Procedure Descriptions
ACL Reconstruction
Adenoidectomy (Adenoid Removal)
Arthroscopic Surgery
Carpal Tunnel Surgery
Cataract Surgery
Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery)
Bunionectomy
Colonoscopy
Cytoscopy
D&C
Esophagegastroduodenoscopy (EGD)
Endometrial Ablation
Hammertoe Repair
Hernia Repair
Hysteroscopy
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Laparoscopy
Pain Management Injection
Rotator Cuff Repair
Tonsillectomy
Tympanostomy (Ear Tube Surgery)
ACL Reconstruction
ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) 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.
Adenoidectomy (Adenoid Removal)
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 used for spine, hip, wrists and elbows.
Step 1 - Two small incisions are made around the joint 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.
The carpal tunnel is a narrow space inside the wrist. This space lets certain tendons and major nerves pass from the forearm into the hand. With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome the tendon sheath may thicken and enlarge. This reduces the amount of space in the carpal tunnel as a result the median nerve may be compressed. Your orthopedic surgeon will make one incision in the palm of your hand. Your surgeon then cuts the carpal ligament to reduce pressure on the median nerve.
Cataract is a "clouding" of the lens in your eye. In Cataract Surgery a tiny incision is made in the eye. Through this incision, the surgeon inserts instruments, about the size of a pen tip. One of these instruments is an ultrasonic instrument that breaks up and gently removes your cloudy lens.
Once the clouded lens has been removed, the next step is to replace it. That is, to implant an artificial lens that will do the work of your own lens. This artificial lens is referred to as an intraocular lens or IOL.
After the surgery, you'll be given a short time to rest. Drops will be prescribed to guard against infection and help your eyes heal. For a few days, you may need to wear a clear shield, especially at night, to prevent you from rubbing your eye.
Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery)
In Upper Eyelid Surgery, the surgeon first marks the individual lines and creases of the lids in order to keep the scars as invisible as possible along these natural folds. The incision is made, and excess fat, muscle, and loose skin are removed. Fine sutures are used to close the incisions, thereby minimizing the visibility of any scar.
In Lower Eyelid Surgery, the surgeon makes the incision in an inconspicuous site along the lashline and smile creases of the lower lid. Excess fat, muscle, and skin are then trimmed away before the incision is closed with fine sutures. Eyelid puffiness caused primarily by excess fat may be corrected by a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. The incision in this case is made inside the lower eyelid, and excess fatty material is removed. When sutures are used to close this kind of incision, they are invisible to the eye. They are also self-dissolving and leave no visible scar. Under normal conditions, blepharoplasty can take from one to two hours.
A bunion is a painful deformity of the bones and joint between the foot and the big toe. Long-term irritation caused by poorly fitting and/or high-heeled shoes, arthritis, or heredity causes the joint to thicken and enlarge. This causes the big toe to angle in toward and over the second toe, the foot bone (metatarsal) to angle out toward the other foot, and the skin to thicken
Surgical removal of a bunion is usually done while the patient is under general anesthesia and rarely requires a hospital stay. An incision is made along the bones of the big toe into the foot. The deformed joint and bones are repaired, and the bones are stabilized with a pin and/or cast.
An endoscopic exam of the large colon and distal portion of the small bowel using a small fiber optic camera on a flexible scope pass through the anus.
A Cystoscopy allows the physician to look inside the bladder. Before this procedure, a local anesthetic is applied to the area around the urethra. The physician then inserts a cystoscope through the opening of the urethra. The physician may fill the bladder with water or saline to make it easier to see the walls of the bladder. In the case a tumor is found, the physician can take a sample for biopsy or remove it completely.
D&C, also known as Dilatation and Curettage, is a minor surgical procedure in which the surgeon first dilates or opens the woman's cervix and then inserts a thin, spoon-shaped instrument. The instrument is then used to remove a sample of the internal lining of the uterus, or to remove the portion of the internal lining that is causing bleeding. Dilatation, therefore, stands for opening the cervix; curettage means the scraping of the uterine wall.
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Esophagegastroduodenoscopy (EGD)
A diagnostic procedure that visualizes the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract up to the duodenum using a flexible scope passed down the esophagus.
Endometrial Ablation is a surgical procedure to destroy the lining of the uterus so that it is no longer able to bleed. Indicated for women no longer interested in childbearing in whom excessive menstrual bleeding is a problem.
Hammertoe is a bending of one or both joints of a toe. This deformity can put excessive pressure on the toe resulting in pain and discomfort.
Arthroplasty is the most common surgical procedure to correct hammertoe. In this procedure, the surgeon straightens the toe by removing a small section of the bone from the affected joint.
Arthrodesis is another surgical procedure to correct hammertoe and is usually reserved for the more advanced cases. In this procedure, the surgeon fuses a small joint in the toe to straighten it. A pin is typically used to hold the toe in position while the bone is healing.
Other procedures may be necessary in more severe cases, including skin wedging (the removal of wedges of skin), tendon/muscle rebalancing or lengthening, small tendon transfers, or relocation of surrounding joints.
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.
Open Repair Surgery is the more traditional approach to Hernia treatment. Although there are many approaches, in a typical surgery, the protruding tissue is returned to the abdominal cavity and the sac that has been formed is removed. The surgeon repairs the hole in the abdominal wall by sewing strong surrounding muscle over the defect. Mesh may be used in place of sewing (such as a Kugel Patch).
A hysteroscopy is an examination of the inside of the uterus using a fiber optic telescope which is inserted through the vagina and cervical canal. A hysteroscopy helps determine the presence of fibroids, polyps, scars or other abnormalities within the uterus.
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 Laparoscopy is a procedure to view abdominal organs or female reproductive organs. A laparoscope, a thin viewing tube similar to a telescope, is passed through a small incision (cut) in the abdomen. Using the laparoscope, the doctor can look directly at the outside of the abdominal organs or the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes.
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. Needle placement is determined by the physician with the aid of a fluroscan image. The steroid injection consists of a local anesthetic and/or steroids. A small bandage may be placed over the injection site.
Rotator Cuff Repair is an arthroscopic procedure, in which the surgeon places an arthroscope in the space above the rotator cuff tendons. The surgeon can evaluate the area above the rotator cuff, clean out inflamed or damaged tissue, and remove a bone spur.
If a tear is going to be fixed, the surgeon may perform the surgery with a larger, open incision, while other surgeons use the arthroscope and 1-3 additional small smaller incisions. The goal is to attach the tendon back to the bone where it tore off. The tendon is attached with sutures. Small rivets (called suture anchors) are often used to help attach the tendon to the bone. The suture anchors can be made of metal or plastic, and do not need to be removed.
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.
Tympanostomy (Ear Tube Surgery)
Tympanostomy (Ear Tube Surgery) is a surgical procedure to drain fluid from the middle ear, by placing tubes in the eardrum. While the patient is under general anesthesia, a small incision is made in the eardrum and accumulated fluid behind it is suctioned out. A small tube is inserted through the eardrum incision to allow fluid to continually flow out and air to enter. The incision heals without sutures and the ear tubes fall out naturally after a few months.