Doctor-Reviewed Health Guides: Conditions, Procedures & Health News

Meatoplasty is a minor surgery that widens the urethral meatus, the opening at the tip of the penis where urine leaves the body. It mainly treats meatal stenosis in circumcised boys, takes under an hour, and is usually an outpatient procedure. Most children feel better within a week. Seek emergency care for fever, heavy bleeding, or trouble peeing.

The McRoberts maneuver is a delivery technique used when a baby's shoulder gets stuck behind the pelvic bone after the head is born (shoulder dystocia). The team presses the birthing parent's thighs tightly toward the abdomen, rotating the pelvis to make room. It works about 42% of the time alone and up to 95% with added maneuvers.

Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure where a provider uses thin needles to make tiny holes in the top layer of skin, prompting it to produce more collagen and elastin. It can soften acne scars, stretch marks, wrinkles and enlarged pores. Most people need several sessions spaced 3 to 8 weeks apart, with results in 3 to 6 months.

Microdermabrasion is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that gently exfoliates the uppermost layer of skin using tiny crystals or a diamond-tipped wand. It can make fine lines, age spots, enlarged pores, mild acne scars, stretch marks and sun damage less noticeable. Sessions take about 30–40 minutes, need no numbing, and most people need several treatments.

Meniscus surgery is a minimally invasive knee operation that repairs, trims, or replaces a torn meniscus, a piece of cartilage inside the knee. It usually takes about an hour through a few small incisions, and most people go home the same day. Recovery ranges from about six weeks to several months, depending on the surgery type.

Meniscal transplantation is knee surgery that replaces a missing or badly torn meniscus with a meniscus from a deceased donor. It is usually done arthroscopically in active people under 40 to 50 without knee arthritis. It aims to ease pain, improve knee function and delay osteoarthritis, and crutches are typically needed for four to six weeks.

A membrane sweep is a quick in-office procedure in which a provider uses a gloved finger to separate the amniotic sac from the lower uterine wall, releasing prostaglandins that help soften and open the cervix. It is usually offered from 39 weeks to encourage labor naturally. Call your provider right away for heavy bleeding or severe pain.

Meglitinides are fast-acting tablets for type 2 diabetes that prompt the pancreas to release more insulin. Repaglinide and nateglinide are taken up to 30 minutes before each meal to limit post-meal blood sugar spikes, and a dose is skipped when a meal is skipped. Main side effects are low blood sugar and weight gain.

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is a nutrition-based treatment in which a registered dietitian builds a personal eating plan to prevent or manage a medical condition such as diabetes, kidney disease or high cholesterol. It can mean changing foods, adding supplements, or receiving nutrients through a feeding tube or IV, and may last months, years or for life.

Medical abortion is a nonsurgical way to end an early pregnancy using two prescription medicines: mifepristone, which blocks progesterone, followed by misoprostol, which makes the uterus contract and empty. The combination is about 98% effective. Very heavy bleeding, a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher lasting more than 4 hours, or severe pain needs prompt medical care.

Thyroplasty, also called medialization laryngoplasty or Type I thyroplasty, is surgery that treats a paralyzed or weak vocal cord by placing an implant in the voice box. The implant pushes the affected cord toward the healthy one so both can close, which can make a breathy, weak voice stronger. It is usually done awake under local anesthesia.

A mastoidectomy is a surgery that removes diseased air cells from the mastoid, the honeycomb-shaped bone just behind the ear. It treats ear infections that have spread into the skull and cholesteatoma, and is often part of cochlear implant surgery. It is done under general anesthesia, takes two to three hours, and full recovery takes six to 12 weeks.

Marsupialization is a minor surgical procedure that treats Bartholin cysts by cutting the cyst open, draining it, and stitching its edges to the skin to form a small, permanently open pouch. The 10- to 15-minute procedure is usually same-day and is recommended when a cyst is very painful, keeps coming back, or hasn't responded to a Word catheter.

MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) are prescription antidepressants that block the monoamine oxidase enzyme, raising brain levels of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Doctors usually reserve them for depression that has not improved with other antidepressants, because MAOIs interact dangerously with tyramine-rich foods and some medicines, which can trigger a sudden spike in blood pressure or serotonin syndrome.

Mandibulectomy is surgery that removes a small or large part of the lower jawbone (mandible), most often to treat cancer of the mouth or throat. A partial (marginal) mandibulectomy removes part of the bone, while a segmental mandibulectomy removes a full section, which is usually rebuilt with bone from the lower leg.

Macrolides are a class of antibiotics that stop bacteria from growing and treat bacterial infections such as walking pneumonia, whooping cough, strep throat and H. pylori. Common examples are azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin and fidaxomicin. Nausea and diarrhea are the usual mild side effects. Take them only when prescribed, and seek emergency care for breathing trouble.

A hysteroscopy is a procedure in which a surgeon passes a thin, lighted scope through the vagina and cervix to see inside the uterus. It is mainly used to diagnose and treat causes of abnormal uterine bleeding, including polyps, fibroids and scar tissue. It is minor surgery, and an overnight hospital stay is usually not needed.

A heparin infusion is a blood thinner given through an IV line to stop blood clots from forming or growing. It treats and prevents conditions such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, and stroke. It works right away, is checked with regular blood tests, can be reversed, and its main risk is bleeding.

Hemodialysis is a treatment that does the work of failing kidneys by pumping blood through a machine filter (dialyzer) that removes waste and extra fluid, then returning the cleaned blood. It is used for late-stage chronic kidney disease or kidney failure. Most people have at least three sessions a week, each lasting three to four hours.

A baby helmet, or helmet therapy, is a custom-fitted brace that gently guides a growing infant's skull into a rounder shape when it is flat or uneven from positioning. It works best when started around 4 to 6 months, is worn about 23 hours a day, and only changes head shape during the first year.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a cancer treatment for tumors in the abdominal cavity in which surgeons first remove visible tumors, then circulate chemotherapy heated to about 41 °C (108 °F) inside the belly to kill remaining cancer cells. It mainly treats cancers that have spread to the peritoneum. HIPEC does not cure cancer but may help people live longer.

Hydrotherapy is the use of water, through baths, pressurized jets, hot and cold applications, or pool exercise, to ease symptoms such as pain, stiffness and swelling. It can support care for osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, Parkinson's disease and burns, but it does not cure disease. Main risks are falls, burns or frostbite, and infection.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a treatment in which you breathe 100% oxygen inside a pressurized chamber at two to three times normal air pressure. The extra oxygen helps damaged tissue heal and fight infection. It is approved for conditions such as wounds, carbon monoxide poisoning and decompression sickness, and side effects are usually mild.

Huff cough is a controlled coughing technique, also called a forced expiratory technique, that uses a deep breath, a short hold and slow but strong exhales to move mucus from small airways to larger ones before one clearing cough. It suits people with COPD, cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis because it is less tiring and less painful than forceful coughing.