New York Methodist Hospital is now using a new, improved version of a common technology to dissolve kidney stones.
Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to treat patients with kidney stones. Physicians in NYM’s Division of Urology, headed by Ivan Grunberger, M.D., make up the first team in the United States to use a new lithotripsy device that offers improved results. Kidney stones are solid masses of tiny crystals that can form in the kidneys and cause bleeding, kidney damage or ongoing urinary tract infections.
It is estimated that more than one million patients are treated with ESWL annually in the United States. “The new generation of lithotripter is capable of generating shock waves with the same intensity from one firing to the next, something that older models could not do,” said Grunberger. “This makes the pulverization of the kidney stones more accurate, and also means that a higher number of patients will be stone-free after the first treatment.”
The new lithotripter can also monitor patient movements in real time with revolutionary infrared tracking. If the patient moves slightly during the procedure, the machine locates the kidney stone and completes treatment. The extended penetration depth of the shock waves also allows for treatment of patients who are obese.
“With the added conveniences of a handheld ultrasound probe to locate the stones, and the ability to generate consistent shock waves, we can treat lithotripsy patients with more precision and accuracy than ever before,” said Grunberger. “The new ESWL technology gives our urologists the ability to better target and monitor stones, ensuring better patient outcomes.”
New York Methodist Hospital, a voluntary, acute-care teaching facility located in Park Slope, houses 651 inpatient beds (including bassinets) and provides services to almost 38,000 inpatients each year. An additional 300,000 outpatient visits and services are logged annually.
2011年12月27日星期二
2011年12月15日星期四
Recovered from a debilitating illness
That's also true in a metaphoric sense. Seven years ago, when he was 12, Duggan was stricken by a crippling illness that kept him from attending school for four years. Yet, that didn't stop him from completing his work.
Tonight, Duggan will be one the 59 students honored as Excellence in Education recipients. The award recognizes Kalamazoo County's top graduating seniors based on grade-point average and test scores.
"To go through what he's gone through and get all A's - I've been doing this for 11 years, and I've ever had anything like this before," said Susan Benton, Duggan's counselor at Norrix."John-Michael is amazing. He turns everything into a positive."
In the fall of 1999, when he was in seventh grade, Duggan discovered an odd rash on his leg.
It was diagnosed as ringworm, but puzzling ailments followed over the next year, including two bouts with pneumonia and a series of strange symptoms - dizziness, body aches, fatigue.
By the winter of his eighth-grade year, Duggan could no longer attend school. Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic thought it was chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. Doctors at The Mayo Clinic suspected multiple sclerosis.
It wasn't until June 2002 that Kalamazoo doctors realized he had Lyme disease, a bacterial illness spread by deer ticks. Relatively rare in the Midwest and often misdiagnosed, the disease can cause chronic arthritis and nervous-system abnormalities if untreated.
Duggan's vision became so bad he couldn't read, and he was so dizzy and weak that he had to use a wheelchair. After the diagnosis, it took two years of treatment and therapy for him to recover.
Too ill to go to school for eighth through 11th grades, Duggan kept up with his schoolwork with the help of Doug Barrow, a Kalamazoo Public Schools' tutor.
"He was an absolute lifesaver," Duggan's mother, Karen Duggan, said of Barrow.
Duggan was allowed to honor two "significant educators" as part of the Excellence in Education award. He named Barrow and Benton, who will accompany him to tonight's reception.
Even with tutoring, the challenges were daunting. Because of his poor vision, Duggan had to listen to books on tape and dictate book reports. He had to do math problems in his head instead of on paper. Extreme fatigue limited how much work he could do at one time.
It wasn't until the fall of 2004 that Duggan was finally healthy enough to return to school for what was supposed to be his senior year.
"I was terrified to go back," he said. "I hadn't talked to most of my friends for four years, and they'd gone on with their lives. The last time I'd gone to school was (middle school), and now I was going to this big school with all these people. I didn't know how high school worked."
He had spent four years surrounded by adults rather than teenagers. In some ways, Duggan's illness had made him more mature, but in other ways he felt stuck in eighth grade.
Fortunately, he said, "the minute I walked in the school, those fears went way."
He became a disc jockey for the school radio station and worked in the school store and the library. His old study habits kicked back in, and Duggan has worked hard to maintain his straight-A average.
Instead of graduating with his class last year, he decided to stay at Norrix for a second year to better experience high school and take classes he missed during his illness.
This spring, he's been battling kidney stones, but no matter how much pain he's been in, he hasn't missed school. "I missed four years of school," he said, shrugging. "Now, as long as I can see and I can walk, I'm coming."
Next fall, he's going to Western Michigan University to major in psychology and Spanish, with hopes of becoming a psychologist. His Lyme disease symptoms have mostly abated, although doctors predict he'll have some aches and pains for the rest of his life.
Still, Duggan and his parents see his future as bright.
"The other day I realized, I can do whatever I want," he said. "There are unlimited possibilities."
Winning an Excellence in Education award has been icing on the cake, his parents said.
"My mom always says that everything happens for a reason, and for years I didn't see it," his mother said as she dabbed at tears. "But this is the reason."
Tonight, Duggan will be one the 59 students honored as Excellence in Education recipients. The award recognizes Kalamazoo County's top graduating seniors based on grade-point average and test scores.
"To go through what he's gone through and get all A's - I've been doing this for 11 years, and I've ever had anything like this before," said Susan Benton, Duggan's counselor at Norrix."John-Michael is amazing. He turns everything into a positive."
In the fall of 1999, when he was in seventh grade, Duggan discovered an odd rash on his leg.
It was diagnosed as ringworm, but puzzling ailments followed over the next year, including two bouts with pneumonia and a series of strange symptoms - dizziness, body aches, fatigue.
By the winter of his eighth-grade year, Duggan could no longer attend school. Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic thought it was chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. Doctors at The Mayo Clinic suspected multiple sclerosis.
It wasn't until June 2002 that Kalamazoo doctors realized he had Lyme disease, a bacterial illness spread by deer ticks. Relatively rare in the Midwest and often misdiagnosed, the disease can cause chronic arthritis and nervous-system abnormalities if untreated.
Duggan's vision became so bad he couldn't read, and he was so dizzy and weak that he had to use a wheelchair. After the diagnosis, it took two years of treatment and therapy for him to recover.
Too ill to go to school for eighth through 11th grades, Duggan kept up with his schoolwork with the help of Doug Barrow, a Kalamazoo Public Schools' tutor.
"He was an absolute lifesaver," Duggan's mother, Karen Duggan, said of Barrow.
Duggan was allowed to honor two "significant educators" as part of the Excellence in Education award. He named Barrow and Benton, who will accompany him to tonight's reception.
Even with tutoring, the challenges were daunting. Because of his poor vision, Duggan had to listen to books on tape and dictate book reports. He had to do math problems in his head instead of on paper. Extreme fatigue limited how much work he could do at one time.
It wasn't until the fall of 2004 that Duggan was finally healthy enough to return to school for what was supposed to be his senior year.
"I was terrified to go back," he said. "I hadn't talked to most of my friends for four years, and they'd gone on with their lives. The last time I'd gone to school was (middle school), and now I was going to this big school with all these people. I didn't know how high school worked."
He had spent four years surrounded by adults rather than teenagers. In some ways, Duggan's illness had made him more mature, but in other ways he felt stuck in eighth grade.
Fortunately, he said, "the minute I walked in the school, those fears went way."
He became a disc jockey for the school radio station and worked in the school store and the library. His old study habits kicked back in, and Duggan has worked hard to maintain his straight-A average.
Instead of graduating with his class last year, he decided to stay at Norrix for a second year to better experience high school and take classes he missed during his illness.
This spring, he's been battling kidney stones, but no matter how much pain he's been in, he hasn't missed school. "I missed four years of school," he said, shrugging. "Now, as long as I can see and I can walk, I'm coming."
Next fall, he's going to Western Michigan University to major in psychology and Spanish, with hopes of becoming a psychologist. His Lyme disease symptoms have mostly abated, although doctors predict he'll have some aches and pains for the rest of his life.
Still, Duggan and his parents see his future as bright.
"The other day I realized, I can do whatever I want," he said. "There are unlimited possibilities."
Winning an Excellence in Education award has been icing on the cake, his parents said.
"My mom always says that everything happens for a reason, and for years I didn't see it," his mother said as she dabbed at tears. "But this is the reason."
2011年10月8日星期六
Dar Al Shifa Hospital's Urology Department hails success
Dr. Rani El- Akoum, a specialized doctor in Dar Al Shifa Hospital's Urology Department said: "Urology is a surgical specialty, covering the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate and reproductive organs. Amongst the diagnoses that our department conducts regularly, kidney stones, urinary incontinence in women as well as prostate cancer are associated amongst urological diseases."
"For example, prostate cancer develops in a gland of the male reproductive system. Although this type of cancer slowly grows, there are a number of reported aggressive cases. The cancer may spread from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly the bones and lymph nodes. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, and problems during sexual intercourse. Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms, but it is often diagnosed during the work up of an elevated PSA noticed during a routine checkup," added Dr. Akoum.
Millions of women experience involuntary loss of urine called urinary incontinence. Some may lose a few drops of urine while running or coughing and others feel a strong sudden urge to urinate just before losing a large amount of urine. Women experience urinary incontinence twice as often as men. Pregnancy and child birth, menopause and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference. There different types of urinary incontinence and these include, stress, urge, overactive bladder, functional incontinence, overflow, mixed and transient.
A kidney stone is a solid mass made up of tiny crystals. One or more stones can be in the kidney or ureter at the same time. Kidney stones can form when urine contains too much of certain substances. These substances can create small crystals that become stones. The biggest risk factor for kidney stones is dehydration. Kidney stones may not produce symptoms until they begin to move down the tubes (ureters) through which urine empties into the bladder. When this happens, the stones can block the flow of urine out of the kidneys. This causes swelling of the kidney or kidneys, causing pain. The pain is usually severe.
Dar Al Shifa Hospital utilizes its state-of-the-art technology, and renowned leading doctors and consultants to deliver optimal levels of healthcare to its patients.
Dar Al Shifa Hospital was established in 1961, and has developed to become one of Kuwait's leading private healthcare providers. The hospital includes a wide range of departments that covers all specialties.
"For example, prostate cancer develops in a gland of the male reproductive system. Although this type of cancer slowly grows, there are a number of reported aggressive cases. The cancer may spread from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly the bones and lymph nodes. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, and problems during sexual intercourse. Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms, but it is often diagnosed during the work up of an elevated PSA noticed during a routine checkup," added Dr. Akoum.
Millions of women experience involuntary loss of urine called urinary incontinence. Some may lose a few drops of urine while running or coughing and others feel a strong sudden urge to urinate just before losing a large amount of urine. Women experience urinary incontinence twice as often as men. Pregnancy and child birth, menopause and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference. There different types of urinary incontinence and these include, stress, urge, overactive bladder, functional incontinence, overflow, mixed and transient.
A kidney stone is a solid mass made up of tiny crystals. One or more stones can be in the kidney or ureter at the same time. Kidney stones can form when urine contains too much of certain substances. These substances can create small crystals that become stones. The biggest risk factor for kidney stones is dehydration. Kidney stones may not produce symptoms until they begin to move down the tubes (ureters) through which urine empties into the bladder. When this happens, the stones can block the flow of urine out of the kidneys. This causes swelling of the kidney or kidneys, causing pain. The pain is usually severe.
Dar Al Shifa Hospital utilizes its state-of-the-art technology, and renowned leading doctors and consultants to deliver optimal levels of healthcare to its patients.
Dar Al Shifa Hospital was established in 1961, and has developed to become one of Kuwait's leading private healthcare providers. The hospital includes a wide range of departments that covers all specialties.
2011年4月14日星期四
Weight Loss Drugs: Public Citizen Calls for Ban on Alli, Xenical
In a new attempt to eliminate the only FDA-approved class of weight-loss drugs, Public Citizen issued a petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Thursday -- its second in five years -- calling for the agency to ban the class of drugs called orlistat, better known by the prescription brand names Xenical and Alli.
"These drugs have the potential to cause significant damage to multiple critical organs, yet they provide meager benefits in reducing weight loss in obese and overweight patients," said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group.
An estimated 40 million people worldwide have taken either Xenical or Alli in the last decade. But sales have decreased substantially over the last decade. Alli sales dropped from $145 million in 2007 to $84 million by mid-2010, according to a report released by Public Citizen.
The drugs' maker, GlaxoSmithKline, announced Thursday it is trying to sell the brands.
Breakthrough Drug that Fizzled
In 1999, Xenical, sold by prescription, was touted as a breakthrough weight-loss drug. Alli was approved in 2007 as an over-the-counter drug. The FDA banned the two market-leading pills, Fen-phen and ephedra, because of potentially fatal side effects.
Studies suggest that taking Xenical or Alli would only help people lose 4 to 6 pounds more than they would with only diet and exercise.
"The benefit was never that great, but many people thought they'd take their chances," said Wolfe.
Drugs Block Fat Enzymes
The drugs work by blocking absorption of about a third of fat enzymes that enter the body. Instead, the fat passes through the body to the gastrointestinal tract until it is excreted. These medications also block fat-soluble vitamins including vitamins A, B, and K.
Some of the more common side effects of Alli or Xenical include diarrhea and stool leakage.
However, according to Dr. Donald Hensrud, associate professor of nutrition and preventive medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., the longer a patient stays on the medication, the more likely these symptoms will go away.
"The chances of having those side effects are a bit overrated," said Hensrud. "Only about 20 percent of people get those side effects, and in most people it lasts for less than a week."
More severe side effects reported to the FDA include liver disease, pancreatitis, and kidney stones. The FDA received 47 reports of acute pancreatitis and 73 cases of kidney stones attributed to orlistats.
While many experts say these side effects are rare, it's not clear what segment of people who use the drug may experience these severe conditions.
Monique Paulwell of Bowie, Md. said she only took Alli four times before she began feeling fatigue, loss of appetite, a nagging headache and jaundice.
"After a battery of tests, [doctors] said there had been an attack on my liver," said Paulwell. "By the time I was admitted to the hospital, I had 48 hours to live. It was that serious."
Paulwell said she thought taking Alli would help her lose a few pounds and maybe boost her acting career. Instead, she had a near-fatal experience her doctors told her was caused by the drug. She said she needed a liver transplant to save her life.
"What I knew is that it was FDA approved, it was safe for me to use," she said. "But what happened was I started to feel ill almost immediately after starting to use it."
"These drugs have the potential to cause significant damage to multiple critical organs, yet they provide meager benefits in reducing weight loss in obese and overweight patients," said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group.
An estimated 40 million people worldwide have taken either Xenical or Alli in the last decade. But sales have decreased substantially over the last decade. Alli sales dropped from $145 million in 2007 to $84 million by mid-2010, according to a report released by Public Citizen.
The drugs' maker, GlaxoSmithKline, announced Thursday it is trying to sell the brands.
Breakthrough Drug that Fizzled
In 1999, Xenical, sold by prescription, was touted as a breakthrough weight-loss drug. Alli was approved in 2007 as an over-the-counter drug. The FDA banned the two market-leading pills, Fen-phen and ephedra, because of potentially fatal side effects.
Studies suggest that taking Xenical or Alli would only help people lose 4 to 6 pounds more than they would with only diet and exercise.
"The benefit was never that great, but many people thought they'd take their chances," said Wolfe.
Drugs Block Fat Enzymes
The drugs work by blocking absorption of about a third of fat enzymes that enter the body. Instead, the fat passes through the body to the gastrointestinal tract until it is excreted. These medications also block fat-soluble vitamins including vitamins A, B, and K.
Some of the more common side effects of Alli or Xenical include diarrhea and stool leakage.
However, according to Dr. Donald Hensrud, associate professor of nutrition and preventive medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., the longer a patient stays on the medication, the more likely these symptoms will go away.
"The chances of having those side effects are a bit overrated," said Hensrud. "Only about 20 percent of people get those side effects, and in most people it lasts for less than a week."
More severe side effects reported to the FDA include liver disease, pancreatitis, and kidney stones. The FDA received 47 reports of acute pancreatitis and 73 cases of kidney stones attributed to orlistats.
While many experts say these side effects are rare, it's not clear what segment of people who use the drug may experience these severe conditions.
Monique Paulwell of Bowie, Md. said she only took Alli four times before she began feeling fatigue, loss of appetite, a nagging headache and jaundice.
"After a battery of tests, [doctors] said there had been an attack on my liver," said Paulwell. "By the time I was admitted to the hospital, I had 48 hours to live. It was that serious."
Paulwell said she thought taking Alli would help her lose a few pounds and maybe boost her acting career. Instead, she had a near-fatal experience her doctors told her was caused by the drug. She said she needed a liver transplant to save her life.
"What I knew is that it was FDA approved, it was safe for me to use," she said. "But what happened was I started to feel ill almost immediately after starting to use it."
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