Cataract surgery is an elective procedure, and whether it is performed depends upon each individual owner and animal. Surgery should not be performed on eyes with negative ERG's or with extensive scars and adhesions inside the eye. Some patients are poorer anesthetic risks than others, and some have poorer chances for success due to concurrent medical problems (diabetes, etc.).

Most of the time surgery is not necessary. The fundoplication surgery should only be considered as a last resort. Some reasons to consider the fundoplication would be failure to outgrow severe hard to treat reflux, FTT (failure to thrive), or other life threatening complications from reflux. For more information about the fundoplication surgery, please check out our articles on the topic.

Hip replacement is one of the most successful orthopaedic surgeries performed -more than 90 percent of people who have hip replacement surgery will never need revision surgery. However, because more younger people are having hip replacements, and wearing away of the joint surface becomes a problem after 15 to 20 years, revision surgery is becoming more common.

Inflammation of the mucous membrane lining in the sinuses can cause swelling and narrowing of the sinus opening, thereby blocking the flow of mucus. If antibiotics, decongestants, nasal sprays and other therapies prescribed by your doctor are not effective, sinus surgery is often needed to correct the problem.

Orbital surgery is needed to reconstruct or repair damage to the bony cavity around the eye caused by disease or trauma. Serious, advanced cases of Grave's Disease can cause a person's eyes to protrude to the point of vision loss. Orbital decompression, or the removal of bone tissue between the eye socket and sinuses may help. Sometimes a diseased or traumatized eye has to be removed.

YES, if your doctor has performed an electrophysiology study and determined you are likely to suffer potentially fatal arrhythmia. Research posted in the spring of 2002 again verifies the life saving value of these devices: Suggesting it for most people who survive a heart attack that resulted in significant damage to the heart muscle. See below to understand how an ICD improves your chance of survival.

Yes, while tanning lotion is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended and will make a big difference in the quality of your tan and your skin. Your body makes use of many ingredients in addition to UV-light to produce a tan. Indoor tanning accelerators are designed to provide you with a balanced amount of these essential ingredients to achieve a better tan. Dry skin reflects tanning rays so for best results, drench your skin with an indoor tanning lotion just prior to tanning.

After Drs. Steele or Faust decide you are a candidate for this surgery, you then must decide if your pain and disability justify undergoing it. There is no harm in waiting if conservative, non-operative methods are controlling your pain.

Yes! This is a one-time expense that can dramatically improve your pet's quality of life. If you are still uncertain whether or not to proceed with the surgery, consider the expense to society of collecting and caring for all the unwanted, abused, or abandoned animals being housed in shelters — most with little chance of finding permanent homes. Having your pet spayed or neutered is a part of responsible pet ownership and an important investment in your pet's long-term good health.

quot;Many patients do experience dramatic results. In some cases, however, the side effect of slower swallowing can be temporarily bothersome. In the great majority, the benefits far outweigh the minimal side effects."

In most cases, we think about surgery as an option when other steps to relieve back pain have not worked. We also consider surgery in those rarer cases in which a patient is at risk for paralysis or is experiencing loss of bladder or bowel control. Finally, surgery is the option for infections of the spine and for cancer. In the cases where we do need to consider surgery, we always consider first the least invasive and painful forms of surgery.

Routine blood thinning medications are given after surgery, which include aspirin, Persantine (dipyridamole), and dextran. Dextran is given for 3 days while in the hospital. The aspirin and Persantine are given for 6 weeks. Pain medication will be given for use after surgery and will be discussed before discharge from the hospital. A dentist may ask if your orthopaedic surgeon instructed you to take antibiotics before dental work.

Patients usually go home 4 to 5 days after epilepsy surgery, and can return to most activities after 2-4 weeks. A period of recuperation (usually 2-3 months) is necessary before returning to work or school. The patient will continue to follow up with his neurologist and neurosurgeon. Sometimes rehabilitation (physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy) is needed.

Surgery is recommended when a patient's pain doesn't respond to conservative treatment or if they have neurological deficits. Surgery is considered when nonsurgical therapy fails to adequately control the symptoms of pain, weakness or nerve dysfunction. The need for emergent spinal surgery exists but is infrequent. Emergency surgery may be indicated if there are progressive or severe neurologic deficits or bowel or bladder difficulties.

Some T&As are performed for unwarranted reasons. You can always find someone to perform surgery on your child; in fact, this is the main risk of "doctor shopping." Large tonsils do not mean "bad" tonsils or infected tonsils. The tonsils are normally large during childhood (called "physiological hypertrophy"). They can't be "too large" unless they touch each other. The peak size is reached between 8 and 12 years of age.

Mouthguards can offer superior protection against dental related injuries. Find out how to choose and take care of a dental mouthguard. Helpful dental information, tooth brushing charts, activities, photos and more for National Dental Health Month. February is National Children's Dental Health Month and understanding the fundamentals of pediatric dentistry can help you teach your kids about good oral hygiene.

Sealants are a very effective preventative treatment that we recommend for young patients. It is painless. We simply paint a coat of sealant on the appropriate teeth.

As with all surgery there will be some discomfort. However the techniques of the surgery minimize the discomfort. I use long acting local anesthetics that greatly reduce the amount of initial postoperative discomfort. Most women describe the pain as mild. We will provide you with appropriate pain medication for your comfort.

Crohn's disease can be helped by surgery, but it cannot be cured by surgery. Physicians use the phrases "minimalist surgery" and "surgery avoidance" when discussing surgical options for CD. This is because new Crohn's lesions can appear after previously diseased areas have been removed and even diseased tissue may be functionally useful. Many surgeons also feel that "surgery in Crohn's patients just leads to more surgery".

In order for an endocrinologist to consider hormone therapy or for a surgeon to perform sex re-assignment surgery, the individual must meet the DSM-4 psychiatric diagnostic criteria of gender identity disorder. This is determined and documented through a psychological evaluation. The results of this evaluation are communicated via a letter to the physician prior to initiating treatment. Prior to surgery, supporting letters from two separate therapists may be required by some surgeons.

Antibiotics, decongestants, ear drops and abrasion with a small hook are often tried before surgery is recommended. Surgery may not be recommended for very young children or patients with chronic sinus or nasal problems such as severe allergies, acute infection in the sinuses or nose, or poorly controlled diabetes or heart disease.

I wish they weren't. The really tragic thing is how - for a certain kind of person - they still won't make any difference. I used to have just one notice (here on the FAQ), then two (one on the FAQ, one on the contact page) then three and four (adding a note to the article istelf, adding another note to the FAQ) ... and people kept right on feeling like those notices didn't apply to them, that their question was more important than my health or my time.

Forty-six states require safety chains on tag-along trailers and 29 of those states also require them on gooseneck trailers. The remaining states strongly recommend safety chains. The safety chains should be attached to the frame of the vehicle or to the frame-mounted hitch. They should be crossed underneath to catch the trailer in a sort of cradle if the trailer comes off the ball.

The costs for prescription medications continue to grow each year. Enrolling in a Medicare approved prescription drug plan helps you to reduce your out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs. EnvisionRx Plus uses a prescription drug formulary to lower your costs and ensure access to quality, safe, cost effective medications.

It depends on the specific disease being treated. Some spinal disorders my only require a decompressive procedure. In this situation, implants are not required. However, in other scenarios such as spinal instability, scoliosis, trauma, or degenerative disease, a fusion may be necessary. Spinal implants have dramatically improved the success of a spinal fusion. The implants act as an internal splint to stabilize the spine while the fusion occurs.