Top Health Tips on Managing Gastroparesis

Benefits of Botox Is Not Just Limited to Wrinkles

Benefits of Botox Is Not Just Limited to Wrinkles
The quest to look and feel young is never ending. Almost everybody feels they could look a couple of years younger with a few wrinkles less and firmer skin. While this was within access of only celebrities who could afford the various plastic surgical procedures a few decades ago, times have changed now. Scientists and doctors are doing researches to find more affordable and non-surgical ways of getting to look younger.

Botox was one of the wonderful results of this search. Clostridium botulinum causes food poisoning and produces a toxin known as botulinum. In extremely minor amounts, this toxin can paralyze muscles and this property of it is used to treat facial wrinkles and fine lines.
How Botox works
The muscles react when they receive a message from the nerve through chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Acetylcholine is one such chemical, which is present in the face and sends messages to the facial skin from the nerves. What Botox does is prevent the release of acetylcholine and so the muscle does not receive any message, and so does not contract. This reduces the amount of wrinkles and fine lines.

Medical Indications
Botox is one of the most powerful toxins identified to date. About 2 kg of the toxin is sufficient to wipe out the entire human race from Earth. That being its potency, the dosage and administration should be done only under experienced medical supervision.

For cosmetic purposes, they are most frequently used to reduce wrinkles on face and fine lines under the eyes and on the forehead. The wrinkles appear softened after the use of Botox, producing a younger, firmer skin. Aside from its cosmetic use, there are various other conditions for which Botox is medically approved for a number of medical ailments like

1. Chronic migraines
2. Blepharospasm (spasm of the eyelids)
3. Chronic neck spasms
4. Excessive sweating
5. Overactive bladder (resulting in frequent urination)
6. Spasticity resulting from stroke
7. Crow's feet (outer corner of the eyes)
8. Urinary incontinence
9. Lazy eye (strabismus)
10. Bruxism (tooth grinding)
11. Esophageal motility disorders

The list is only set to get longer as more indications for Botox are identified. However, as mentioned, being an extremely toxic substance, it should be used only under complete medical supervision.

Side effects: Needless to say, there are side effects to this too, but when administered properly, it is an extremely safe procedure.

1. Allergic reaction: Very few people might have an allergic reaction to the toxin
2. Mild pain or redness at the injection site
3. Temporary numbness
However, these are very transient and will subside in a couple of days, by which time the effect of Botox will be visible. Have a thorough discussion with your doctor before going for it.
6580 people found this helpful

What Is Esophagectomy And Its Usage?

M B B S, MS - General Surgery, Fellowship of National Board(Minimal Access Surgery)
Laparoscopic Surgeon, Pune
What Is Esophagectomy And Its Usage?
The surgical procedure to remove the oesophagus (the tube between your stomach and mouth), partially or completely, and reconstruct it by using a section of the large intestine or stomach is called esophagectomy.

Esophagectomy is commonly used to treat oesophageal cancer.

Uses:

Early-stage oesophageal cancer is frequently treated with an esophagectomy. Other than that, esophagectomy is also performed to treat oesophageal dysplasia (a condition in which cells in the oesophageal lining are precancerous or likely to develop cancer if not promptly treated).

Esophagectomy is commonly performed when cancer has spread to the stomach, lymph nodes or associated organs.

Some other conditions which require esophagectomy include:

Oesophageal trauma.

Swallowing of cell-damaging, or caustic agents such as lye.

Problematic stomach disorders that make the passage of food to the stomach difficult.

A previously performed esophagectomy was unsuccessful.

Procedures:

There are three ways a surgeon may perform an esophagectomy, which include:

Transthoracic Esophagectomy (TTE)

In this type of procedure, the incision is made on the chest. A TTE is mostly used to treat the following conditions:

Cancer present only in two-thirds of the oesophagus

Barrett s oesophagus (Abnormal cell transformation in the lower oesophagus)

Damage to the oesophagus by swallowing a caustic agent

Reflux esophagitis (stomach acids return to the oesophagus) complications

Transhiatal Esophagectomy (THE)

In THE, the incision is made from the end of the breastbone to the bellybutton. THE is performed for the following conditions:

To remove the cancerous oesophagus

To tighten or narrow the oesophagus in order to make swallowing easier

To fix issues in the nervous system

To repair frequent gastroesophageal reflux

Correct a hole in the oesophagus caused by any caustic agent

En Bloc Esophagectomy

In this procedure, the oesophagus, part of the stomach and all the lymph nodes in the abdomen and chest are removed. The incisions are made in the abdomen, chest and neck; the stomach will be reshaped and brought up to the chest to put back the oesophagus.

Potentially curable tumours are treated by en bloc esophagectomy.

Outlook:

Recovery time of esophagectomy is three weeks approximately. You are allowed to go back to your regular diet after a month. You might find that you are eating smaller portions as you stomach size is reduced.
3321 people found this helpful

Know The Procedure Of Esophagectomy!

FICS, FCCP (USA), DNB (General Surgery), MS - General Surgery, MBBS
General Surgeon, Delhi
Know The Procedure Of Esophagectomy!
The surgical procedure to remove the oesophagus (the tube between your stomach and mouth), partially or completely, and reconstruct it by using a section of the large intestine or stomach is called esophagectomy.

Esophagectomy is commonly used to treat oesophageal cancer.

Uses:

Early-stage oesophageal cancer is frequently treated with an esophagectomy. Other than that, esophagectomy is also performed to treat oesophageal dysplasia (a condition in which cells in the oesophageal lining are precancerous or likely to develop cancer if not promptly treated).

Esophagectomy is commonly performed when cancer has spread to the stomach, lymph nodes or associated organs.

Some other conditions which require esophagectomy include:

Oesophageal trauma.

Swallowing of cell-damaging, or caustic agents such as lye.

Problematic stomach disorders that make the passage of food to the stomach difficult.

A previously performed esophagectomy was unsuccessful.

Procedures:

There are three ways a surgeon may perform an esophagectomy, which include:

Transthoracic Esophagectomy (TTE)

In this type of procedure, the incision is made on the chest. A TTE is mostly used to treat the following conditions:

Cancer present only in two-thirds of the oesophagus

Barrett s oesophagus (Abnormal cell transformation in the lower oesophagus)

Damage to the oesophagus by swallowing a caustic agent

Reflux esophagitis (stomach acids return to the oesophagus) complications

Transhiatal Esophagectomy (THE)

In THE, the incision is made from the end of the breastbone to the bellybutton. THE is performed for the following conditions:

To remove the cancerous oesophagus

To tighten or narrow the oesophagus in order to make swallowing easier

To fix issues in the nervous system

To repair frequent gastroesophageal reflux

Correct a hole in the oesophagus caused by any caustic agent

En Bloc Esophagectomy

In this procedure, the oesophagus, part of the stomach and all the lymph nodes in the abdomen and chest are removed. The incisions are made in the abdomen, chest and neck; the stomach will be reshaped and brought up to the chest to put back the oesophagus.

Potentially curable tumours are treated by en bloc esophagectomy.

Outlook:

Recovery time of esophagectomy is three weeks approximately. You are allowed to go back to your regular diet after a month. You might find that you are eating smaller portions as you stomach size is reduced.
3282 people found this helpful

Esophagectomy - Why Is It Required?

MBBS Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, DNB ( General Surgery ), Fellowship in Minimal Access Surgery, Senior Residency Training Program (Surgical Oncology)
General Surgeon, Raipur
Esophagectomy - Why Is It Required?
The surgical procedure to remove the oesophagus (the tube between your stomach and mouth), partially or completely, and reconstruct it by using a section of the large intestine or stomach is called esophagectomy.

Esophagectomy is commonly used to treat oesophageal cancer.

Uses:

Early-stage oesophageal cancer is frequently treated with an esophagectomy. Other than that, esophagectomy is also performed to treat oesophageal dysplasia (a condition in which cells in the oesophageal lining are precancerous or likely to develop cancer if not promptly treated).

Esophagectomy is commonly performed when cancer has spread to the stomach, lymph nodes or associated organs.

Some other conditions which require esophagectomy include:

Oesophageal trauma.

Swallowing of cell-damaging, or caustic agents such as lye.

Problematic stomach disorders that make the passage of food to the stomach difficult.

A previously performed esophagectomy was unsuccessful.

Procedures:

There are three ways a surgeon may perform an esophagectomy, which include:

Transthoracic Esophagectomy (TTE)

In this type of procedure, the incision is made on the chest. A TTE is mostly used to treat the following conditions:

Cancer present only in two-thirds of the oesophagus

Barrett s oesophagus (Abnormal cell transformation in the lower oesophagus)

Damage to the oesophagus by swallowing a caustic agent

Reflux esophagitis (stomach acids return to the oesophagus) complications

Transhiatal Esophagectomy (THE)

In THE, the incision is made from the end of the breastbone to the bellybutton. THE is performed for the following conditions:

To remove the cancerous oesophagus

To tighten or narrow the oesophagus in order to make swallowing easier

To fix issues in the nervous system

To repair frequent gastroesophageal reflux

Correct a hole in the oesophagus caused by any caustic agent

En Bloc Esophagectomy

In this procedure, the oesophagus, part of the stomach and all the lymph nodes in the abdomen and chest are removed. The incisions are made in the abdomen, chest and neck; the stomach will be reshaped and brought up to the chest to put back the oesophagus.

Potentially curable tumours are treated by en bloc esophagectomy.

Outlook:

Recovery time of esophagectomy is three weeks approximately. You are allowed to go back to your regular diet after a month. You might find that you are eating smaller portions as your stomach size is reduced.
3164 people found this helpful

Achalasia - Symptoms + Treatment

MBBS, MS - General Surgery, M.Ch - Surgical Gastroenterology/G.I. Surgery, Fellowship in Hepatobiliary Surgery & Liver Transplantation, International Visiting Scholar
Surgical Gastroenterologist, Hyderabad
Achalasia - Symptoms + Treatment
Achalasia is a serious disorder of the esophagus in which your nerves and muscles fail to work properly. This disorder causes problems in your body such as chest pain, difficulty to swallow food and excessive coughing.

You will also face problems in breathing in case the food enters in to the lungs. There is a valve in your lower esophageal splinter, which closes the esophagus from your stomach. If you have problems like achalasia then perhaps your lower esophageal splinter fails to open while swallowing food it can lead to accumulation of food in esophagus. In this condition the nerves in your body gets damaged and hence cause health complications.

You are at risk of achalasia when you are middle aged, but it can also occur during childhood. Auto immune disorder often places you at risk for achalasia.

Symptoms of achalasia:
The major symptom of achalasia is dysphagia in which you face problems while swallowing food. You may feel that the food is struck in your esophagus which causes choking and problems when you breathe. There may be other symptoms of achalasia which includes:
1. Loss of weight
2. Heart burn
3. Discomfort or pain while you eat food
4. Chest pain
5. Risk of esophagus cancer

Treatment for achalasia:
Esophageal manometry is a technique your doctor may use, if he suspects achalasia when the symptoms include difficulty while you eat and swallow foods. A tube measures the muscular activity in your stomach and reports about the functioning of your esophagus. Another way to diagnose is through X- ray of the esophagus or endoscopy.

The treatment for achalasia generally starts with oral medications. Sphincter nitrates and calcium blockers often help to relax the muscles. Botox can also help to relax your sphincter and help you swallow food.
Esophagomyotomy also helps to treat achalasia in which your doctor can use an incision to access the sphincter and also alter it to enable better flow into the stomach. It s a generally successful procedure, but sometimes can cause gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) which causes heart burn and would require intensive care. Sometimes surgery can also help to give relief but it can also cause acid reflux, respiratory problems, tearing of esophagus along with other serious complications.

Laparoscopic surgery is a simple and effective way of treating this problem .The tight lower esophageal sphincter is released to make way for easy passage of food.The patient recovers in one day and is discharged home following this operation.
2981 people found this helpful

Esophagectomy: When And Why Is It Necessary?

M. S. , MBBS
General Surgeon, Mumbai
Esophagectomy: When And Why Is It Necessary?
The surgical procedure to remove the oesophagus (the tube between your stomach and mouth), partially or completely, and reconstruct it by using a section of the large intestine or stomach is called esophagectomy.

Esophagectomy is commonly used to treat oesophageal cancer.

Uses:

Early-stage oesophageal cancer is frequently treated with an esophagectomy. Other than that, esophagectomy is also performed to treat oesophageal dysplasia (a condition in which cells in the oesophageal lining are precancerous or likely to develop cancer if not promptly treated).

Esophagectomy is commonly performed when cancer has spread to the stomach, lymph nodes or associated organs.

Some other conditions which require esophagectomy include:

Oesophageal trauma.

Swallowing of cell-damaging, or caustic agents such as lye.

Problematic stomach disorders that make the passage of food to the stomach difficult.

A previously performed esophagectomy was unsuccessful.

Procedures:

There are three ways a surgeon may perform an esophagectomy, which include:

Transthoracic Esophagectomy (TTE)

In this type of procedure, the incision is made on the chest. A TTE is mostly used to treat the following conditions:

Cancer present only in two-thirds of the oesophagus

Barrett s oesophagus (Abnormal cell transformation in the lower oesophagus)

Damage to the oesophagus by swallowing a caustic agent

Reflux esophagitis (stomach acids return to the oesophagus) complications

Transhiatal Esophagectomy (THE)

In THE, the incision is made from the end of the breastbone to the bellybutton. THE is performed for the following conditions:

To remove the cancerous oesophagus

To tighten or narrow the oesophagus in order to make swallowing easier

To fix issues in the nervous system

To repair frequent gastroesophageal reflux

Correct a hole in the oesophagus caused by any caustic agent

En Bloc Esophagectomy

In this procedure, the oesophagus, part of the stomach and all the lymph nodes in the abdomen and chest are removed. The incisions are made in the abdomen, chest and neck; the stomach will be reshaped and brought up to the chest to put back the oesophagus.

Potentially curable tumours are treated by en bloc esophagectomy.

Outlook:

Recovery time of esophagectomy is three weeks approximately. You are allowed to go back to your regular diet after a month. You might find that you are eating smaller portions as you stomach size is reduced.
2925 people found this helpful

How To Manage Adverse Respiratory Events?

MBBS Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, DNB - General Surgery, MS - General Surgery
General Surgeon, Gurgaon
How To Manage Adverse Respiratory Events?
Adverse respiratory events (AREs) are leading causes of post-operative morbidity and mortality. Anesthesia is the use of medicine to prevent or reduce the feeling of pain or sensation during surgery or other painful procedures (such as getting stitches). Giving as an injection or through inhaled gases or vapours, different types of anesthesia affect the nervous system in various ways by blocking nerve impulses and, therefore, pain.

Anesthesia can help control your breathing, blood pressure, blood flow, and heart rate. It may be used to:

Relax you
Block pain
Make you sleepy or forgetful
Make you unconscious for your surgery
Adverse Respiratory Events (ARE)
Adverse outcomes of such events are fatal and lead to Death & Brain Damage. Three mechanisms of injury are reported to account for highest adverse respiratory events:

Inadequate Ventilation: Insufficient Gas Exchange can produce the adverse outcome. Esophageal Intubation: Incubation between the two sides of the esophagus inadvertently.
Difficult tracheal intubation: Tracheal Intubation is the placement of a flexible plastic tube into the trachea (windpipe) to maintain an open airway. It is performed facilitate ventilation of lungs in severely ill, anesthetized patients.
Other s are as listed below:

Airway Obstruction
Inadequate inspired oxygen delivery
Aspiration
Endobronchial Intubation
Premature Extubation
Residual neuromuscular blockade is an important postoperative complication associated to the use of neuromuscular blocking drugs and is commonly observed in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) after non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) are administered intra-operatively. Incomplete neuromuscular recovery can be minimized with acceleromyography monitoring. The risk of adverse respiratory events during early recovery from anesthesia can be reduced by intra-operative acceleromyography use.

Reintubation is a serious adverse respiratory event and the consequences include increased cardiac and respiratory complications, prolonged length of stay at the PACU, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital, prolonged mechanical ventilator support, higher costs, and increased mortality. Overweight and obesity have also been identified as risk factors for postoperative respiratory complications. Most adverse respiratory events are considered preventable with improved monitoring such as:

Pulse Oximetry
Capnometry
Combination of Both
Closed observation of the clinical factors and appropriate monitoring by well trained people are factors necessary to prevent adverse outcome.
2734 people found this helpful

Adverse Respiratory Events in Anesthesia: How Does It Help?

M. S. , MBBS
General Surgeon, Mumbai
Adverse Respiratory Events in Anesthesia: How Does It Help?
Adverse respiratory events (AREs) are leading causes of post-operative morbidity and mortality. Anesthesia is the use of medicine to prevent or reduce the feeling of pain or sensation during surgery or other painful procedures (such as getting stitches). Giving as an injection or through inhaled gases or vapours, different types of anesthesia affect the nervous system in various ways by blocking nerve impulses and, therefore, pain.

Anesthesia can help control your breathing, blood pressure, blood flow, and heart rate. It may be used to:

Relax you,
Block pain,
Make you sleepy or forgetful,
Make you unconscious for your surgery.
Adverse Respiratory Events (ARE)
Adverse outcomes of such events are fatal and lead to Death & Brain Damage. Three mechanisms of injury are reported to account for highest adverse respiratory events:
Inadequate Ventilation: Insufficient Gas Exchange can produce the adverse outcome. Esophageal Intubation: Incubation between the two sides of the esophagus inadvertently.
Difficult tracheal intubation: Tracheal Intubation is the placement of a flexible plastic tube into the trachea (windpipe) to maintain an open airway. It is performed facilitate ventilation of lungs in severely ill, anesthetized patients.

Other s are as listed below:

Airway Obstruction
Inadequate inspired oxygen delivery
Aspiration
Endobronchial Intubation
Premature Extubation
Residual neuromuscular blockade is an important postoperative complication associated to the use of neuromuscular blocking drugs and is commonly observed in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) after non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) are administered intra-operatively. Incomplete neuromuscular recovery can be minimized with acceleromyography monitoring. The risk of adverse respiratory events during early recovery from anesthesia can be reduced by intra-operative acceleromyography use.

Reintubation is a serious adverse respiratory event and the consequences include increased cardiac and respiratory complications, prolonged length of stay at the PACU, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital, prolonged mechanical ventilator support, higher costs, and increased mortality. Overweight and obesity have also been identified as risk factors for postoperative respiratory complications. Most adverse respiratory events are considered preventable with improved monitoring such as:

Pulse Oximetry
Capnometry
Combination of Both
Closed observation of the clinical factors and appropriate monitoring by well trained people are factors necessary to prevent adverse outcome.
2611 people found this helpful

Eosinophilic Disorders - Know More About Them!

Fellowship In Leukemia & Stem Cell Transplant, DM - Clinical Haematology, MD - Medicine
Hematologist, Nagpur
Eosinophilic Disorders - Know More About Them!
The Eosinophilic disorders are one of the major hematological diseases, which deal with the white blood cells in the human body. The Eosinophils or the white blood cells play an important role in the human body while responding to asthma, allergic reactions, and infections that are caused due to parasites. Eosinophils not only play an important role in protective immunity against parasites but also contribute a lot to inflammation which occurs during allergic disorders.

Different disorders of the Eosinophils

Low count of eosinophils
High count of eosinophils
Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome
Disorders and their treatments
Low count of eosinophils
A low count of eosinophils in the blood usually occurs with the sepsis or the infections in the blood stream, Cushing syndrome. They are usually treated with the corticosteroids. The treatment of the lower count of eosinophils is able to restore the normal count of the eosinophils.

High count of eosinophils
The condition of the high count of the eosinophils is known as eosinophilia or hypereosinophilia. Some of the most common causes which increase the count of the eosinophils are

Disorders due to allergies including asthma, atopic dermatitis, eczema and allergic rhinitis.
Infections caused by parasites, mainly the ones those are known to invade the tissues.
Some of the cancers cause eosinophilia like leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, and myeloproliferative disorders.
Symptoms of eosinophilia

When the count of the eosinophils increases considerably, it can not only inflame the tissues but can also cause damage to the organs. The organs that are usually affected due to this are the heart, skin, lungs and the nervous system. People may suffer from skin rashes, shortness of breath or wheezing and fatigue. One can also suffer from throat as well as stomach pain if the stomach or the esophagus gets affected.
It is generally treated with antibiotics even if no infection is detected. Doctors usually treat such conditions with oral corticosteroids.

Idiopathic Hypereosinophilic Syndrome
In this disorder, the eosinophil count increases to more than 1500 cells/microliter of blood. It is common in the ones who have crossed 50 and usually suffers from a condition of the heart known as Loffler endocarditis which leads to heart attacks.

Symptoms

Weight loss
Night sweats
Chest pain
Fevers
Weakness
Stomach ache and sometimes coma
Most of the people need to treat this with the drugs of prednisone, hydroxyurea and sometimes chemotherapy drugs. Eosinophilic disorders should always be treated according to the drugs prescribed by the doctors.
2431 people found this helpful

Esophagectomy - Where It Will Be Useful?

MBBS, MS - General Surgery, Fellowship in Gastroenterology
General Surgeon, Hyderabad
Esophagectomy - Where It Will Be Useful?
The surgical procedure to remove the oesophagus (the tube between your stomach and mouth), partially or completely, and reconstruct it by using a section of the large intestine or stomach is called esophagectomy.

Esophagectomy is commonly used to treat oesophageal cancer.

Uses:

Early-stage oesophageal cancer is frequently treated with an esophagectomy. Other than that, esophagectomy is also performed to treat oesophageal dysplasia (a condition in which cells in the oesophageal lining are precancerous or likely to develop cancer if not promptly treated).

Esophagectomy is commonly performed when cancer has spread to the stomach, lymph nodes or associated organs.

Some other conditions which require esophagectomy include:

Oesophageal trauma.

Swallowing of cell-damaging, or caustic agents such as lye.

Problematic stomach disorders that make the passage of food to the stomach difficult.

A previously performed esophagectomy was unsuccessful.

Procedures:

There are three ways a surgeon may perform an esophagectomy, which include:

Transthoracic Esophagectomy (TTE)

In this type of procedure, the incision is made on the chest. A TTE is mostly used to treat the following conditions:

Cancer present only in two-thirds of the oesophagus

Barrett s oesophagus (Abnormal cell transformation in the lower oesophagus)

Damage to the oesophagus by swallowing a caustic agent

Reflux esophagitis (stomach acids return to the oesophagus) complications

Transhiatal Esophagectomy (THE)

In THE, the incision is made from the end of the breastbone to the bellybutton. THE is performed for the following conditions:

To remove the cancerous oesophagus

To tighten or narrow the oesophagus in order to make swallowing easier

To fix issues in the nervous system

To repair frequent gastroesophageal reflux

Correct a hole in the oesophagus caused by any caustic agent

En Bloc Esophagectomy

In this procedure, the oesophagus, part of the stomach and all the lymph nodes in the abdomen and chest are removed. The incisions are made in the abdomen, chest and neck; the stomach will be reshaped and brought up to the chest to put back the oesophagus.

Potentially curable tumours are treated by en bloc esophagectomy.

Outlook:

Recovery time of esophagectomy is three weeks approximately. You are allowed to go back to your regular diet after a month. You might find that you are eating smaller portions as you stomach size is reduced.
2303 people found this helpful