Procedure Descriptions
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction
Adenoidectomy
Arthroscopic Surgery
Colonoscopy
Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (Gall Bladder Removal)
Laparoscopic Hernia Surgery
Lithotripsy
Pain Management Injection
Sleep Study
Tonsillectomy
Total Knee Replacement
Upper GI Series
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction
ACL Reconstruction in Spanish
ACL Reconstruction is surgery to replace the torn ligament with an autograft (tissue from the patient's own body) or an allograft (tissue from a cadaver). The most common autografts use part of the patellar tendon (the tendon in the front of the knee) or use the hamstring tendons. Each type of graft has small advantages and disadvantages, and work well for many people.
The procedure is usually performed by knee arthroscopy. The surgeon will replace the ACL. Additional small incisions are made around the knee to place the new ligament. The old ligament will be removed using a shaver or other instruments. Bone tunnels will be made to place the new ligament in the knee at the site of the old ACL. If the patient's own tissue is to be used for the new ligament, a larger, "open" incision will be made to take the tissue. The new ligament is then fixed to the bone using screws or other devices to hold the ligament in place.
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Adenoidectomy is the surgical removal of the adenoid glands, which are located between the nasal airway and the back of the throat. This surgery is often done in conjunction with a tonsillectomy.
While the patient is under general anesthesia, the ENT surgeon props open the patient's mouth with a small instrument. The adenoid tissue is cauterized or removed with a curette or a microdebrider. Bleeding is controlled with packing or cauterization.
Arthroscopic Surgery is used to diagnose and treat many joint problems. This significant advance in joint care allows for rapid return to improved activity. Most commonly used in knees, shoulders and ankles, the arthroscope can also be sued for spine, hip, wrists and elbows.
Step 1 - Two small incisions are made around the join area. Surgical instruments will be positioned in these incisions.
Step 2 - A tube-like needle is inserted in one incision. Fluid is pumped through the tube and into the joint. This expands the joint, giving the surgeon a clear view and room to work. The tube will also be used as drainage needle to regulate the amount of fluid in the joint during the procedure.
Step 3 - Through another incision, the surgeon insets the arthroscope. This instrument has a light and a small video camera that send images to a TV monitor in the operating room.
Step 4 - With the video images from the arthroscope as a guide, the surgeon can look for damaged tissue. If the surgeon sees an opportunity to treat a problem, a variety of small surgical instruments can be inserted through the third small incision.
Step 5 - The surgeon may close the incisions with stitches or tape. Recovery from arthroscopy is faster than recovery from traditional open joint surgery.
A Colonoscopy enables the physician to look inside a patient's entire large intestine. This procedure is used to look for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum, as well, as diagnose the causes of unexplained bowel habits.
Before the procedure, the patient is usually given a mild sedative. While the patient lies on their left side, the physician will inset a long, flexible, lighted tube into the patient's rectum and slowly guide it into the colon. The tube, called a colonoscope, transmits an image of inside the colon and can inflate the colon with air to help the physician see clearly.
The physician can remove all or part of an abnormality using tiny instruments passed through the scope. If there is bleeding, the physician can pass an instrument through the scope to stop the bleeding or inject medicine.
Endoscopic Sinus Surgery involves the insertion of a very thin fiber-optic tube into the nose for a direct visual examination of the openings into the sinuses. With micro-telescopes and instruments, abnormal and obstructive tissues are then removed. In the majority of cases, the surgical procedure is performed entirely through the nostrils, leaving no external scars.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (Gall Bladder Removal)
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ that lies on the underside of the liver, in the upper right portion of the abdomen.
The surgeon creates four very small incisions and will insert a special instrument called the laparoscope through one of the incisions. A laparoscope is a long, rigid tube that is attached to a tiny video camera and a light. Once the laparoscope has been inserted, the surgeon then guides the laparoscope while watching the view it provides on a video monitor.
The surgeon will use an electrocautery device to cut free the gallbladder. Once the gallbladder has been cut free, the surgeon collapses the organ and removes it through the incision at the navel.
A hernia develops when the outer layers of the abdominal wall weaken (or have a defect), bulge, and tear. The hole in this outer layer allows the inner lining of the abdomen to protrude and form a sac.
Laparoscopic Hernia Surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia. A telescope is attached to a camera is placed through a small opening under the belly button. Two more small cuts are made in the lower abdomen. The hernia defect is covered with a mesh and secured with stitches, staples, titanium tacks, or tissue glue.
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is a technique for treating stones in the kidney and ureter that does not require surgery. Instead, high energy shock waves are passed through the body and used to break stones into pieces as small as grains of sand. Because of their small size, these pieces can pass from the body along with the urine.
The most common type of pain management procedure is an Epidural Steroid Injection or Spinal Epidural Injection. Prior to an epidural steroid injection, the patient's skin is cleaned with a sterilizing solution and a sterile drape is placed over the skin. Local anesthesia is injected into the skin to provide numbness at the injection site. The steroid injection consists of a local anesthetic and/or steroids. A small bandage may be placed over the injection site.
For a Sleep Study, you may spend one or two consecutive nights at the Hospital for evaluation, depending on the nature of your sleep disorder. Painless and thorough recording procedures will be used to monitor your muscle movements during sleep. The results of your study are reviewed by a sleep specialist physician.
Tonsillectomy (Tonsil Removal) is the surgical removal of the tonsils, which are glands located at the back of the throat. Normally, tonsil glands serve as agents against infection. In some people, however, especially children, these glands can cause ear and throat infections. While the patient is under general anesthesia, the ENT surgeon removes the tonsils with an instrument or cautery (burning device), which controls bleeding. The cut heals naturally without stitches.
Tubal ligation, often referred to as "having your tubes tied," is a surgical procedure in which a woman's fallopian tubes are blocked, tied, or cut. Tubal implants are small metal springs that are placed in each fallopian tube in a nonsurgical procedure (no cutting is involved). Over time, scar tissue grows around each implant and permanently blocks the tubes. Either procedure stops eggs from traveling from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes, where the egg is normally fertilized by a sperm.
The Upper Gastrointestinal Series uses x-rays to diagnose problems in the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, and, in some cases, the small intestine. This procedure can show blockage, abnormal growth, ulcers, or a malfunction in the organ.
Before the procedure, the patient will drink a thick, white, milkshake-like liquid called Barium. This liquid coats the inside lining of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, so they can be clearly seen on x-rays. A physician will examine these x-rays for abnormalities.
With the assistance of a fluoroscope, the physician can also watch the digestive system work as the barium moves through it. This part of the procedures helps identify any problems in the digestive system's functions.