Zouk Surgical

Well-known series of drugs called, statins that are used worldwide for lowering LDL – the so-called bad cholesterol, which in turn prevents progression of dangerous plaque buildup in arteries, are less effective for women, a new Canadian study suggests. Researchers concluded this after a long analysis of six years, which mainly focused on records of more than 38,000 Quebec heart attack patients.

Providing with the precise fact, which came up to the surface during this study, principal investigator Dr. Louise Pilote, said:

We basically found that there is effectiveness in both sexes but the effectiveness appears to be greater in men than in women and that in both sexes it increases over time.

However, what exactly is the reason behind this is still not very clear even to these researchers and vaguely they hold gender difference and biological factors responsible for this. That is the reason why Dr. Jim Wright, medical director of the Therapeutics Initiative at the University of British Columbia refutes the idea, which states that women might require higher dose of statins, by putting forward the view that women’s weights on average are lower than men’s, a standard dose would actually provide a higher concentration of drug in women than in men

A closer study of this research work confirms the fact that still there are many dubious fibers, looming out of this study. Still, we can deny the fact that this study has raised a very serious issue, which is indeed a praiseworthy move. The words of the main criticizer of this study, Dr. Jim Wright evince this when he says:

Image credit: Medical Progress

Via: The Star

A frequently asked question is: What can I do after my hip or knee is replaced? The standard answer from orthopedic surgeons is to avoid high impact activities such as running or jumping. More specifically, we try to encourage activities such as walking, hiking, bike riding, and swimming. Moderate impact sports such as doubles tennis, cross-country skiing, or down hill skiing for the good to excellent skier while avoiding moguls can also be performed. Patients must realize that we can give guidelines but in the end, it is the patient’s decision when weighing the risk of higher impact activity against the desire for longevity of function with an artificial joint. Quality of life issues play a role when considering if you should participate with your child in soccer practice or other activities. Our role as orthopedic surgeons is to counsel patients on how to make the most out of their joint replacement. In the end, it is the decision that each patient will make for themselves regarding their activity level and frequency of various activities. 

William P. Barrett, M.D. 
WPB/mf 

Ian Wilson and Burn Patient Post-Op
Originally uploaded by interplast.

Tra Vinh, Vietnam - Ian Wilson, Webster Fellow and plastic surgeon: This is Huynh and I after her successful surgery. The bandage around her neck is a brace to keep her chin from falling onto her chest. It has been stuck there for so long that she needs time to regain the muscle capacity to keep her head up. As I noted in a previous post about Hunyh and burn patients in general, we cannot do much to make her scars go away, but we can have a big impact on her functionality. It is hard for me to imagine going through life with my chin stuck to my chest, and now Hunyh will only have to deal with that daily tribulation in her memories.

  Ian Wilson and patient with booties 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Tra Vinh, Vietnam - Ian Wilson, Webster Fellow and plastic surgeon:  Our surgical trip here in Tra Vinh, Vietnam is going quite well. We are in a town of 70,000 which is definitely not on the tourist trail. We work at a local government hospital which is busy dealing with common illnesses. So far we’ve seen 70-80 patients in clinic, and successfully completed some cleft lip and palate repairs and burn reconstructions. All are recovering well so far. Despite some intermittent surgical trips to this rural area, not all cleft kids have been repaired, so we have a bit of a backlog to work through.  There is a great need for burn reconstruction here as well.

The patient shown here just had her cleft lip repaired.  The child is very unhappy because her mouth feels different, the stitches are itchy, and she is in a strange hospital with tall and pale foreigners.  The mother, however, is perfectly thrilled.  Many pictures of patients after their surgeries do not do justice to the gratitude that is felt by relatives, and will soon be felt by the patient after the healing process winds down. 

Here are some more photos from the surgical team.

Generally, exercise is linked to better health, which includes cardiovascular health too. However, in a shocking revelation a study has revealed that intensive exercise may have negative impact on our cardiovascular health.

Before wrapping up this conclusion, researchers compared the heart function of 22 athletes with heart disturbances to 15 athletes who did not have the condition and a “control” group of 10 non-athletes and ultimately they concluded that a big number of people, which includes athletes mainly, were found with erratic heartbeat. It means there heart was endangered.

Researchers deploringly further observe that intensive exercises, which high-level athletes perform may weaken their hearts badly.

This is finding is no doubt, quite significant but at the same time we cannot deny the fact that several studies conducted earlier has come out with paradoxical studies, which we can’t get away with.

Example:-

1. Regular exercise has many benefits.

2. Exercise and your heart.

3. Exercise for a Healthy Heart.

4. Exercise Improves Heart Failure.

5. Effects of Exercise on the Cardiovascular System.

6. The Effect of Exercise on Heart Rate.

7. Intensive Exercise Is Bad For Your Lungs.

Image credit: The Aim Companies

Via: DNA India

  Vietnamese burn patient 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Tra Vinh, Vietnam - Ian Wilson, Webster Fellow and plastic surgeon: Huynh is a good example of what Interplast does best via a team approach emphasizing teaching and airway safety.

This lady got burned when she was a child in a house fire, sustaining major burns to her face, neck, arms, and chest . She survived this significant burn but developed horrific burn contractures and scarring because of the limitation of primary burn care available to her here in Tra Vinh, Vietnam. This neck contracture does not allow her to tilt her head backwards, and she has significant functional limitations because her chin is really stuck on her chest. Even her lip has been forced out of her mouth. Over the years she has had a number of surgeries but other teams were reluctant to deal with her neck contracture because of the difficulties involved.

We successfully released her neck burn contracture and reconstructed her neck with a large piece of skin from her belly. She essentially underwent an abdominoplasty to harvest the skin graft and leave her with a nice thin scar on her belly wall. This is a very good use for this supposedly cosmetic operation.

The real important part of her operation consisted of getting a secure airway. Interplast personnel have developed a lot of experience with these challenging cases. We have found that the best way to do this in these challenging situations is as follows.

We use local anesthesia and some sedation with Ketamine to keep the patient comfortable while the burn scar contracture is released. The patient is breathing normally during this initial stage and even appears awake but has no discomfort. Then the neck can be fully extended allowing the breathing tube to be placed without too much struggle. Once this is done, the general anesthesia is delivered much like any other routine case.

Her operation took a few hours to perform safely and she now is doing well on the hospital ward while her skin graft heals. Next week, we will make a nice comfortable collar for her to reduce the risk of the contracture recurring.  She might not look as beautiful as she once did, but she will probably have normal functionality, giving her the chance to live a normal life.