Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Cardiology, Heart Disease, Patient Story, Surgery
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…)
Oct 23, 2013 | Cardiology, Endovascular, Heart Disease, Surgery, Vascular Health
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…)
Oct 21, 2013 | Health Tips, Surgery
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…)
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Allergy, Ear Nose Throat, Health Tips, Surgery
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…)
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Dermatology, Diabetes, Geriatrics, Surgery
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…)
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Cardiology, Heart Disease, Surgery
When deciding on which car or college — or, increasingly, health care provider — to choose, many of us compare reviews and ratings in such sources as Consumer Reports and U.S. News & World Report. More than two decades ago, the New York State Department of Health, itself, began to report information on cardiac surgery because the Commissioner of Health noticed wide variations in mortality rate and complications reported by different hospitals in the state. (more…)
