Both regional and general anesthesia may be used. Regional anesthesia is most frequently used for labor and delivery. Regional anesthesia is when narcotics may be given by continuous infusion into the epidural space in the spine. General anesthesia is not recommended for routine deliveries, but is often the method used for an emergency cesarean section. Most mothers and infants recover well.
This major surgery carries significant risks that need to be considered. For the mother, these risks are:
There are also risks to a child born by a C-section:
Both regional and general anesthesia may be used. Regional anesthesia is most frequently used for labor and delivery, and is administered by continuous infusion into the epidural space in the spine. General anesthesia is not recommended for routine deliveries, but is often the method used for an emergency cesarean section. The average hospital stay after a cesarean section is 2-4 days.
Dilatation and Curettage (D&C) is a procedure to scrape and collect tissue from inside the uterus. This procedure is used to help diagnose medical conditions using the tissue collected, to treat irregular or heavy menstrual bleeding, or to remove fetal or placental tissue following a miscarriage.
This procedure can be performed in a hospital or in a clinic setting using either local or general anesthesia.
The vaginal canal is held open by a speculum and the opening to the cervix is anesthetized. The cervix is then opened (dilated) using various rod sizes until the cervix is opened to the desired size. After the cervix is dilated, instruments can be inserted into the uterus and manipulated, depending on the nature of the procedure.
After delivery, the placenta will usually detach from the uterus and the woman can push out the placenta on her own. If the placenta is not delivered within 30 minutes the physician may insert a hand into the uterus, detach the placenta from the uterus and remove it.
Both regional and general anesthesia may be used. Regional anesthesia is the most frequently used for labor and delivery, and the narcotics are administered by continuous infusion into the epidural space. A physician may also use a Pudendal block, which involves injecting a local anesthetic through the vaginal wall. General anesthesia is not recommended for routine deliveries, but is often the method used for an emergency cesarean section.
The normal hospital stay for a vaginal delivery is 24-48 hours.
Ovary removal surgery (also known as oophorectomy or ovariectomy), is the surgical removal of one or both ovaries. The surgery is performed to remove ovaries affected by cancer, to remove the source of estrogen that may stimulate some cancers, to remove large ovarian cysts, or to treat endometriosis.
The surgery is performed under general anesthesia and can be either open or laparoscopic surgery.
A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure in which the uterus is removed through an incision in the abdomen. As part of the hysterectomy, the fallopian tubes and cervix may also be removed.
Hysterectomies are performed for uterine fibroids (benign tumors in the uterus), abnormal uterine bleeding, endometriosis (the formation of cells outside of the uterus), and uterine prolapse (loosening of support muscles and tissue in the pelvic area). A hysterectomy can also be performed to treat cancer of the uterus.
Types of hysterectomies include:
Tubal ligation is a surgery where a woman's fallopian tubes are cut and sealed. It is commonly known as “tying one's tubes.” Tubal ligation permanently sterilizes a woman by preventing an egg from traveling from the ovary down to the uterus, so that the male sperm cannot make contact with the egg. If the sperm and the egg cannot make contact, fertilization cannot take place and pregnancy cannot occur.
Tubal ligations can be performed in a hospital or an outpatient setting under general anesthesia. It can be performed at any time when the patient is not pregnant. Often, tubal ligations are performed following childbirth in a hospital setting.
During this procedure, the physician makes one or two small incisions in the abdomen (usually below the navel) and a laparoscope (a tiny camera) is inserted. Using surgical instruments, the fallopian tubes are sealed shut with either cautery (burned), or a small clip placed on the tube. (Cautery heals naturally without stitches and has a minimum of blood loss.) The skin incision(s) is then stitched closed. The patient can return home a few hours after the procedure. Most patients recover fully within a week.
Urinary incontinence is most common among the elderly. Additionally, women are more likely to experience urinary incontinence due to the stress placed on the urinary tract by childbirth. Men can experience urinary incontinence due to prostate problems. Nerve problems and diseases such as diabetes and stroke can affect urinary incontinence in both sexes.
There are several surgical options for both men and women.
All surgeries are performed using general anesthesia in a hospital setting. Stays in the hospital can average one to two days but could be more depending on the type of surgery and whether or not an abdominal incision is involved.
A vaginal hysterectomy is a surgical procedure in which the uterus is removed through the vagina. As part of the hysterectomy, the fallopian tubes and cervix may also be removed.
Hysterectomies are performed for uterine fibroids (benign tumors in the womb), abnormal uterine bleeding, endometriosis (the formation of cells outside of the uterus) and uterine prolapse, which involves the loosening of support muscles and tissue in the pelvic area. A hysterectomy can also be performed to treat cancer of the uterus.
In a vaginal hysterectomy, the uterus is removed through the vagina. A laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy is performed with the help of a tiny lens that allows the surgeon to inspect the abdomen while performing surgery through small incisions.
Types of vaginal hysterectomies include:
All hysterectomies are performed in a hospital setting and involve a stay of a few days.
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
An orthopedic surgeon usually performs this surgery, which requires a hospital stay. Recovery time will vary, and depends upon the patient, the extent of the injury, and the judgment and expertise of the physician.
Back surgery involves removal of all or part of a vertebra or disk in order to relieve pressure and pain on the nerves in the spine. A vertebra is one of 33 small bones making up the spine. Disks are the cushioning between the vertebrae that prevent the bones from coming into contact with each other.
A herniated disk is one that has ruptured or bulged from a tear in the disk covering. If the herniated disk presses on a nerve, surgery may be required to relieve the pressure and the pain associated with it.
Surgery may include:
Back surgery is usually performed by an orthopedic surgeon, and is done under general anesthesia. It is an inpatient procedure, which means that it requires a hospital stay. The surgery will relieve pain and allow the back to heal. Recovery time is typically 1-3 months.
A bone marrow biopsy can be an aspiration, a needle biopsy, or both. A local anesthetic is applied to numb the skin and the tissue down to the surface of the bone. A special needle is then used to penetrate the outer shell of the bone. Once inside, the center part of needle is replaced by a syringe and the liquid is collected. For a biopsy, the center of the needle is not replaced and the needle cuts a core that is collected by the needle. The core is extracted and prepared for examination by a pathologist.
Since the area is very small, usually a bandage is applied and the patient is released.
The patient is given high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation to destroy the diseased cells prior to the implantation or transplantation. The cells and/or marrow are then injected directly into the patient's vein. This procedure is done in the patient's hospital room and does not require an operating room.
The name of the procedure depends the source of the healthy bone marrow (or stem cells). The healthy bone marrow (or stem cells) may be taken from:
• the patient prior to chemotherapy or radiation treatment (autograft or transplantation-autologous),
• a donor who is not an identical twin (allograft or transplantion-allogenic), or
• an identical twin (syngenetic or transplantation-syngenetic).
The patient may achieve partial recovery from brain surgery in one to four weeks; full recovery may take up to eight weeks, depending on patient health, the extent of the disease or injury, and the surgical procedures used by the physician.
Risks for any surgery are:
Additional risks of brain surgery are:
There are several different procedures that are associated with breast reconstruction. The first stage of reconstruction, the creation of the breast mound, is almost always performed in a hospital setting under general anesthesia. Follow-up surgery, however, may be performed at a hospital or an outpatient facility.
The surgery can take place immediately following the mastectomy or can be delayed.
Procedures include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include:
Some common locations for aneurysms include: