surgery

Reducing Migraines with Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery

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An interesting article titled “Non-Endoscopic Deactivation of Nerve Triggers in Migraine Headache Patients,” appears in the 2014 issue of the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery written by Lisa Gfrerer and et. al. The article describes a method to screen and select patients for a surgical migraine treatment technique used by plastic and reconstructive surgeons. The surgery decompresses nerves that trigger migraines. The surgery used is stated to be an alternative to an endoscopic approach used which works down from the scalp under the skin as the other approach is not always suitable. The surgery discussed involves incisions through the upper eyelid and the study demonstrated that this approach was equally as effective for the deactivation of nerves involved in migraine headaches. In the study migraine headaches were completely eliminated in roughly 51% of the patients while around 20% of the patients … Read more

The Curious Case of a Wisdom Tooth Growing in Old Age

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An interesting article titled “Dentist shocked by Mary’s new wisdom,” appears in an article in This is Kent, http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Dentist-shocked-Mary-s-new-wisdom/story-17958765-detail/story.html, January 25, 2013. The article describes a 75 year old woman who had a wisdom tooth grow in at the age of 75. A picture of the woman with her dentist is provided in the article. The dentist was taken a back by such a finding since it is vary rare. He decided to look up other cases on the internet and did find a case where an 84 year old man in New Zealand where a man had a wisdom tooth come in. In the case of the 75 year old man the dentist and woman have decided to just manage the wisdom tooth and leave it in in order to avoid possible complications.

Controversy Over Spinal Fusion

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Debate over spinal fusion surgery continues to occur. A recent article tiled “Spinal fusions serve as a case study for debate over when certain surgeries are necessary,” appears in the Washington Post written by Peter Whoriskey and Dan Keating and published on October 27, 2013. (Note I have previously mentioned some of the controversy over spinal fusion in the post Tips to Prevent Medical Errors – AHRQ) The article mentions that spinal fusions being performed in the U.S. has risen over the years and that around half of the surgeries they reviewed don’t meet expert consensus on when the surgery should be performed. This article discusses a surgeon at a Florida hospital who was earning well over a million a year performing spinal fusions on patients. Auditors at the hospital began to wonder if all the cases were necessary and … Read more

Active Surveillance For Managing Retained Wisdom Teeth

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An interesting expert opinion by Thomas B. Dodson appears in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery vol. 70, issue 9, supplement 1, pages 20-24, 2012, titled ” Surveillance as a Management Strategy for Retained Third Molars: Is It Desirable?”  The author opens by describing in the third paragraph that the treatment of symptomatic disease-free wisdom teeth can be challenging. The author states in the third paragraph “Absent good evidence, management decisions should incorporate the clinician’s experience and expertise, and after a careful, balanced review of the risks and benefits of both treatment options, weigh heavily the patient’s wishes and desires regarding extraction versus retention. The opinions in this chapter reflect the author’s personal decision-making process based on a careful literature review and clinical experience/expertise.” The author opens by describing his clinical classification of wisdom teeth rationale. He states that … Read more

Looking at the Timing of Removal of Wisdom Teeth and It’s Effect on Complications

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An interesting study by M. Anthony Pogrel titled “What Is the Effect of Timing of Removal on the Incidence and Severity of Complications?” appears in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, vol. 70, issue 9, supplement 1, pages S37-S40, 2012. The author sets out to explore if younger patients (less than 25 years) have a decreased risk for postoperative complications than older patients.  The author begins by describing three studies in the literature that have shown that complications associated with wisdom teeth removal increase after 25 years of age. I have also mentioned several of these studies over at http://www.teethremoval.com/wisdomteeth.html. The author then goes on to discuss that recovery for patients of wisdom teeth surgery older than 21 may be delayed after extraction (by two studies). The author then discusses that mandibular fracture and tuberosity fracture may occur after … Read more