Most Extreme Weight Loss Methods

A number of medical conditions improve with weight loss in general, regardless of the cause.. They include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, heartburn, joint pain, and depression.

While surgery is not considered “necessary” and is an individual’s choice, it is an option for people with BMI 35 and above if they have a medical condition related to obesity and for people with BMI 40 and above whether or not they have a related medical condition, according to according to Dr. William S. Yancy from Duke University Department of Medicine. Serious complications don’t happen often. But life-threatening side effects are possible, as is the case with any medical operation.

Read more: Most Extreme Weight Loss Methods

Source: www.msn.com/en-ca/health

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The Laser Probe, The iKnife, and The Cutting Edge of Surgery

If the thought of going under the knife fills you with fear, be reassured. No longer is surgery the brutal and hazardous experience faced by our ancestors. Thanks to wonders such as laparoscopy, robotic solutions, and, more recently, the iKnife and the laser probe, surgical intervention is getting safer all the time.

Archaeologists believe that people have been carrying out surgery for up to 11,000 years. Cranial surgery, known as trephination, probably dates back to the Neolithic era. It involved drilling a hole in the skull of a living person.

Speculation suggests it was done to cure disorders such as convulsions, fractures, headaches, and infections. The Ancient Egyptians used the same operation for "letting out" headaches and migraine.

Read more: The Laser Probe, The iKnife, and The Cutting Edge of Surgery

Technological advances make surgery safer and more precise all the time. In robotic surgery, the surgeon
controls the instruments from a console. MRI-guided surgery shows where the tumor is, but the iKnife
can detect its exact borders.

Source: medicalnewstoday

'Living' Cartilage Grown Using Stem Cells Could Prevent Hip Replacement Surgery

An alternative to hip replacement surgery may be in sight. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers reveal how it may be possible to use a patient's own stem cells to grow new cartilage in the shape of a hip joint.

Furthermore, the team - including researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO - says it is possible to program the newly grown cartilage to release anti-inflammatory molecules, which could stave off the return of arthritis - the most common cause of hip pain.

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), osteoarthritis is the primary cause of hip joint damage that requires hip replacement surgery, causing severe pain and disability.

Hip replacement surgery, also known as arthroplasty, involves surgically removing the diseased part of the hip and replacing it with new, prosthetic parts. Each year in the United States, more than 332,000 hip replacement surgeries are performed.

Read more: 'Living' Cartilage Grown Using Stem Cells Could Prevent Hip Replacement Surgery

Researchers describe how they could use a patient's own stem cells to grow new cartilage that covers

a 3-D scaffold molded to the shape of their hip joint.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Could Regrowing Limbs be a Medical Possibility?

Although the idea of regrowing an amputated limb sounds like science fiction, some experts believe that, one day, it could become science fact. According to recent findings, the answers may be glimpsed in genes that we share with our very distant relatives.

Although humans cannot regrow lost limbs, there is a range of species that can regenerate lost appendages.

These animals include echinoderms, such as starfish and sea cucumbers; amphibians, including the axolotl and newt; and certain fish species.

Although these animals are considered to be far-removed from humanity, because we all evolved from a joint ancestor, we still share large quantities of genetic information.

And, humanity's ability to regenerate has not been completely lost. Although it is now limited to regrowing fingertips and healing wounds, similar genetic mechanisms are thought to be at work.

Read more: Could Regrowing Limbs be a Medical Possibility?

Limb generation may be a long way down the road, but genetic studies give a glimmer of hope.
Axolotls can regrow entire limbs with ease.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Appendicitis: Warning Signs and Early Symptoms

Appendicitis is a condition in which the appendix becomes inflamed. Its symptoms can become very uncomfortable, painful, and potentially life-threatening if left untreated.

Sudden appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain requiring surgery in the United States. Additionally, more than 5 percent of the population develops appendicitis at some point.

Though it most commonly occurs between the ages of 10 and 30, appendicitis can develop at any age.

Read more: Appendicitis: Warning Signs and Early Symptoms

The appendix is a tube-shaped piece of tissue attached to part of the long intestine and severe pain is
often the first symptom of appendicitis. In most cases, it will begin near the belly button and surgery
may be needed to treat a case of appendicitis.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Change in 'Cervical Stitch' Thread Size Could Save Infants' Lives

The cervical stitch is a common procedure used to prevent preterm birth. Breaking research concludes that the size of the thread used can make a significant difference to the outcome for the infant.

An estimated 1 in 10 American babies are born prematurely.

Being born before the 37-week mark is the greatest contributor to infant death and a leading cause of long-term neurological disabilities.

Preterm births are triggered by the cervix opening too early and allowing the baby to enter the birth canal.

Women who are considered at high risk of miscarriage or preterm birth often undergo the cervical stitch procedure, also known as cervical cerclage.

Read more: Change in 'Cervical Stitch' Thread Size Could Save Infants' Lives

A small change in cervical stitch thread size could save lives.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Pregnancy Rates Higher for Women Who Have Had Tonsils, Appendix Removed

New study has uncovered a surprising association, finding that the surgical removal of the appendix or tonsils in younger age may increase a woman's chance of pregnancy.

Study co-author Sami Shimi, clinical senior lecturer in the School of Medicine at the University of Dundee, United Kingdom, and colleagues say their findings - published in Fertility and Sterility - should ease concerns that such procedures may reduce a woman's fertility.

The surgical removal of the tonsils, known as a tonsillectomy, is normally carried out as a result of frequent infection or inflammation of the tonsils (tonsillitis) or sleep-disordered breathing.

Surgical removal of the appendix, called an appendectomy, is normally the first-line treatment when the organ becomes infected or swollen - a condition known as appendicitis.

Read more: Pregnancy Rates Higher for Women Who Have Had Tonsils, Appendix Removed

Women who underwent a tonsillectomy or appendectomy when younger
were found to have higher pregnancy rates in a new study.

Source: medicalnewstoday

'Smart Thread' Enables 3-D Tissue Embedding for Medical Diagnostics

By integrating microfluidic networks, nano-scale sensors, and electronics, researchers have created implantable, thread-like devices that can be sutured through several layers of tissue in 3-D to gather and send diagnostic data wirelessly as it happens.

Writing the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering, the team - led by engineers from Tufts University in Medford, MA - says the new "smart thread" diagnostic platform could form the basis of a new generation of implantable medical diagnostics and smart wearable devices.

The paper describes the creation of microfluidic threads that can be sutured through several layers of tissue to sample fluid. The network of microfluidic circuits "interface intimately with biological tissues in three dimensions," note the authors.

Read more: 'Smart Thread' Enables 3-D Tissue Embedding for Medical Diagnostics

The microfluidic threads penetrate several layers to sample tissue fluid and channel it to sensing

threads that collect data, such as pH and glucose levels. Electrically conductive threads then

deliver the data to a flexible wireless transmitter that can be sited on top of the skin.

Source: medicalnewstoday

What is an Inguinal Hernia?

The abdominal cavity is the large hollow space in the body that contains many important organs such as the stomach and liver. An inguinal hernia occurs when part of the abdominal cavity pushes into an area of the body called the inguinal canal.

There are two inguinal canals in the body, one on either side of the groin. Different structures of the body pass through the inguinal canal depending on the person's gender.

In men, the spermatic cord passes through the canal and connects to the testicles. In women, round ligaments that support the uterus pass through the canal.

An inguinal hernia usually affects either the small intestine or the fatty tissue in the abdomen.

Read more: What is an Inguinal Hernia?

Around a quarter of men will have an inguinal hernia at some point in their lives.
Incarcerated or strangulated hernias can cause extreme pain, nausea, and vomiting. 
The only available treatment for an inguinal hernia is surgery.

Source: medicalnewstoday

BRCA1 Gene Mutation May Raise Risk of Aggressive Endometrial Cancer

The risk of aggressive serous or serous-like endometrial cancer may be higher for women with a BRCA1 gene mutation, even after undergoing risk-reducing surgery involving the removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries. This is the finding of a new study published in JAMA Oncology.

However, the study found that a mutated BRCA1 gene did not increase women's overall risk of uterine cancer if they had undergone the risk-reducing procedure, called risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO).

RRSO is the surgical removal of the fallopian tube and ovaries, and it is sometimes recommended for women who are at high risk of breast or ovarian cancers as a result of BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations.

Read more: BRCA1 Gene Mutation May Raise Risk of Aggressive Endometrial Cancer

Researchers say women with a BRCA1 mutation are at higher risk for aggressive endometrial cancer,
even after undergoing risk-reducing surgery.

Source: medicalnewstoday.

Ovarian Cancer: New Imaging Technique Helps Surgeons Remove More of Tumor.

The amount of tumor tissue that is left after surgery is an important factor in ovarian cancer patient survival. Currently, surgeons have to rely on their eyes and hands to find malignant tissue. Now, new research shows how an imaging technique using a new type of fluorescent compound helped surgeons detect and remove nearly 30 percent more ovarian tumor tissue than usual.

The new technique was tested in a small exploratory study led by Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in the Netherlands and published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

One of the study leaders, Dr. Alexander L. Vahrmeijer, who heads an image-guided surgery group at LUMC, says:

"Surgery is the most important treatment for ovarian cancer, and surgeons mainly have to rely on their naked eyes to identify tumor tissue, which is not optimal."

Read more: Ovarian Cancer: New Imaging Technique Helps Surgeons Remove More of Tumor.

The experimental study shows that the new imaging system helped surgeons remove more tumor
issue in patients with ovarian cancer.

Source: medicalnewstoday