A surgical procedure that permanently connects two or more vertebrae in the spine, eliminating motion between them. Spinal Fusion involves techniques designed to mimic the normal healing process of broken bones. During spinal fusion bone or a bonelike materials are placed within the space between two spinal vertebrae. Metal plates, screws and rods are used to hold the vertebrae together, so they can heal into one solid unit.
Disc herniation is a disease wich can affect patients of any age. It may result secondary of trauma, from injuries to the spine, different accidents or, in some cases, there isn’t an identified cause ( in this case the disease is know as idiopathic disc herniation).
A herniated disc consists of tiny tears or cracks in the outer layer (annulus or capsule) of the disc. The jellylike material inside the disc (nucleus) may be forced out through the tears or cracks in the capsule, which causes the disc to bulge, break open (rupture), or break into fragments. This is causing severe and constant pain. The disc hernia can lead to a root compression provoking a quality of life degradation.
Vertebroplasty is a pain treatment for vertebral compression fractures that fail to respond to conventional medical therapy, such as minimal or no pain relief with analgesics or narcotic doses that are intolerable. A compression fracture occurs when pressure on a vertebra causes it to break or crack, often because of osteoporosis. Compression fractures are often extremely painful, and can cause abnormal spine curvature that leads to other serious health problems.
Refractive prediction error changes with a patient's age, according to results from a prospective, cohort study. The researchers suggest patient age should be taken into account when determining intraocular lens (IOL) power for cataract surgery.
More about Neurosurgery
Refractive prediction error changes with a patient's age, according to results from a prospective, cohort study. The researchers suggest patient age should be taken into account when determining intraocular lens (IOL) power for cataract surgery.
Georgette Greene has an active lifestyle and works out at least five times a week. But six years ago, the Campbell resident realized she could no longer do a squat. She exercised even harder and lost weight. “That helped for a little while,” she said. “But from there my knees got progressively worse.” Today the 57-year-old Greene lies in a hospital bed for the first time since having her daughter— now seated by her side — 31 years ago. She’s about to undergo total knee replacement surgery.
More than 600,000 knee-replacement surgeries are done in the United States every year, and as Baby Boomers continue to age, some say that figure will grow to 1 million within the next decade. Patients are increasingly choosing an option that allows doctors to build their patient’s knees.
Less than a year ago, climbing a flight of stairs would have been impossible for Amanda Fair-Evans. “I couldn’t even get out of the car, and I was like, ‘What is this?’” Fair-Evans said. The pain in her left knee was unbearable. Fair-Evans tried medication and cortisone shots and finally begged her doctor for surgery. “I have no quality of life,” Fair-Evans recalled saying. “I have grandkids and I want to play with my grandkids. Please give me a new knee.”
Dr. Mathew Pombo, an orthopedic surgeon, felt Fair-Evans would be a great candidate for a personalized replacement knee. A standing CT scan of a patient’s leg captures the alignment, followed by a three-dimensional printing process. “We can input components into the computer and print off a specific femur and a specific tibia that fits the bone perfectly,” Pombo said. It takes about six weeks for a medical company to create the custom knee. During surgery, doctors remove the damaged joint. Then, using individually designed tools, surgeons insert the new joint and cement it in. “It’s basically like putting a train on perfectly aligned train tracks,” Pombo said. “It should wear better.”
Five months later, Fair-Evans had her other knee replaced. Now she’s back to the things she loves to do. “(I’m) taking long walks, playing with my grandkids and dancing,” Fair-Evans said. “I haven’t danced in a long time.” Pombo said there is a faster recovery, less blood loss and easier range of motion when patients have the personalized 3D knee surgery.
When is a woman eligible for breast surgery?
More people want to change the shape of their nose today than any time in the past 10 years. The build-up of the demand encourages new developments in technology which has never been as remarkable as today.
