How long does a mitral valvuloplasty take to perform? A mitral valuloplasty is a procedure to improve function of the heart's mitral valve. A mitral balloon valvuloplasty — a procedure to improve the function of the heart's mitral valve — takes about an hour. The procedure requires a few hours for preparation before, and recovery after the...
What is percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography? Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography is a minimally invasive diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedure to evaluate and treat obstruction in the biliary tract. The biliary tract is the drainage system for the liver and gallbladder. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography is a minimally invasive diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedure to evaluate and treat obstruction in the...
How is a partial gastrectomy performed? A partial gastrectomy is usually performed with the patient under general anesthesia by a gastrointestinal surgeon. The surgery is performed in an operation theater, and may take up to five hours and require up to two weeks of recovery in the hospital. A partial gastrectomy is usually performed with...
What is a gastrectomy? A partial gastrectomy is the surgical removal of a portion of the stomach, as opposed to a total gastrectomy in which the entire stomach is removed. A gastrectomy may also be accompanied by a vagotomy (removal of the part of the vagus nerve that stimulates the stomach’s acid production for digestion)....
What is a percutaneous cholecystostomy procedure? A percutaneous cholecystostomy is a procedure to place a drainage catheter in the gallbladder through a tiny entry hole made in the stomach wall. The drainage tube will be connected to a collection bag which can be periodically emptied. The doctor usually removes the tube in about two to...
How long does a mitral valvuloplasty take to perform? A mitral valuloplasty is a procedure to improve function of the heart's mitral valve. A mitral balloon valvuloplasty — a procedure to improve the function of the heart's mitral valve — takes about an hour. The procedure requires a few hours for preparation before, and recovery after the...
What is capsule endoscopy? A capsule endoscope houses a camera and lights in a clear housing. A patient swallows the capsule and the camera takes magnified photos and video for diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders. Video or wireless capsule endoscopy is a noninvasive diagnostic procedure for examining the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the small intestine. Capsule endoscopy...
What is flexible sigmoidoscopy? A flexible sigmoidoscopy is a procedure using an endoscope camera and tools to examine and/or biopsy the lower part of the colon. Flexible sigmoidoscopy is a diagnostic procedure to examine the walls of the rectum and the lowermost part of the colon (sigmoid). Sigmoidoscopy is performed with a 60 cm-long flexible...
What is general anesthesia? Anesthesia is routinely administered to put patients to sleep during surgery, but it comes with inherent risks. General anesthesia is a state of unconsciousness induced under medical supervision for certain types of surgery. Typically, an anesthesiologist administers a combination of medicines to make the patient unconscious and relax the muscles. General...
What is general anesthesia? Anesthesia is routinely administered to put patients to sleep during surgery, but it comes with inherent risks. General anesthesia is a state of unconsciousness induced under medical supervision for certain types of surgery. Typically, an anesthesiologist administers a combination of medicines to make the patient unconscious and relax the muscles. General...