Articles Posted in Surgery

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June is Cataract Awareness Month, an opportunity to raise awareness of the warning signs of cataracts, one of the most preventable causes of blindness. Cataracts are opaque, dense formations over the lens of the eye. These are typically age-related, and can even occur soon after some kind of blunt force trauma to the eye, like an accident. Early symptoms of cataracts can include blurred or slightly cloudy vision. This can make it difficult for the person to perform routine activities, like reading a book.

Not everybody who suffers from cataracts will require surgery. In many cases, the condition can be corrected using prescription glasses. However, if the condition progresses, and vision becomes worse, your doctor may prescribe surgery to remove the cataract. The surgery is fairly simple and performed frequently in the U.S. every year.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that a person looks for several signs before he decides to go in for cataract surgery. Are you able to perform your daily or work activities without any hindrance or obstruction from blurred vision? Are you able to drive safely at night? Are you able to safely participate in recreational activities or sports activities like you used to before, without any visual obstructions? Have you used prescription glasses, or tried other therapies to treat your cataracts, and have reached maximum improvement with the use of these techniques? If the answer to all these questions is yes, then you might have to consider cataract surgery. Speak to your doctor about the pros and cons of the surgery.

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Rotator cuff injuries are shoulder injuries that can lead to severe pain and chronic disability. Very often, surgery is recommended for persons who have suffered serious rotator cuff tears, but these surgeries also have high failure rates, especially when they involve very large tears, or older patients. Now, researchers are trying to understand exactly how these muscles and tendons attach to each other, in order to possibly develop engineered tissues that could help to improve outcomes for rotator cuff repair surgeries.

The rotator cuff refers to a combination of bones, muscles and tendons in the shoulder, which play a prominent role in helping the person move his or her shoulder freely. However, these muscles and tendons may be at a higher risk of injury due to aging- related wear and tear, repetitive stress in the workplace, a fall, or any other type of shoulder injury. Sometimes, these injuries occur as a result of severe shoulder dislocation.

A person who suffers from a rotator cuff injury often suffers from severe pain, which may range from a deep, dull ache, to constant pain that makes it difficult for him or her to lie down on the affected side. There may be limited range of mobility in the shoulder, and that may make it difficult for the person to raise his arms high. There may be muscle fatigue or weakness. If the pain is consistent or severe, the person may simply find it easier to not move the shoulder at all. Obviously, such pain can severely impact the person’s ability to perform routine activities, especially workplace activities.

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