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

A central venous catheter (CVC), or central line, is a long, flexible tube placed into a vein in the chest, neck or arm so its tip sits in a large vein near the heart. It delivers chemotherapy, antibiotics, fluids, nutrition and blood transfusions for weeks to years. The main risks are infection and blood clots.

A celiac plexus block is a pain-relief injection into a bundle of nerves in the upper abdomen that stops them from sending pain signals to the brain. It mainly treats severe abdominal pain from pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis. It is an outpatient procedure; relief can start within 30 minutes, and a numbing-plus-steroid block may last three to six months.

A cecostomy is a minor procedure that places a thin tube through the abdomen into the cecum, the first part of the large intestine. The tube lets you or a caregiver give antegrade enemas that flush the whole bowel forward. It is mostly used in children with severe constipation, fecal incontinence, spina bifida, Hirschsprung disease or anorectal malformations.

Cardiac rehabilitation (cardiac rehab) is a supervised, multi-part program that helps people recover and get stronger after a heart attack, heart surgery or another heart issue. It combines exercise training, risk factor changes, heart health education, nutrition counseling and emotional support, and typically runs at least three months, often as 36 one-hour sessions over 12 weeks.

Chelation therapy is a prescription treatment for heavy metal poisoning that uses medicines called chelating agents to bind metals such as lead, mercury, iron, copper, or arsenic so the body can remove them through urine or stool. It is given by injection or pills under medical supervision and is not approved for heart disease, autism, or "detox."

CGRP inhibitors are prescription medications that treat migraine and, in some cases, prevent it by destroying or blocking extra calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a protein that makes migraine pain stronger and longer. They come as monthly or quarterly injections and infusions, daily pills, dissolving tablets and a nasal spray. It can take one to two months to notice improvement.

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells and stop them from multiplying. It is usually given through a vein, but can also be a shot, pill or cream. It may be used alone or with surgery or radiation, and it can cure, control or ease cancer, though side effects are common.

Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) replacement is a procedure to swap out a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), most often because its battery is running low after about 6 to 10 years. It is usually a same-day outpatient procedure under IV sedation that replaces only the generator. Call your doctor for chest pain, fever, or fainting afterward.

Cheilectomy is surgery that removes bone spurs and extra bone from the top of the big toe joint so the toe can bend. It treats mild to moderate hallux rigidus when nonsurgical care has not helped. Most people go home the same day, wear a special shoe while healing and return to work in about one to two months.

Cervical cerclage is a procedure in which a healthcare provider stitches the cervix closed during pregnancy to help prevent premature birth from a weakened cervix. It is usually done at about 12 to 14 weeks under local numbing, and the stitch is removed around week 37. Fever, contractions or leaking fluid afterward mean calling your provider right away.

A chemo port is a small device placed under the skin of the upper chest, arm or abdomen and connected to a vein by a thin tube. It lets a care team give chemotherapy and fluids and draw blood without repeated needle sticks, and it can stay in place for weeks to years.

Cardiac glycosides are heart medicines, such as digoxin, that make the heart muscle contract more strongly and slow a fast heart rate. They treat heart failure, atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, usually when first-choice drugs have not worked. Because the helpful dose sits close to a harmful one, people take low doses with periodic blood checks.

Cheek filler is a nonsurgical treatment in which a healthcare provider injects dermal filler around and above the cheekbones to add volume and definition. Injections usually take 15 to 30 minutes; results usually show right away and last one to several years. Bruising and swelling are common; rarely, filler entering a blood vessel causes serious harm, such as vision loss.

A chemical peel is a skin treatment that applies a chemical solution to remove damaged outer layers so smoother, more even skin can grow back. Peels come in light, medium and deep strengths and can improve fine lines, certain acne, mild scars, sun spots and melasma. Recovery ranges from a few days to three weeks.

Cervical disk replacement (CDR) is neck surgery that removes a damaged spinal disk and replaces it with an artificial one. It is used for disk wear that pinches nerves or presses on the spinal cord after six weeks of failed nonsurgical care. Most people return to most activities in 4 to 6 weeks, with full recovery by six months.

Butt augmentation is a group of cosmetic surgeries that reshape the buttocks by adding volume with silicone implants or your own fat (Brazilian butt lift), or by removing loose, sagging skin (butt lift). Surgery can take two hours or longer, recovery often lasts months, and chest pain or shortness of breath afterward needs emergency care.

A cardiac closure device is a small implant that plugs an opening in the wall between the heart's two upper chambers, treating an atrial septal defect (ASD) or patent foramen ovale (PFO). Most are placed through a leg vein with a catheter and need one night in hospital; fainting or chest pain afterward needs prompt medical care.

Calf implants are soft silicone implants that a plastic surgeon places through a small incision in the crease behind the knee to make the lower legs look fuller and more defined. They are used for cosmetic shaping, bodybuilding goals or reconstruction after injury or birth defects. Most people return to work in about two weeks.

Cancer treatment is any therapy used to cure cancer or to stop or slow its growth, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, ablation, stem cell transplant and clinical trials. Doctors choose treatments based on cancer type, stage, growth speed, overall health and goals, and most people receive a combination. Report new or worsening symptoms during treatment promptly.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser resurfacing is an outpatient skin procedure that uses a precise laser to remove thin layers of skin, treating wrinkles, sun damage, scars, warts and some birthmarks. It usually takes 30 minutes to two hours under local anesthesia with sedation. Skin typically heals in 10 to 21 days, while pinkness can last several months.

A butt lift is a cosmetic surgery that removes excess fat and sagging skin from the buttocks to create a smoother, more toned, less dimpled shape. Unlike a Brazilian butt lift, it does not add volume. It is done under general anesthesia, takes several hours, needs a long recovery, and results usually last if weight stays stable.

A cardiac device is a small machine placed in the chest to help the heart beat in a steady rhythm or pump blood better. The main types are pacemakers, biventricular pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and ventricular assist devices (VADs). They treat arrhythmias and heart failure and help protect against cardiac arrest.

Calcium channel blockers are prescription medicines that limit how much calcium enters cells in the heart and blood vessels, which relaxes arteries and can slow the heartbeat. Doctors prescribe them mostly for high blood pressure, and also for irregular heart rhythms, chest pain (angina), and coronary artery spasm. Never stop taking them suddenly without your doctor's guidance.

CAR T-cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that treats certain blood cancers by adding a lab-made gene to a person's own T cells so they can find and kill cancer cells. It is used when other treatments have not worked or cancer returns. The cells are given through an IV, and side effects need close hospital monitoring.