Facts on File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

L–M Langer’s lines The natural linear pathways, also called cleavages, of the fasciae fibers (connective tissue layer beneath th ...

of choice for BLOODLESS SURGERYas well as for treat- ing vascular disorders of the skin such as birth- marks. Because the intens ...

Recovery time is typically faster and less painful than with open surgery as there is less intrusion into the body. Many minimal ...

O open surgery Any surgical OPERATIONin which the surgeon makes an incision that allows direct access to the operative site. An ...

operation 269 Surgical Operation Purpose craniotomy operations on the BRAINand related structures, PITUITARY GLAND cystectomy re ...

surgery, many people now use the terms operation and surgeryinterchangeably. See also ARTHROSCOPY; BARIATRIC SURGERY; CARDIAC CA ...

available, specific for each kind of organ, so a waiting recipient may appear on several lists and in different rankings relativ ...

episode of acute rejection is seldom enough to cause organ failure, especially when treatment is prompt. IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE AGENT ...

for harvesting donated organs, nor is there disfigu- ration of the donor’s body. Under US medical confi- dentiality laws, the do ...

P patient controlled analgesia (PCA) The postop- erative self-administration of intravenous (IV) PAIN relief (analgesic) medicat ...

MOST COMMON RECONSTRUCTIVE OPERATIONS BREASTreconstruction CONGENITAL ANOMALYreconstruction laceration repair operations on the ...

chilled and to experience discomfort, numbness, or pain. The surgeon may infiltrate the operative site with a local anesthetic t ...

S surgery benefit and risk assessment Objective evaluation of the reasons and expectations for a surgical OPERATION. Surgery is ...

Surgery Risks All operations have general as well as specific risks. General risks include excessive bleeding, wound INFECTION, ...

which case it may be helpful to have one’s pri- mary-care doctor assist in sorting through the options, benefits, and risks. Inf ...

W wound care The care necessary, including cleansing and dressing changes, to keep surgical incisions, or wounds, healthy as the ...

Postoperative Complications Infection is the most common postoperative wound complication. Rarely a surgical wound may bleed. Th ...

This section, “Lifestyle Variables: Smoking and Obesity,” presents an overview discussion of smoking and obesity as they contrib ...

2004—40 years after the first surgeon general’s report on smoking and health—48 million Ameri- can adults remained smokers, fewe ...

A–B abdominal adiposity The accumulation of body fat around the middle of the trunk, forming the “apple” body shape or the “spar ...