. It can be difficult to know exactly when it's an appropriate time to begin...

After back surgery, you should refrain from activities that can strain your back for at least six weeks. Be mindful of your surgical dressings and ensure that the pain medication you are taking...

The rotator cuff is made up of the four muscles surrounding your shoulder joint. These muscles are responsible for lifting the arm overhead and rotating it to the side. The rotator cuff can...

The predominant cause of aortic aneurysm is hardening of the arteries, arteriosclerosis. Other contributors are genetics and rare hereditary diseases such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Marfan's...

Heart ablation, or cardiac ablation, is a surgical procedure that is used to correct abnormal heart rhythms. Catheter tubes are used to correct structural heart problems that prevent normal heart...

Hernia repair and gall bladder removal both require abdominal surgery, and doctors usually restrict or ban lifting after these procedures. Recovery from either operation typically ranges from one...

Bariatric, or bypass surgery, is a form of obesity surgery that is growing in popularity. The surgery entails making your stomach smaller by creating a pouch within the stomach so you can't eat...

Gastric bypass is a surgical procedure that involves making your stomach smaller, allowing food to bypass part of your small intestine. This restricts the amount of food needed to be consumed in...

Knee replacement surgery is a highly invasive procedure that will drastically alter a patient's life. In most cases, this change is for the better and the surgery allows the patient to resume...

Each of your fingers has two flexor tendons. Your thumb has one flexor tendon. These tendons are located along the palm side of your finger and are close to the surface of your skin. Flexor...

Colon surgery is performed to treat cancer and conditions which affect your colon. Resection surgery removes part or the entire colon. After the surgery, your priority must be your full recovery...

Lumbar fusion is a type of back surgery that may be performed to correct scoliosis, degenerative disc disease and other conditions affecting the spine. During a lumbar fusion, two or more...

Before an abdominal ultrasound, patients are required to fast for at least eight hours before the procedure, regardless of the reason for the exam. Most people find that fasting for this short...

Liposuction is no longer being considered a procedure to improve one's appearance. Recent studies and clinical trials have concluded that liposuction does in fact have health benefits associated...

Laser eye surgery boasts a short recovery period and near painlessness. Some patients, however, experience pain and itching in the eyes during the post-surgery period. Manage pain after laser eye...

Patients scheduled for surgery are advised to quit smoking, at least temporarily. The negative effects of cigarette smoke can impact a patient's ability to handle anesthesia, and increase the risk...

Total knee replacement is an extensive surgery that uses metal and polyethylene prostheses to replace the articulating surfaces of the knee joint. The surgery can help improve mobility and...

A breast prosthesis that is the correct shape gives you a natural look in clothing and is comfortable for you to wear for long periods of time. The shape you need is determined by your specific...

Ultrasound, or ultrasonography, is an imaging technique frequently employed in medicine that uses the echoes of high frequency sound waves emitted from a transducer to produce an image of the...

According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), diverticulitis affects about 10 percent of Americans over the age of 40, and Blue Shield of California says less...

Hernia repair is a very common surgical procedure in the United States. In fact, according to SurgeryChannel.com, over 500,000 of these surgeries are performed each year. There are several types...

Blood clots are one of the most common complications associated with surgery. Although they are a normal part of the body's healing process, blood clots can become extremely dangerous in certain...