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Your heart contains four valves to regulate how blood flows between it and other areas of your body, with one called the aortic valve serving to circulate oxygenated blood out. A damaged aortic valve may lead to discomfort or shortness of breath in some people. Your doctor and you will collaborate to decide if biological (made from animal heart tissue), mechanical or both valves will best meet your needs. While biological valves may not last as long, they do not necessitate lifelong blood-thinning medication. What is a minimally invasive aortic valve replacement? Aortic valve replacement surgery entails replacing a defective heart valve to help ensure blood flows smoothly from your heart into the rest of your body. Your physician may advise undergoing this procedure if you have an illness that causes your aortic valve to become damaged or leaky (aortic stenosis or regurgitation). Signs and symptoms include heavy chest discomfort,

If you’re training for an ultramarathon or spending your days hiking through the wilderness, a top-tier wearable device with long battery life and advanced GPS/workout functionality could make a significant difference to your experience. Healthline recently conducted a rigorous medical vetting process on several smartwatches that monitor blood pressure. These watches pass all criteria and may help manage chronic conditions more easily. 1. Fitbit Versa 3 Fitbit Versa 3 (opens in a new tab) is one of the most reliable smartwatches when it comes to tracking key health and fitness metrics, featuring an always-on heart rate monitor with notifications if your resting heart rate or blood oxygen saturation changes above or below certain thresholds. In addition, this device can track your sleep patterns, offer guided breathing sessions for mindfulness meditation practice, and monitor menstrual cycles – while providing detailed workouts on-screen and supporting multiple wearable accessories for added convenience. The

Urinary incontinence can severely diminish a woman’s quality of life and is a relatively common condition that can be treated. Initial treatment typically includes Kegel exercises as the initial option, followed by anticholinergics or surgery if these don’t work. For more information on these options, consult your physician. Pelvic Floor Exercises Leaks from your bladder may occur if your sphincter and pelvic floor muscles are weak, which requires you to contract them — though this may be difficult without help such as Kegel exercises. To stop it leaking, contract these muscles — although sometimes this may be hard for us individuals alone! For this reason, Kegel exercises can provide an efficient means of contractions without strain. Kegel exercises are exercises designed to strengthen the pelvic area — or anus — through tightening and relaxing their muscles, similar to tightening and relaxing your muscle group in yoga class. When done properly,

If you have heart conditions, smartwatches can be invaluable tools in keeping track of your cardiac well-being. Some models even feature ECG functions to detect abnormal heart rhythms. However, these smartwatches should not replace professional ECG services. Here are a few of the top smartwatches for heart patients. Fitbit Sense Advanced Smartwatch If you want an advanced smartwatch that can monitor your heart health, the Fitbit Sense Advanced Smartwatch may be just what you’re searching for. Equipped with an ECG sensor for accurate results and stress tracking/sleep tracking features as well as SpO2 measurement for measuring skin oxygen saturation levels accurately and promptly. The Sense Advanced Smartwatch is the only wearable that offers ECG readings, making it an excellent option for people concerned about heart conditions. This device can detect atrial fibrillation – an irregular heart rhythm which increases stroke risk – as well as normal sinus rhythm. Furthermore, its

Bariatric surgery can help patients lose weight and lower their risk for certain diseases, but each type of surgery comes with its own set of risks and side effects that vary based on its type. A new study seeks to develop a risk model for complications following bariatric surgery. Backward selection in univariate analysis identified age; use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); smoking history and history of psychiatric disorders as potential predictors. 1. Infection Bariatric surgery entails altering the anatomy of your stomach or intestines to assist with weight loss, with three main procedures being gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric banding being most frequently employed. All surgeries come with risks of infection; however obese individuals face higher risks from wound infections and blood clots due to their procedures. Your doctor may need to insert a tube through either your mouth or nose in order to provide nutrition after surgery.

Urinary incontinence affects both men and women of any age, although older adults are most at risk. Treatment typically begins by visiting your primary care doctor. Your doctor can diagnose urinary incontinence through a comprehensive history and physical exam, along with lifestyle modifications like losing weight, quitting smoking and restricting alcohol. Lifestyle modifications may also help manage bladder control by way of losing weight or not smoking and restricting alcohol intake. Vaginal Pessary Pessaries are small ring-like devices designed to fit comfortably inside the vagina and support tissues displaced by pelvic organ prolapse. Available in various shapes and sizes to meet different anatomy types, a health care provider will perform an exam to ascertain its severity as well as which pessary would best help manage symptoms. Pessaries may be used alone or combined with sling procedures to treat urinary incontinence due to pelvic organ prolapse in elderly female patients, with

Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillators (WCDs) detect abnormal heart rhythm and administer an electric shock to correct it, or warn patients about dangerously fast ones. It can also monitor and warn of dangerously fast heart rhythms. The FDA granted approval of WCD based on results of two randomized, prospective studies, known as the BIROAD and WEARIT trials, with over 300 participants at high risk for sudden cardiac death and reduced LVEF who participated in both trials. It is a non-invasive device Wearable defibrillators (WADs) are vest-like devices designed to monitor heart rhythm and provide lifesaving treatment that may prevent sudden cardiac death (SCD). WCDs use similar detection technology as implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), but don’t require surgery for installation. One popular WCD, LifeVest, comprises an electrode chest garment equipped with electrode pads that monitor heart rhythm detection as well as a monitor box and battery pack. This device is intended to alert

While you are under anesthesia, your surgeon will make small incisions to insert a tube containing a camera and miniature robotic tools controlled from a nearby console. Your doctor then controls this robotic system from his own console nearby. Studies have demonstrated that robotic surgery offers improved surgical outcomes without increasing operating time, blood loss or intra/post operative complications compared to laparoscopy. Benefits of robotic surgery include improved dexterity and fine motion capabilities as well as tremor filtering and surgical ergonomics. Benefits Robotic surgery allows your surgeon to treat cancer or another medical condition with less-invasive techniques, and may speed up recovery times. Your physician will make small incisions in your body and insert miniaturized surgical instruments and a high-definition camera into mini incisions in your abdomen; from there the robot is controlled from a console nearby by the surgeon who controls its movements from within an enclosure nearby. Although

Like other minimally invasive surgeries, robotic surgery typically results in reduced muscle damage and soreness, smaller scars, shorter hospital stays and improved patient safety. Furthermore, robotic surgery helps surgeons avoid complications such as blood loss. Many patients may feel unnerved at the prospect of having a robot perform their surgery, but you should rest assured that its movements only correspond with your surgeon’s precise hand movements and finger gestures. Minimally Invasive Surgery Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) allows surgeons to access your internal organs through smaller incision sites, thus minimizing trauma to muscles, tissues and nerves and speeding recovery time. Furthermore, minimally invasive surgery means less post-op discomfort that will require less narcotic medication for pain management. Under minimally invasive surgery (MIS), your surgeon will make one to five small incisions through which they insert a video camera and surgical instruments. From within the operating room console, they control these instruments

Robotic surgery is an advanced form of minimally invasive surgery that uses small surgical instruments inserted through tiny incisions in your body. Your surgeon controls these instruments from a console nearby while viewing the operative area with a high definition camera. Your surgeon controls how and when it responds, and that allows it to possess incredible dexterity. Surgical robots Surgical robots are computer-programmed devices designed to assist surgeons during surgery. They can assist surgeons in performing many different kinds of procedures, from minimally invasive ones like cholecystectomy to complex operations that would otherwise be impossible with traditional laparoscopic techniques, providing greater clarity and precision at operation sites. Unfortunately, robotic systems can sometimes be challenging to maneuver inside the body as well as taking up more space than standard laparoscopic instruments – not to mention being costly for hospitals. At the beginning of any robotic procedure, your surgeon will use master