In recent years there has been a rise in gastrointestinal disease due to lifestyle changes. Conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver, cancer of colon, liver and pancreas have been affecting the young and the elderly equally.

The advancement of medical science has given rise to a series of laparoscopic surgeries relating to gastrointestinal diseases. These surgeries are minimally invasive compared to open surgeries. Let s have a look at the various forms of gastrointestinal surgeries.

Conditions Cured through Gastrointestinal Surgeries:

Gastrointestinal surgery can be used to prevent and treat the following health disorders.

  Peptic ulcer disease
  Barrett s Esophagus
  Hiatal hernia
  Radiation bowel injury
  Gastrointestinal tumours
  Inflammatory bowel disease
  GERD
  Achalasia
  Malignant disease of the pancreas
  Malignant disease of the biliary tract
  Infectious disease of the colon and rectum

Types of Gastrointestinal Surgeries:

Some examples of gastrointestinal surgeries include  

  Colon Cancer Surgery   It may involve local excision which is done in the early stage of colon cancer. Here the doctor inserts a cutting tool into the colon to remove the cancerous growth. Colectomy is the next stage that is performed only when the cancer has spread to the nearby tissues.

  Oesophagal Cancer Surgery   It includes esophagectomy or removing the oesophagus partially leaving the patient with the ability to swallow.

  Gall Bladder Cancer Surgery - It involves four stages of treatment namely Cholecystectomy, Surgical Biliary Bypass, Endoscopic Stent Placement and Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage. Each procedure is performed at different stages depending on the severity of the condition.

  Liver Disease Surgery   Liver disease surgery involves Partial Hepatectomy, Liver Transplant and Ablation used at different stages of cancer.

  Pancreatic Cancer Surgery   The four stages of pancreatic cancer surgery includes Whipple procedure, Total Pancreatectomy, Distal Pancreatectomy and Gastric Bypass.

Apart from these open surgeries, the laparoscopic procedures include  

  Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy
  Laparoscopic Appendectomy
  Laparoscopic Nephrectomy
  Laparoscopic Splenectomy

Benefits of a Gastrointestinal Surgery:

  Minimally invasive due to which scarring is less
  Shorter recovery period
  Reduced chances of infection
  Reduced chances of reoccurrence of the disease

Most of these benefits apply specifically to the gastrointestinal surgeries performed using the laparoscopic technique.

With the rampant increase in gastrointestinal diseases among the masses the wide ranges of gastrointestinal surgeries have made treatment and prevention easier and more accessible.

Gastrointestinal Surgery - Everything About It!

The inflammations of the lining in the bronchial tubes, which are responsible for carrying air from and to your lungs are known as bronchitis. It is a respiratory disease and more than a million cases are reported each year. Bronchitis requires medical diagnosis by your healthcare provider and can be chronic or acute. Cold or other respiratory infections can cause acute bronchitis whereas smoking leads to chronic bronchitis. Acute bronchitis usually lasts for few days but with persistent cough. Whereas, chronic bronchitis can be responsible for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Symptoms of bronchitis:
The symptoms common to both acute and chronic bronchitis are given below:
1. Cough which may form mucus
2. Body aches and breathlessness
3. Headaches, blocked nose and sinuses
4. Fever with chills
5. Wheezing

The diagnosis of bronchitis is done by your doctor who will ask you about your cough. Some other questions may include your medical history, about smoking or whether you have had cases of flu or cold recently.

Treatment for bronchitis:
Your doctor will mainly recommend pain relievers and cough syrup along with warm air to breathe mainly at indoors. However your doctor may prescribe the following medications in cases of severe bronchitis:

1. Cough medicine: These medicines will help to remove mucus and irritants from your lungs. Medicines may not be able to suppress the symptoms completely but will give you relief from pain.
2. Bronchodilators: Which clears out the mucus by opening your bronchial tubes.
3. Mucolytics: These helps loosen mucus in the airways and help to cough up sputum.
4. Oxygen therapy: It will help to improve the oxygen intake when you face difficulty in breathing.
5. Therapy: Pulmonary program will include a therapist who would work to improve your breathing.
6. Medicines: Using anti inflammatory medicines to reduce damage to your lungs tissue and to also avoid chronic inflammation.

Prevention of bronchitis:

Acute and chronic bronchitis can be reduced by the following measures; however, they cannot be completely prevented:
1. Avoiding dust, smoke, and air pollution. You can always wear a mask when you are on the road or in traffic.
2. Washing your hands often to avoid germs and infections.
3. Avoiding smoking as it can cause harmful damage to your lungs.

All About Bronchitis

Cleft palate or palatoschisis is a common genetic abnormality that leads to a horde of problems and is presently a growing challenge to medicine practitioners. The major developmental stages affected due to this particular irregularity include feeding, speech development, dentition and maxillofacial growth which are rather important to the normal overall developmental pace of an individual. Even though the cleft palate deformity was defined centuries ago, no fixed management algorithm exists for patients suffering from the condition in the present day scenario.

Cleft palate may be successfully fixed using reconstructive surgery. Multiple specialists are involved in the reconstruction surgery including plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, nutritionists, oromaxillofacial surgeons and speech pathologists. Some hospitals also consider psychological therapy for the patient and the family to help get through the emotional trauma and the issues faced due to developmental backlogs.

The treatment for cleft palate usually begins around 9 to 12 months of age. If left untreated, it may cause major deformities. It takes about some years before the whole procedure is completed although it depends on the type and severity of the deformity.

The process involves the administration of anaesthesia after which the palate repair closes the inner, middle and final layers and at the same time realigning of the palatal muscles in a technique called anintravelarveloplasty is conducted. This ensures that the muscles are adjusted in a normal position which facilitates the best functioning of the palate during feeding, swallowing and speaking. It is possible that the child might require more than one surgery to completely close the palate.

Some of the risks involved during the process include:
1. Abnormal reactions to the medications
2. Bleeding
3. Problems in breathing
4. Need for more surgery
5. Infection

Although complicated and time consuming, cleft palate must be given immediate attention to avoid serious developmental issues. The reconstruction surgery and therapy combined ensures a normal development for the child in the longer run, given the surgery was done at the correct time. The child would be required to remain at the hospital for about 5-7 days. Complete recovery takes a time period of 4 weeks. Keeping the wound of the surgery clean is of the utmost importance and it should not be strained.

How to Surgically Treat Cleft Palate

Infantile spasm is a seizure-related disorder that is witnessed among infants and young children. The average age for getting affected with infantile spasm is four months, but some kids might experience this disorder within a month of the birth. This disease can have a subtle appearance, and as such it is difficult to recognize as a serious condition. While a full seizure in an adult is scary, the one observed among infants can be as little as a minor head drop, along with minor body shakes. This might appear to be that serious, but infantile spasm is more serious as compared to a full body convulsion in adults. Unfortunately, an infant suffering from infantile spasm is at great risk of developmental disability, if the condition is not detected and treated early.

Anticonvulsant Medication:
There are very few medicines that are approved by the FDA for treating infantile spasms. The two medicines that are widely used by doctors include Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and Vigabatrin.

ACTH: This is the oldest approved medicine by the FDA that was first discovered in the year 1958. This injection needs to be pushed twice in a day. Children tend to gain weight and feel hungry when this injection is injected.
Vigabatrin: Vigabatrin is very well tolerated by young kids and has a successful track record of treating infantile spasms. Studies have proven that Vigabatrin can tackle tuberous sclerosis and plays an important role in improving developmental outcome.
Second line therapies:

Pyridoxine: Dependency on Pyridoxine as a cause of infantile spasm is very rare. High dosage of oral administration of pyridoxine has fetched good results for patients, who do not suffer from pyridoxine related seizures.
Valproic acid: Valproic acid has the best anecdotal rate of success. However, doctors do not recommend this medicine for kids less than 2 years of age because of possible complications.
Clonazepam: This is one of the earliest non-steroid medicine for the treatment of infantile spasm. Some of the popular medicines used are nitrazepam, benzodiazepines, and clonazepam.
Ketogenic Diet: This is a decade old practice that has come back to popularity again. Studies have shown that ketogenic diet can help 20-35 % patients of infantile spasm to keep the condition under control.
IVIG: High dosage of IVIG has been reported to be very helpful in tackling infantile spasms. The dosage ranges from 100-200 mg/kg/dose ranging for about 2-3 weeks at stretch.
Surgery: The final part of the therapy includes a surgery that removes the abnormal part of the brain. It should only be considered for patients who have not responded to therapies including Vigabatrin and ACTH. It should also be investigated whether the patient has any structural abnormalities of the brain.


Infantile Spasms - How They Can Be Treated?

Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder resulting from chromosomal aberration. Usually, a person is born with 23 pairs of chromosomes (46 chromosomes in total). In the case of a Down Syndrome, there is a total of 47 chromosomes (an extra complete or partial chromosome appearing in the 21st pair). This extra chromosome is the main wrecker in chief that triggers the behavioral and developmental alterations characteristic of Down Syndrome.

Depending on the distribution of the chromosome during cell division, Down Syndrome may be triggered by three conditions

Trisomy 21: One of the most common causes of Down Syndrome, Trisomy 21 is characterized by the presence of an extra chromosome in chromosome 21.
Translocation Down syndrome: As the name suggests, here a part of the chromosome 21 translocates itself to some other chromosome. There will be no trisomy on chromosome 21. However, there will be extra genetic material resulting from the chromosome containing the translocated portion of chromosome 21.
Mosaic Down Syndrome: This is a rare condition where some cells will have 46 chromosomes (23 pairs) while few others will have 47 chromosomes (trisomy 21).
Symptoms characteristic of Down Syndrome
Some of the symptoms synonymous to Down Syndrome include

The face appears flattened with a short mouth and a protruding tongue.
The ears, neck, arms, and legs are shorter than usual.
Children and adults with Down Syndrome usually have a short stature.
The muscles also lack proper tone.
Children with Down Syndrome are often found to have impaired cognitive ability. The condition also affects the memory, both short, as well as long-term.
Managing a child with Down Syndrome
No parent would ever want their child to suffer from Down Syndrome. Along with the medications and therapies, as a parent, you should also be prepared to manage the situation well.

The situation is by no means easy for you, but if you get weak or panic, things will only go from bad to worse. Thus, you need to be strong.
Be in constant touch with the attending physician to know the progress of your child.
If your child is still very young, get them enrolled in the special enhancement programs. These programs play a significant role in improving the language, motor movements, as well as developing the various self-help skills in the Down Syndrome children.
Connect with families dealing with identical situations. Discussing your problems with them or learning about theirs can help in better management.
Your concern for the child is understood but do not snatch their independence. Give them the freedom they deserve. They might make mistakes, but it will help build their confidence.
If the situation demands, get your child admitted to schools which are specially designed for such children.
Do not keep your child confined within the four walls of the home. Take them outside. Let them interact with people. Indulge in family outings and get-togethers.
The situation may be difficult but not impossible. Have faith and do what is in your hands.

Down Syndrome - How It Should Be Dealt With?

Anxiety is a common issue with growing teenagers. It is not the typical anxiety before exams or academic projects. It is more than that. Anxiety may be the result of the hormonal changes, which predominantly affect the adolescent years of growth. While your body copes with different changes, your mind tangles between the future liberty and present restrictions. Knowing certain facts about this anxiety trail can help you to cope with it.

1. Anxiety is not always a disease: Anxiety is not always a disease. It is a normal phenomenon among adolescent teenagers. However, in certain cases it may be severe for some teenagers. They may feel crippled with anxiety. Under such cases, one would require psychiatric help.

2. Talk to someone: A great way to relieve yourself from stress due to anxiety is to speak with someone. It can be a friend or someone close to share your thoughts. If you know the reason of your anxiety, share it, discuss it. You will definitely feel better.

3. Take a break: Entertainment and break from academic work and schedule is necessary for teenagers to lower anxiety traits. However, if the anxiety is due to peers, you may even take a break from them and engage in family.

4. Cry out loud: It is not a silly thing to cry when you are stressed under anxiety. Crying is an emotional outburst which essentially relieves the stress due to anxiety and lets you control the emotional disturbed state of mind.

5. Good sleep: Sleep is necessary for both mental and physical rest. You need to overcome from the fatigue of routine works, stressful events, peer factor, etc. Catching the essential 8 hour sleep is a great way to overcome anxiety issues.

6. Don t be conscious: Anxiety is a common factor among all your peers. You are not the only one coping with anxiety stress. So, take it light. Relax and don t be conscious about your anxiety problems. Consider them to be temporary.

7. Be confident: Losing confidence under the stress due to anxiety can be even more disastrous. The effects will never be better. So be confident about whatever you do, whether right or wrong. Every person learns from his own activities. Whether right or wrong, everything will give you a lesson. So you will never be a loser, you will win a lesson.

8. Don t feel stupid: Being stressed with anxiety is not abnormal or stupid. Everything is okay with you, and you are not the stupid fellow out there.

9. You are not weak: Anxiety is not a sign of weakness. You can rather make it your strength. Fight it back and keep your energy and enthusiasm high.

10. Anxiety is temporary: As you move ahead of the adolescent period, anxiety will faint. You will be more confident and matured, able to tackle anxiety. So consider it to be an affair of a few years.

10 Things To Know About Adolescent Anxiety

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