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

Ureteroscopy is a common urological procedure in which a thin scope is passed through the urethra to treat stones or blockages in the ureters and kidneys. It is highly effective for stones between 5 mm and 20 mm, which are broken up with lasers. Recovery is generally quick, and a temporary stent may be placed for several days.

An under-eye fat transfer is a natural filler procedure that harvests fat from your own body, usually the belly or thighs, to rejuvenate the area beneath the lower eyelids. After purification, the fat is injected into sunken areas to reduce dark circles, bags and wrinkles. It involves liposuction, but results can last many years without risk of allergic reaction.

Group therapy is talk therapy in which one or two licensed psychotherapists treat several people with the same diagnosis at once. It is used for anxiety, depression, PTSD and substance use disorders and for many conditions works about as well as individual therapy. Sessions usually last 60 to 120 minutes, with members learning coping skills from each other.

The recovery position is a first aid maneuver that keeps an unconscious person's airway clear when they are still breathing normally. Rolling them onto their side, face angled downward and chin slightly away from the chest, lets fluids drain and stops the tongue blocking breathing. Always call 911 first; the position is not a substitute for emergency help.

The Ross procedure, also known as a pulmonary autograft, is a complex heart surgery used to treat aortic valve disease. It involves switching your healthy pulmonary valve into the aortic position and replacing the original pulmonary valve with a donor tissue valve. It offers good blood flow, fewer lifestyle restrictions, and no need for lifelong blood thinners.

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar 13) is an immunization that prevents infections caused by pneumococcus bacteria, such as pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. It has been used in infants, children and adults, though in the U.S. newer conjugate vaccines (PCV15, PCV20 and PCV21) are now preferred. It does not treat active infection but lowers the chance of illness.

An Indiana pouch is a surgically created internal reservoir that stores urine after bladder removal (cystectomy). Built from sections of the large and small intestines, it acts as a new bladder inside the body. Patients keep control by draining the pouch with a catheter through a small abdominal opening, or stoma, approximately six times daily.

Scleral buckle surgery is a procedure that repairs a detached retina by pushing the white outer wall of the eye, the sclera, toward the detached retina. A piece of silicone or sponge is secured on the eye to create an indentation so the retina can reattach. It is usually an outpatient procedure, and recovery takes about two to four weeks.

A salpingectomy is a surgical procedure that removes one or both fallopian tubes. It treats ectopic pregnancy, infection, blockage, endometriosis or tubal cancer and is also used for permanent birth control or to lower ovarian cancer risk. Most are done laparoscopically. Removing both tubes prevents natural pregnancy, but periods and hormone production generally continue.

Serotonin antagonists are anti-nausea medications that block serotonin from binding to 5-HT3 receptors in the gut and the brain's vomiting center, commonly prescribed for nausea from cancer treatment or anesthesia. Examples include ondansetron. Side effects include headache or constipation. Get emergency care if agitation, tremor, high fever or confusion develops when combined with other serotonin-affecting drugs.

Sedation dentistry is the use of medication to help you relax and manage dental anxiety or discomfort during care. Common types include inhaled nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation and IV sedation. You typically stay awake and responsive but deeply relaxed, and with deeper sedation may remember little. It helps people with dental fears or a sensitive gag reflex.

Septoplasty is a surgical procedure that straightens a crooked or deviated nasal septum to improve breathing and airflow. Performed by ear, nose and throat specialists, it reshapes the internal bone and cartilage of the nose. It is typically a minor outpatient procedure lasting between 30 and 90 minutes, and initial recovery usually takes one to two weeks.

Scar revision is a medical or cosmetic treatment that improves the look and feel of scars from injuries, surgeries or skin conditions by addressing their color, texture and size. Methods include silicone gels, injectable medicines, skin resurfacing and surgery. Most scars need 12 to 18 months to mature before revision is considered, because new scars respond poorly.

Sculptra is an FDA-approved injectable treatment that restores facial volume and smooths deep wrinkles by encouraging the body to make its own collagen. It involves a series of small injections of poly-L-lactic acid under the skin. Some swelling may occur at first, but results appear over four to six weeks as collagen forms, and they can be long-lasting.

Sclerotherapy is a medical procedure that treats varicose veins and spider veins, usually on the legs, by injecting a liquid or foam solution into the vein with a very fine needle. The solution irritates the vessel lining so it scars and closes, and the vein gradually fades. Full results can take weeks or months to appear.

Sacrocolpopexy is a surgery that corrects pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which pelvic organs slip out of their normal positions because of weakened support tissues. The surgeon attaches surgical mesh to the vaginal walls and secures it to the sacrum to provide a lasting lift. It restores anatomy and relieves bulging, pressure and leakage.

Robotic-assisted hysterectomy is a surgical method in which a trained surgeon uses a robotic system to perform a hysterectomy through small abdominal incisions. The surgeon sits at a console and guides robotic arms holding tiny instruments and a high-definition camera. Compared with open surgery, it typically means less blood loss and a shorter hospital stay.

Robotic surgery is a surgical method in which a surgeon controls a robotic system to perform precise procedures, guiding robotic arms with tiny instruments and a high-definition camera from a console. It allows complex movements in tight spaces with minimal trauma to surrounding tissue. It does not replace the surgeon but provides advanced tools that can improve outcomes.

Robotic cystectomy is a surgical procedure in which a surgeon uses a robotic console to precisely remove the bladder, most commonly to treat bladder cancer. It uses several small openings instead of a large abdominal incision. After removing the bladder, the surgeon reconstructs the urinary tract so the body can still eliminate urine, with less pain and scarring.

A rhizotomy is a procedure that relieves persistent pain or muscle spasticity by disabling the specific nerve roots causing it, using surgical cutting, chemicals or radiofrequency heat. It is mainly used when conservative treatments have not worked. Most people get long-lasting pain relief or significant improvement in spasticity, though some get little to no relief.

Rhinoplasty is a plastic surgery procedure that modifies the bone, cartilage and skin of the nose to enhance appearance or restore breathing. It treats problems like a deviated septum, fractures or congenital abnormalities. It is performed as outpatient surgery using an open or closed approach, and most people return to work or school within one to two weeks.

A retrograde pyelogram is an imaging test of the urinary system, especially the ureters and kidneys. Contrast dye is injected into the ureters through a cystoscope, opposite to normal urine flow, so X-rays capture clear pictures. It helps providers find blockages, narrow spots, stones or tumors, and it guides procedures such as stent placement.

Posterior urethral reconstruction is a 3-to-6-hour surgery that fixes a urethral stricture, a narrowing that blocks urine flow, by removing damaged tissue and reattaching healthy segments. It is most common after pelvic fractures or radiation therapy and has a success rate over 90% after trauma. Recovery takes approximately eight weeks, with a catheter for the first three to four weeks.

Renal artery stenting is a procedure that opens kidney arteries narrowed by atherosclerosis by placing a small metal mesh tube, called a stent, to keep the artery open and maintain blood flow. It may be considered for hard-to-control renal hypertension or worsening kidney function, although large trials found routine stenting did not protect the kidneys better than medicines alone.