How is Arthroscopic Surgery performed?

Arthroscopic surgery is used to diagnose and treat many joint problems. This significant advance in joint care allows for a rapid return to improved activity. Most commonly used in knees, shoulders and ankles, the arthroscope can also be used for the spine, hips, wrists and elbows.

Step by step guide to the arthroscopic surgery on knee joint:

Step 1: Three 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 a drainage needle to regulate the amount of fluid in the joint during the procedure.

Step 3: Through another incision, the surgeon inserts the arthroscope. This instrument has a light and a small video camera that sends 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.

End of procedure: The surgeon may close the incisions with stitches or tape. Recovery from arthroscopy is faster than recovery from traditional open joint surgery.
(Source: Arthritis Foundation)

Healthbase is a medical tourism facilitator that connects patients to leading JCI/JCAHO/ISO accredited hospitals overseas through a secure, high-tech, information-rich web portal. Healthbase provides a wide range of medical procedures through its partner hospital network. Over two hundred medical procedures are available in various categories: cosmetic and plastic, orthopedic, dental, cardiac, and many more. The savings are up to 80 percent from typical US prices even after adding up the travel costs, hospital stay and other related expenses. Healthbase offers more than just procedural availability; we also provide customers with extensive information on medical treatments, hospital and doctor profiles to help them make an educated decision regarding their treatment; travel planning and booking; applying for medical/dental loan and much more.

To learn more, visit http://www.healthbase.com/ and login to view our extensive hospital profiles including pictures of operating rooms, patient rooms, doctor qualifications, and lots more. Get a FREE quote now!!

Note: All the information presented here has been obtained from publicly available medical resources and is here for reference purposes only. Healthbase does not claim to be a medical professional and does not provide any advice on any issues relating to medical treatment.

Advantages of Minimally Invasive Hip Surgery

The minimally invasive technique, of particular benefit to those with arthritic hip conditions, is achieved through a small posterior incision and has been acclaimed by patients, surgeons and hospital authorities.

Such groundbreaking hip surgery affords a range of extensive benefits to a patient. Following are some of them.

· Small incision
Cosmetically pleasing incision, typically 5.5 - 9 cm in length for hip replacement, 7.5 - 11 cm for hip resurfacing.

· Minimal blood loss
Current experience is that 90% of the patients do not require transfusion.

· Reduced surgical trauma
Results in quicker mobilization post surgery leading to early discharge from hospital. Most patients discharged day 2/3 as compared to an average in-patient stay of 7 - 10 days.

· Less disruption to muscles around the hip joint
Leads to better overall function result allowing patients to return to normal activities.

· Immense financial benefits and cost saving
Reduction in transfusions, and early discharge programs result in cost savings averaging 50% of in-patient bed stay.
(Source: minimalinvasivehip.com)

Healthbase is a medical tourism facilitator that connects patients to leading JCI/JCAHO/ISO accredited hospitals overseas through a secure, high-tech, information-rich web portal. Healthbase provides a wide range of medical procedures through its partner hospital network. Over two hundred medical procedures are available in various categories: cosmetic and plastic, orthopedic, dental, cardiac, and many more. The savings are up to 80 percent from typical US prices even after adding up the travel costs, hospital stay and other related expenses. Healthbase offers more than just procedural availability; we also provide customers with extensive information on medical treatments, hospital and doctor profiles to help them make an educated decision regarding their treatment; travel planning and booking; applying for medical/dental loan and much more.

To learn more, visit http://www.healthbase.com/ and login to view our extensive hospital profiles including pictures of operating rooms, patient rooms, doctor qualifications, and lots more. Get a FREE quote now!!

Note: All information presented here has been obtained from publicly available medical resources and is here for reference purposes only. Healthbase does not claim to be a medical professional and does not provide any advice on any issues relating to medical treatment.

Effectiveness of Total Knee Replacement

Bethesda, Maryland - A panel charged with reviewing all of the available evidence on total knee replacement (TKR) today found that for persons suffering from intractable and persistent knee pain and disability, TKR surgery is a safe and cost-effective therapy that restores mobility and alleviates discomfort.

Over 20 years of follow-up data indicate that the procedure is successful in the vast majority of patients. The panel reported that there is clear evidence of racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in the provision of total knee replacements, as there is for many other health care interventions, but the reasons for this are unclear.

Physicians' beliefs about their patients, limited familiarity with these procedures in minority communities, and patient mistrust of the health care system may all have a role. The consensus panel is calling for more research to determine the causes of these disparities.

"TKR is not for everyone - it's major elective surgery that carries a variety of important risks, but it often offers dramatic relief after other therapies fail," said the panel chair, orthopaedic surgeon Dr. E. Anthony Rankin of Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C.

The panel emphasized that for patients considering TKR, important factors to consider include surgeon and hospital volume of TKRs performed, as these are associated with lower complication rates. Dr. Rankin explained, "Basically, the more they do, the better they do it."

Loosening of the implant is the main cause of failed total knee prostheses that necessitate revision procedures, and that proper alignment of the prosthesis is critical to minimizing long-term wear and loosening of the implant.

The panel noted that computer navigation may eventually reduce the risk of substantial malalignment, but the technology is as yet unproven and its cost may be prohibitive for many hospitals. (Source: Medical News TODAY, 14 Dec 2003)


Healthbase is a medical tourism facilitator that connects patients to leading JCI/JCAHO/ISO accredited hospitals overseas through a secure, high-tech, information-rich web portal. Healthbase provides a wide range of medical procedures through its partner hospital network. Over two hundred medical procedures are available in various categories: cosmetic and plastic, orthopedic, dental, cardiac, and many more. The savings are up to 80 percent from typical US prices even after adding up the travel costs, hospital stay and other related expenses. Healthbase offers more than just procedural availability; we also provide customers with extensive information on medical treatments, hospital and doctor profiles to help them make an educated decision regarding their treatment; travel planning and booking; applying for medical/dental loan and much more.

To learn more, visit http://www.healthbase.com/ and login to view our extensive hospital profiles including pictures of operating rooms, patient rooms, doctor qualifications, and lots more. Get a FREE quote now!!

Note: All information shown here has been obtained from publicly available medical resources and is here for reference purposes only. Healthbase does not claim to be a medical professional and does not provide any advice on any issues relating to medical treatment.

Plastic Surgery and Insurance

Plastic surgery is generally covered by insurance only if it is a reconstructive surgery and not a cosmetic surgery.

Reconstructive surgery is performed on abnormal structures of the body, caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease. It is generally performed to improve function, but may also be done to approximate a normal appearance. On the other hand, cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve the patient's appearance and self-esteem. (Source: American Medical Association and American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS))

Cosmetic surgery is usually not covered by health insurance because it is elective. Cosmetic surgery is your choice and not considered a medical necessity. Reconstructive surgery is generally covered by most health insurance policies although coverage for specific procedures and levels of coverage may vary greatly.

The general rule insurance companies follow is that if there is a medical reason for the surgery, it will be covered under reconstructive surgery. For example, a patient may need a rhinoplasty due to obstructive breathing. A second patient may want a rhinoplasty because she feels her nose is not perfect. The first patient may have it covered by insurance, the second patient would not.

Most insurance companies will have medical criteria that must be met in order for the surgery to be covered. This is especially true for breast reduction patients. Depending upon height, weight, and medical conditions, a certain number of grams must be taken off each breast.

And even if you are getting the plastic surgery for a medical reason and you have insurance coverage, it does not mean the insurance carrier will pay the full amount of the surgery cost. Depending upon your specific insurance plan, you may have to pay a deductible, a flat-rate co-payment and a percentage-based co-payment.

Example:
Consider the example of a woman who is planning to undergo a reconstructive breast reduction (reduction mammoplasty), the surgical fee will be $12,000. Her plan has a $500 annual deductible, and will cover 70% of her covered medical costs. If she hasn't paid anything so far this year in covered medical expenses, she must pay the first $500 of the covered costs of the breast reduction surgery to satisfy her plan's $500 deductible. If her plan cost's share is a percentage-based co-payment of 70%-30%, the carrier will pay 70% of the covered costs of the procedure. Once that is settled, she must pay for 30% of the covered costs, plus any costs for which the insurance plan denies coverage.

If the patient's insurance plan covered the full surgical fee, the cost sharing would look like this:

Reconstructive Breast Reduction Surgery: $12,000
Balance of deductible: $500
________________________________________________________
$11,500
Insurance coverage: $11,500 x 70% = $8,050
Patient payment: $12,000 - $8,050 = $3,950

The $3,950 is the patient's responsibility under the percentage-based co-payment arrangement.

It should be noted that the insurance plan may not cover the full surgical fee. Also, sometimes the patient may have to pay in part or full the cost of the prescription drugs.

Needless to mention that had this breast reduction surgery been a cosmetic one, the insurance would not have paid anything even though you had been paying your monthly premiums.


However, if you opt to have the same surgery overseas, say in Mexico, you may have to pay just a fraction of the cost in the US.

At Healthbase, we ensure that you get the best quality treatment for low at our partner hospitals overseas so you never have to worry about being fully insured. Sign up for FREE to obtain your treatment quote and consult with our surgeons about how they can help you with your problem.

Healthbase is a medical tourism facilitator that connects patients to leading JCI/JCAHO/ISO accredited hospitals overseas through a secure, high-tech, information-rich web portal. Healthbase provides a wide range of medical procedures through its partner hospital network. Over hundred medical procedures are available in various categories: cosmetic and plastic, orthopedic, dental, cardiac, and many more. The savings are up to 80 percent from typical US prices even after adding up the travel costs, hospital stay and other related expenses. Healthbase offers more than just procedural availability; we also provide customers with extensive information on medical treatments, hospital and doctor profiles to help them make an educated decision regarding their treatment; travel planning and booking; applying for medical/dental loan and much more.

To learn more, visit http://www.healthbase.com/ and login to view our extensive hospital profiles including pictures of operating rooms, patient rooms, doctor qualifications, and lots more. Get a FREE quote now!!

Note: All information shown here has been obtained from publicly available medical resources and is here for reference purposes only. Healthbase does not claim to be a medical professional and does not provide any advice on any issues relating to medical treatment.

Obesity - Risks and Treatments

According to ObesityInAmerica.org, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million obese, and 9 million severely obese. Furthermore, an estimated 65.2 percent of U.S. adults, age 20 years and older, and 15 percent of children and adolescents are overweight and 30.5 percent are currently obese.

Obesity defined

Obesity is a complex disease in which having too much body fat increases a person's risk for developing other health problems. Obesity is measured by body mass index (BMI), a calculation that shows weight in relation to height. Click here to calculate your BMI.

As BMI increases, the risk of some diseases increases. A BMI of 30 or above is considered obese in adults, which means a person is at a higher risk for certain diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease (CAD). However, BMI is only one of many factors used to predict the risk of developing a disease.

Health risks of obesity

Overweight and obese people are prone to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina and abnormal heart rhythm.

More than 80 percent of people with the most common form of diabetes, Type 2, are obese or overweight. Obesity complicates the management of Type 2 diabetes by increasing insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, which makes drug treatment for the disease less effective.

Obesity has a negative effect on lipid levels in the blood, which often leads to the development of a condition known as dyslipidemia, which is a primary risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD).

The majority of patients diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), the most common hormonal disorder in reproductive-age women, are either overweight or obese. PCOS is a leading cause of infertility. In addition, PCOS causes significant insulin resistance, thereby increasing the woman’s risk of developing diabetes.

Treatments for obesity

Research has shown that surgery may work better than diet to treat obesity.

Surgery may be an option if you have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more. It may also be an option if you have a BMI of 35 and another health problem related to your weight, such as diabetes or arthritis.

The surgery helps by causing significant weight loss thereby reducing obesity-related health problems, including diabetes, type 2 and high blood pressure.

Two types of surgery are used to treat obesity. A restrictive operation such as stomach stapling or adjustable gastric banding decreases food intake, usually by decreasing the size of the stomach. A malabsorptive operation such as a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or a biliopancreatic diversion restricts food intake and decreases the digestion and absorption of food.

Treatment cost

In the US, the surgery may cost tens of thousands of dollars. If you are uninsured or underinsured, this may mean a huge out-of-pocket expense for your treatment. However, if you opt to have the same surgery overseas you may be out on your healthy way for just a fraction of the cost in the US.

At Healthbase, we ensure that you get the best quality treatment for low at our partner hospitals overseas. Sign up for FREE to obtain your treatment quote and consult with our surgeons about how they can help you with your problem.

Healthbase is a medical tourism facilitator that connects patients to leading JCI/JCAHO/ISO accredited hospitals overseas through a secure, high-tech, information-rich web portal. Healthbase provides a wide range of medical procedures through its partner hospital network. Over hundred medical procedures are available in various categories: cosmetic and plastic, orthopedic, dental, cardiac, and many more. The savings are up to 80 percent from typical US prices even after adding up the travel costs, hospital stay and other related expenses. Healthbase offers more than just procedural availability; we also provide customers with extensive information on medical treatments, hospital and doctor profiles to help them make an educated decision regarding their treatment; travel planning and booking; applying for medical/dental loan and much more.

To learn more, visit http://www.healthbase.com/ and login to view our extensive hospital profiles including pictures of operating rooms, patient rooms, doctor qualifications, and lots more. Get a FREE quote now!!

Note: All information shown here has been obtained from publicly available medical resources and is here for reference purposes only. Healthbase does not claim to be a medical professional and does not provide any advice on any issues relating to medical treatment.