Wednesday, September 2, 2009

OFF TOMORROW, AND I LIKE IT THAT WAY

Tami, I promise I will not use that again.   This one is a little better.  Lisa, I saw the Windings and who would waste their time making that and how many people on this planet can read it.   I guess it is some sort of secret language like kids would make up in elementary school.

Today was a long day.   I did odds and ends this morning and on to Urology this afternoon.   On of the great advances in Urology are the PVP Green light Laser.  Up until a few years ago the treatment for enlarged prostate was called a Trans Urethral Resection.   If the man had trouble urinating the procedure would to be to insert an instrument thru the urethra (Google that one-goes from the outside to the bladder))  and use an instrument to slice the enlarged prostate.  This required about a week in the hospital, much bleeding and a urinary catheter to drain the urine.   It was much dreaded.    Then came the medications that are now given to shrink the prostate.  Now, if that doesn’t work a new procedure was developed.   The man comes in and under a general or spinal anesthesia a instrument is also inserted and the laser beam cuts away the tissue and cauterizes it at the same time.    Blood loss is minimal and the person usually goes home the same day or the next day.   A catheter is needed for a day or two and the blood loss in small.

I should have invested in the Laser. 

Next is the update on kidney stones.   Today we have ESWL (Extra Corporal Shock Wave Lithotripsy)  that is shock waves given to the outside of the body and this is used to break up the stones so they can be passed naturally.  This requires sedation or a general anesthesia.  Before this, a large incision was used on the flank and the the stone had to removed manually, also many days in the hospital and a lot of pain.

Also if the ESWL does not work another instrument can be inserted into the bladder and then into the ureter (goes from the kidney to the bladder) and another type of laser is used to break the stone.  Then the small pieces are expelled by themselves.

What used to be major surgery with large incisions is now done without any incision, less pain and a quicker recovery.    Things have progressed at rapid speed.   If you are interested in these procedures see a Urologist.

Most of the surgery today is minimally invasive and designed to have a quick recovery and to get people up and out of the hospital.  Hospitals can be a dangerous place with all the microbes lurking there.  You are really much better if you can go home the same day.

 

1 comment:

  1. Those procedures sound just awful to me, but then I am kind of squeamish. LOL. A former co-worker was to have the external treatment for kidney stones but he was too overweight, they said it would not go through his fat. If we only knew to invest in the laser..we'd be blogging about our life on a beach in Bermuda!

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