His boots were enormous, and caked with the dirt of his work. His clothes, brought up by an ER tech in a clear plastic bag, included a construction helmet and vest. Crushing chest pain and shortness of breath had bought him this sunny day off of work and a direct ticket to the cardiac catheterization lab at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. (more…)
The 100-year anniversary of World War I this year is uncovering new truths. One surprise concerns the origins of heart surgery. To put the breakthrough in context, one should know that in 1896, the standard textbook “Surgery of the Chest” declared: “Surgery of the heart has probably reached the limits set by nature; no new methods and no new discovery can overcome the natural difficulties that attend a wound of the heart.” The leading surgeon in the world at that time, Theodore Billroth from Germany, had gone so far as to declare, “The surgeon who operates on the heart will lose the respect of his colleagues.” (more…)
A recent article in the financial press (Bloomberg) drew wide attention to inappropriate and excessive use of stents in patients with coronary artery disease (disease in the vessels that supply blood to the heart). Stents are tiny mesh tubes placed in a diseased coronary artery to “prop” it open after a narrowed segment of it has been expanded by a balloon. (more…)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, preventive health guidelines advocate routine testing by age range to maintain good health. These tests include childhood immunizations, well child visits, annual physicals for adults, flu shots, cholesterol screening, screening mammograms, prostate exams, colonoscopy and more! Many people get frightened or nervous about going for medical tests or procedures, and waiting for results may create even more stress. (more…)
What is a deviated septum, and do I have one?The septum is the cartilage and bone that divide the right side of the nose from the left—it is the “tent pole” that holds the nose up. When this structure is deviated, it simply means it is shifted to one side, the other or both. Everyone has a deviated septum to some extent; even after septal surgery, the septum will never be perfectly strait. It may be very mild and not noticeable or severe enough to compromise the nasal breathing. (more…)
By Jeffrey M. Levine MD, and Michael Cioroiu, MD
Pressure ulcers are breaks in the skin over boney areas, such as the heel, elbows and tailbone. They occur in people who are at special risk for skin breakdown, including:
• Patients with spinal cord injuries
• People who are bed-bound with advanced dementia or chronic debilitating neurologic disease like multiple sclerosis
• Individuals with acute illness requiring stays in the intensive care unit (more…)