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Minimally Invasive Thoracic Spinal Fusion
Minimally invasive thoracic spinal fusion is one of the approaches to scoliosis surgery. Instead of a vertical scar down the back or horizontal from the middle of the chest to the center of the back, a rod is inserted through a series of small incisions on the side of the body. The spine is not exposed during the surgery; a small scope is used instead. Terminology * Scoliosis is a three-dimensional curvature of the spine. * Spinal fusion is when the discs of the spine are removed and replaced with donor bone. The fusion is usually stabilized with a rod. * Idiopathic means arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause. Qualifications Spinal fusion is usually needed when a curvature reaches 40 degrees. However, there is a window of opportunity for a minimally invasive surgery. The curvature needs to be between 0 and 70 degrees. Minimal rib rotation and only one curve is preferred. Also, minimally invasive spinal fusions are almost always only done in the thoracic reg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the specialty (medicine), medical specialty that focuses on the surgical treatment or rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the Human brain, brain, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system, and cerebrovascular system. Neurosurgery as a medical specialty also includes non-surgical management of some neurological conditions. Education and context In different countries, there are different requirements for an individual to legally practice neurosurgery, and there are varying methods through which they must be educated. In most countries, neurosurgeon training requires a minimum period of seven years after graduating from medical school. United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, students must gain entry into medical school. The MBBS qualification (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) takes four to six years depending on the student's route. The newly qu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scoliosis
Scoliosis (: scolioses) is a condition in which a person's Vertebral column, spine has an irregular curve in the coronal plane. The curve is usually S- or C-shaped over three dimensions. In some, the degree of curve is stable, while in others, it increases over time. Mild scoliosis does not typically cause problems, but more severe cases can affect breathing and movement. Pain is usually present in adults, and can worsen with age. As the condition progresses, it may alter a person's life, and hence can also be considered a disability. It can be compared to kyphosis and lordosis, other abnormal curvatures of the spine which are in the sagittal plane (front-back) rather than the coronal (left-right). The cause of most cases is unknown, but it is believed to involve a combination of Genetics, genetic and environmental factors. Scoliosis most often occurs during growth spurts right before puberty. Risk factors include other affected family members. It can also occur due to anoth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Idiopathic
An idiopathic disease is any disease with an unknown cause or mechanism of apparent spontaneous origin. For some medical conditions, one or more causes are somewhat understood, but in a certain percentage of people with the condition, the cause may not be readily apparent or characterized. In these cases, the origin of the condition is said to be idiopathic. With some other medical conditions, the root cause for a large percentage of all cases has not been established—for example, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis or ankylosing spondylitis; the majority of these cases are deemed idiopathic. Certain medical conditions, when idiopathic, notably some forms of epilepsy and stroke, are preferentially described by the synonymous term of cryptogenic. Derivation The term 'idiopathic' derives from Greek ''idios'' "one's own" and ''pathos'' "suffering", so ''idiopathy'' means approximately "a disease of its own kind". Examples Diseases where the cause is seen as wholly or partly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vital Signs
Vital signs (also known as vitals) are a group of the four to six most crucial medical signs that indicate the status of the body's vital (life-sustaining) functions. These measurements are taken to help assess the general physical health of a person, give clues to possible diseases, and show progress toward recovery. The normal ranges for a person's vital signs vary with age, weight, sex, and overall health. There are four primary vital signs: body temperature, blood pressure, pulse (heart rate), and breathing rate ( respiratory rate), often notated as BT, BP, HR, and RR. However, depending on the clinical setting, the vital signs may include other measurements called the "fifth vital sign" or "sixth vital sign." Early warning scores have been proposed that combine the individual values of vital signs into a single score. This was done in recognition that deteriorating vital signs often precede cardiac arrest and/or admission to the intensive care unit. Used appropriately ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gurney
A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or cart) is often equipped with variable height frames, wheels, tracks, or skids. Stretchers are primarily used in acute out-of-hospital care situations by emergency medical services (EMS), military, and search and rescue personnel. In medical forensics, the right arm of a corpse is left hanging off the stretcher to let paramedics know it is a deceased person. They are also used to restrain prisoners during executions via lethal injection. History An early stretcher, likely made of wicker over a frame, appears in a manuscript from . Simple stretchers were common with militaries right through the middle of the 20th century. Gurney Generally spelled ''gurney'', but also ''guerney'' or ''girney''. The first usage of the term for a wheeled stretcher is u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anesthesiologist
Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative medicine, perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, and pain medicine. A physician specialized in anesthesiology is called an anesthesiologist, anaesthesiologist, or anaesthetist, #Terminology, depending on the country. In some countries, the terms are synonymous, while in other countries, they refer to different positions and ''anesthetist'' is only used for non-physicians, such as nurse anesthetists. The core element of the specialty is the prevention and mitigation of pain and distress using various anesthetic agents, as well as the monitoring and maintenance of a patient's vital functions throughout the perioperative period. Since the 19th century, anesthesiology has developed from an experimental area with non-specialist practitioners using novel, untested drugs a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catheter
In medicine, a catheter ( ) is a thin tubing (material), tube made from medical grade materials serving a broad range of functions. Catheters are medical devices that can be inserted in the body to treat diseases or perform a surgical procedure. Catheters are manufactured for specific applications, such as cardiovascular, urological, gastrointestinal, neurovascular and ophthalmic procedures. The process of inserting a catheter is called ''catheterization''. In most uses, a catheter is a thin, flexible tube (''soft'' catheter) though catheters are available in varying levels of stiffness depending on the application. A catheter left inside the body, either temporarily or permanently, may be referred to as an "indwelling catheter" (for example, a peripherally inserted central catheter). A permanently inserted catheter may be referred to as a "permcath" (originally a trademark). Catheters can be inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel, brain, skin or adipose tissue. Functional ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Intensive Care Unit
An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensive care medicine. An intensive care unit (ICU) was defined by the task force of the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine as "an organized system for the provision of care to critically ill patients that provides intensive and specialized medical and nursing care, an enhanced capacity for monitoring, and multiple modalities of physiologic organ support to sustain life during a period of life-threatening organ system insufficiency." Patients may be referred directly from an emergency department or from a ward if they rapidly deteriorate, or immediately after surgery if the surgery is very invasive and the patient is at high risk of complications. History In 1854, Florence Nightingale left for the Crimean War, where triage was used ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Intravenously
Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutrients for those who cannot, or will not—due to reduced mental states or otherwise—consume food or water by mouth. It may also be used to administer medications or other medical therapy such as blood products or electrolytes to correct electrolyte imbalances. Attempts at providing intravenous therapy have been recorded as early as the 1400s, but the practice did not become widespread until the 1900s after the development of techniques for safe, effective use. The intravenous route is the fastest way to deliver medications and fluid replacement throughout the body as they are introduced directly into the circulatory system and thus quickly distributed. For this reason, the intravenous route of administration is also used for the consump ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hydrocodone
Hydrocodone, also known as dihydrocodeinone, is a semi-synthetic opioid used to treat pain and as a cough suppressant. It is taken by mouth. Typically, it is dispensed as the combination acetaminophen/hydrocodone or ibuprofen/hydrocodone for pain severe enough to require an opioid and in combination with homatropine methylbromide to relieve cough. It is also available by itself in a long-acting form sold under the brand name Zohydro ER, among others, to treat severe pain of a prolonged duration. Hydrocodone is a controlled drug: in the United States, it is classified as a Schedule II Controlled Substance. Common side effects include dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, and constipation. Serious side effects may include low blood pressure, seizures, QT prolongation, respiratory depression, and serotonin syndrome. Rapidly decreasing the dose may result in opioid withdrawal. Use during pregnancy or breastfeeding is generally not recommended. Hydrocodone is believed to work ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acetaminophen
Paracetamol, or acetaminophen, is a non-opioid analgesic and antipyretic agent used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain. It is a widely available over-the-counter drug sold under various brand names, including Tylenol and Panadol. Paracetamol relieves pain in both acute mild migraine and episodic tension headache. At a standard dose, paracetamol slightly reduces fever, though it is inferior to ibuprofen in that respect and the benefits of its use for fever are unclear, particularly in the context of fever of viral origins. The aspirin/paracetamol/caffeine combination also helps with both conditions when the pain is mild and is recommended as a first-line treatment for them. Paracetamol is effective for post-surgical pain, but is inferior to ibuprofen for this purpose. The paracetamol/ibuprofen combination increases the drugs' potency and is superior to either drug alone. The pain relief paracetamol provides in osteoarthritis is small and clinically insignificant. Eviden ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
