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

A stellate ganglion block (SGB) is an injection of numbing medicine into the stellate ganglion, a bundle of nerves in the neck that controls sympathetic nerve signals. It relieves pain such as complex regional pain syndrome and is used off-label for PTSD. Relief may last hours to weeks, and many people need a series of injections.

A penectomy is surgery to remove part or all of the penis, mainly to treat penile cancer when there's a large tumor, the cancer has spread to nearby tissue or it's likely to come back. A partial penectomy removes only the affected part. The hospital stay is one to three days. Emotional support is important.

Radiofrequency (RF) skin tightening is a nonsurgical treatment that uses a handheld device to send heat deep into the skin, stimulating collagen and elastin to firm sagging skin and reduce wrinkles. Each session takes about an hour. Results appear over two to six months and can last one to three years. It works best for mild early aging.

A prosthetic arm (upper limb prosthesis) is an artificial replacement for part or all of an arm. It's used after an amputation or for a limb difference present at birth. Types include passive, body-powered and myoelectric arms. Fitting usually starts three to six weeks after amputation surgery, and adapting can take up to a year.

Heart surgery (cardiac surgery) is any operation that treats problems with the heart or the blood vessels connected to it. It's used for coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, aortic aneurysms and congenital heart disease. Common types include coronary artery bypass grafting and valve repair. Recovery after open-heart surgery takes six to 12 weeks.

Prosthodontics is the branch of dentistry focused on replacing and restoring damaged or missing teeth with dental prosthetics (artificial teeth). A prosthodontist is a dental specialist with three or four extra years of training after dental school. They make and fit crowns, bridges, dentures, dental implants and veneers, and they treat complex cases such as TMJ disorders.

A VQ scan (ventilation-perfusion scan) is a two-part imaging test that measures airflow (ventilation) and blood flow (perfusion) in the lungs. It's most often used to check for a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism). It takes 30 to 60 minutes and uses no contrast dye and less radiation than a CT scan.

Ankle arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgery to diagnose and fix problems inside the ankle joint using an arthroscope, a thin tool with a camera and light, inserted through small cuts. It treats ankle instability, impingement and torn ligaments. You usually go home the same day. Full recovery typically takes a few months.

Biologics are medicines made from living organisms, such as proteins, genes or cells. They can treat conditions traditional drugs often can't, including some cancers, autoimmune diseases, genetic disorders, asthma, arthritis and diabetes. Most are given by injection or IV infusion. Side effects are usually mild injection reactions, but biologics that calm the immune system can raise infection risk.

External cephalic version (ECV) is a procedure to turn a breech baby head-down while in the uterus, usually around 37 weeks. A provider applies firm pressure on the belly to rotate the baby, making a vaginal delivery possible. It works about 58% of the time. It's done near an operating room in case an emergency C-section is needed.

Punctal plugs are tiny inserts placed in the puncta, the small openings in the eyelids that drain tears, to slow tear drainage so the eyes stay moist. They're mainly used for dry eye. They can be temporary, semi-permanent or permanent. Placement takes a few minutes. Plugs are generally safe; the most common problem is a plug falling out.

A ureteral stent is a thin, flexible tube placed inside a ureter, the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder, to keep it open. It's most often used to let urine get past a kidney stone. Most stents stay in for a few days to a few weeks. Side effects like bladder irritation are common.

SLAP tear surgery repairs a SLAP tear, an injury to the labrum, the ring of cartilage in the shoulder socket that anchors a biceps tendon. It's considered when symptoms continue despite rest, medicine and physical therapy. Surgery is usually arthroscopic. Full recovery takes a few months to more than a year, and about 70% of surgeries are successful.

Extubation is the removal of a breathing tube (endotracheal tube) from the throat and windpipe once the care team decides you can breathe safely on your own. A sore throat for a few days is common. In intensive care, extubation succeeds about 85% of the time; about 12% to 14% of people need the tube put back in.

Inotropes are medicines that change how forcefully the heart muscle squeezes. Positive inotropes, such as dobutamine and milrinone, make the heart pump harder and are used for cardiogenic shock, septic shock and severe heart failure. Negative inotropes, such as verapamil and atenolol, make the heart squeeze less forcefully and treat high blood pressure, angina and arrhythmias.

Dental bonding is a cosmetic dental procedure that uses tooth-colored composite resin to improve how a tooth looks. It can change a tooth's shape, close small gaps and hide chips, cracks or stains. It takes 30 to 60 minutes per tooth and is painless. Bonding lasts three to 10 years but stains and chips more easily than porcelain.

A pancreas transplant is surgery to replace a pancreas that no longer works with a healthy donated pancreas. It treats severe, long-term type 1 diabetes that doesn't respond to other treatments. Many people no longer need insulin shots afterward. You'll take anti-rejection medicine for life. About 9 in 10 recipients are alive 5 years later.

Antivirals are medicines that help the body fight off certain viruses, such as COVID-19, flu, herpes, hepatitis B and C and HIV. They can ease symptoms, shorten an infection, prevent complications and lower the chance of spreading a virus. Each antiviral works only against specific viruses. Timing matters: to prevent flu, start within 48 hours of exposure.

An allogeneic stem cell transplant is a treatment that replaces unhealthy stem cells in the bone marrow with healthy stem cells from a donor. It treats some blood cancers, blood disorders and immune system disorders and may cure some of them. Full recovery takes more than two years. The main risks are graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), rejection and infections.

A penile implant (penile prosthesis) is a device placed by surgery that lets you get an erection. It's usually used for erectile dysfunction that hasn't improved with other treatments. The two types are inflatable implants and non-inflatable rods. Over 90% of people are happy with the results, and implants last about 20 years on average.

A BiPAP machine (bilevel positive airway pressure) is a type of noninvasive ventilation that delivers air through a face mask at two pressures: higher when you breathe in and lower when you breathe out. It's used for COPD, heart failure, sleep apnea and hypercapnic respiratory failure. BiPAP isn't life support; it doesn't fully take over breathing.

Anticoagulants, often called blood thinners, are medicines that make the blood less likely to clot. They help prevent new clots and keep existing ones from growing, lowering the risk of stroke, heart attack and pulmonary embolism. Examples include heparin, warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants like apixaban. The most common risk for all of them is bleeding.

Spinal anesthesia is a common type of regional anesthesia that numbs the lower half of the body. A provider injects local anesthetic near the spine into the fluid around the spinal cord. It's used for surgery below the waist, such as C-sections and hip or knee replacement. Numbness lasts about 1.5 to three hours. Serious complications are rare.

Potassium iodide (KI) is a salt of potassium and iodine best known as a medicine that protects the thyroid during a radiation emergency. It fills the thyroid with stable iodine so it can't absorb radioactive iodine. One dose protects for about 24 hours. Never take KI without talking to a provider first, since too much can be dangerous.