Procedure Descriptions
Abdominoplasty
Adenoidectomy
Arthroscopic Surgery
Breast Augmentation
Breast Biopsy
Colonoscopy
D&C
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Laparoscopic Hernia Surgery
Mass Removal
Myringotomy
Pain Block
Tonsillectomy
For those patients who require the most correction, the abdomen is cut from hipbone to hipbone. The incision will be made low, at about the same level as your pubic hair. Your surgeon will then manipulate and contour the skin, tissue and muscle as needed. Your belly button will have a new opening if you undergo this procedure, because it's necessary to free your navel from surrounding tissue. Drainage tubes may be placed under your skin, and these will be removed in a few days as your surgeon sees fit.
For patients whose fat deposits are located below the navel and require shorter incisions, the belly button most likely will not be moved. Your skin will be separated between the line of incision and your belly button. This type of surgery may also be performed with an endoscope, a small camera on the end of a tube.
Adenoidectomy is the surgical removal of the adenoid glands, which are located between the nasal airway and the back of the throat. This surgery is often done in conjunction with a tonsillectomy.
While the patient is under general anesthesia, the ENT surgeon props open the patient's mouth with a small instrument. The adenoid tissue is cauterized or removed with a curette or a microdebrider. Bleeding is controlled with packing or cauterization.
Arthroscopic Surgery is used to diagnose and treat many joint problems. This significant advance in joint care allows for rapid return to improved activity. Most commonly used in knees, shoulders and ankles, the arthroscope can also be sued for spine, hip, wrists and elbows.
Step 1 - Two small incisions are made around the join area. Surgical instruments will be positioned in these incisions.
Step 2 - A tube-like needle is inserted in one incision. Fluid is pumped through the tube and into the joint. This expands the joint, giving the surgeon a clear view and room to work. The tube will also be used as drainage needle to regulate the amount of fluid in the joint during the procedure.
Step 3 - Through another incision, the surgeon insets the arthroscope. This instrument has a light and a small video camera that send images to a TV monitor in the operating room.
Step 4 - With the video images from the arthroscope as a guide, the surgeon can look for damaged tissue. If the surgeon sees an opportunity to treat a problem, a variety of small surgical instruments can be inserted through the third small incision.
Step 5 - The surgeon may close the incisions with stitches or tape. Recovery from arthroscopy is faster than recovery from traditional open joint surgery.
Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation, technically known as augmentation mammoplasty, is a surgical procedure to enhance the size and shape of a woman's breast for a number of reasons:
- To enhance the body contour of a woman who, for personal reasons, feels her breast size is too small.
- To correct a reduction in breast volume after pregnancy.
- To balance a difference in breast size.
- As a reconstructive technique following breast surgery.
In a needle biopsy, a needle is inserted into the lump. Fluid and tissue samples are taken for pathological studies. There is no incision in this procedure.
In an open biopsy, the lump is removed through an incision. Some surrounding tissue may also be removed. The tissue sample will then be examined by a pathologist. Local or general anesthesia is used for this procedure.
In a stereotactic biopsy, a patient lies in the prone position with one breast passing through a hole in the table. After mammographic images of the breast have been taken to localize the area to be biopsied, the skin is anaesthetized with a local anesthetic. A small nick is made in the skin to allow for passage of a needle into the breast. Several core biopsies are then taken. After a bandage has been applied to the wound, the patient is free to drive themselves home if they so desire since the procedure requires only a local anesthetic.
A Colonoscopy enables the physician to look inside a patient's entire large intestine. This procedure is used to look for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum, as well, as diagnose the causes of unexplained bowel habits.
Before the procedure, the patient is usually given a mild sedative. While the patient lies on their left side, the physician will inset a long, flexible, lighted tube into the patient’s rectum and slowly guide it into the colon. The tube, called a colonoscope, transmits an image of inside the colon and can inflate the colon with air to help the physician see clearly.
The physician can remove all or part of an abnormality using tiny instruments passed through the scope. If there is bleeding, the physician can pass an instrument through the scope to stop the bleeding or inject medicine.
D&C, also known as Dilatation and Curettage, is a minor surgical procedure in which the surgeon first dilates or opens the woman's cervix and then inserts a thin, spoon-shaped instrument. The instrument is then used to remove a sample of the internal lining of the uterus, or to remove the portion of the internal lining that is causing bleeding. Dilatation, therefore, stands for opening the cervix; curettage means the scraping of the uterine wall.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ that lies on the underside of the liver, in the upper right portion of the abdomen.
The surgeon creates four very small incisions and will insert a special instrument called the laparoscope through one of the incisions. A laparoscope is a long, rigid tube that is attached to a tiny video camera and a light. Once the laparoscope has been inserted, the surgeon then guides the laparoscope while watching the view it provides on a video monitor.
The surgeon will use an electrocautery device to cut free the gallbladder. Once the gallbladder has been cut free, the surgeon collapses the organ and removes it through the incision at the navel.
Laparoscopic Hernia Surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia. A telescope is attached to a camera is placed through a small opening under the belly button. Two more small cuts are made in the lower abdomen. The hernia defect is covered with a mesh and secured with stitches, staples, titanium tacks, or tissue glue.
For a lump, general or local anesthesia with or without sedatives is used. Once the area is pain-free, an incision is made and the lump is removed, as is the surrounding rim of normal tissue. The lump is then sent to a laboratory for examination.
For a cyst, a needle and syringe are used to drain fluid. If the cystic fluid is clear or green in color, not bloody, and the cyst disappears completely when drained, nothing further needs to be done. If the fluid is bloody, it is sent to the laboratory for analysis. If there is still a lump after the cyst fluid is drained, or if the lump disappears but returns later, it is typically surgically removed.
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Ear tubes are inserted through an outpatient surgical procedure called a Myringotomy, during which a surgeon makes an incision in the ear drum or tympanic membrane. This is most often done under a surgical microscope with a small scalpel, but it can also be accomplished with a laser.
A light general anesthetic is administered for young children. Some older children and adults may be able to tolerate the procedure without anesthetic. A Myringotomy is performed and the fluid behind the ear drum (in the middle ear space) is suctioned out. The ear tube is then placed in the hole. Ear drops may be administered after the ear tube is placed and may be necessary for a few days. The procedure usually lasts less than 15 minutes and patients awaken quickly.
For a Pain Block, a local anesthetic is injected into a group of nerves, called a plexus or ganglion. These nerves cause pain to a specific organ or body region. If successful, another solution that numbs the nerves can then be injected.
Tonsillectomy (Tonsil Removal) is the surgical removal of the tonsils, which are glands located at the back of the throat. Normally, tonsil glands serve as agents against infection. In some people, however, especially children, these glands can cause ear and throat infections. While the patient is under general anesthesia, the ENT surgeon removes the tonsils with an instrument or cautery (burning device), which controls bleeding. The cut heals naturally without stitches.