Tag: surgeon

What Are the Side Effects of Hair Transplant Surgery?

A person with balding problems can gain a great deal of confidence by having hair transplant surgery. The procedure is a fairly easy one for the patient. However, there are some minor complications or side effects that sometimes come with the surgery.

1. Thinning. If you have hair transplant surgery, you might be alarmed if you notice that the hair you already did have is getting thinner. This is a normal post-operative condition. The thickness comes back within a few months after surgery. It will be just as full as it ever was.

2. Bleeding. The hair transplant surgery will likely cause some bleeding. If you put pressure on the area, the bleeding will usually stop. In rare situations, the bleeding does not stop this way. In that case, it might be necessary for the surgeon to do some extra stitching to close the wounds.

3. Pain. There is actually very little pain with hair transplant surgery. About half of the people who have the procedure done will not need any pain relievers at all. Most others take a mild pain reliever such as Tylenol for a few days, and that seems to be enough for them.

4. Itching. It is not unusual for itching to occur on areas affected by hair transplant surgery. Yet, it should not last more than a few days. If you use shampoo and wash the hair every day, it helps with the problem.

5. Swelling. Almost everyone who has hair transplant surgery has swelling in the forehead and around the eyes. This lasts for only a few days, the worst being about the fourth day. Some people exhibit a black eye as a result.

6. Numbness. A hair transplant patient will feel numbness for several weeks after the surgery. It is almost a given. However, it is usually only temporary.

7. Hiccups. Interestingly enough, one side effect of hair transplant surgery is having the hiccups after the procedure. Only about 5% of the patients have this problem, but it can be troublesome if it lasts more than a few days. It can keep you from eating or sleeping properly. Doctors have medications they can prescribe to help with this.

8. Infections. Infections are rare with hair transplant surgery, but they can happen. One reason they do not happen more is that antibiotics are given before and after the procedure to prevent infections from even starting.

9. Cysts. Cysts can come up in the areas where the hair is being transplanted to, also called the recipient areas. The cysts do not usually last more than a few weeks and are rarely more than the size of small pimples.

10. Scarring. If you have keloid scarring after hair transplant surgery, it is probably because you are genetically inclined to have it. Very infrequently, patients have scarring that takes the form of ridges.

The side effects of hair transplant surgery are not particularly difficult for the person who has them. They are more like minor inconveniences for most people. The most important thing about them is that nearly all of them will be gone in just a few weeks.

Eliminate Your Fears of Lasik!

Thinking about eye surgery using a Lasik procedure is a big step, and many people are a little hesitant to ask the questions that they have. The Lasik procedure, though widely talked about, is not discussed in detail, and people tend to fear the unknown. This report addresses some of the more commonly held fears, and talks about the experience for the vast majority of people that undergo a Lasik procedure.

A most common fear when thinking about a Lasik procedure, or really thinking about any surgery in general, is the possibility of pain during or after the operation. Since the Lasik surgeon works on patients that are conscious, this is a widely held apprehension. In every operation the Lasik surgeon applies numbing drops into the eyes before the procedure starts, and the patient is also given a mild sedative to relax them and make sure that they are comfortable. Though a small pressure to the eye may be felt during the Lasik procedure, the process itself is relatively pain free.

The surgeon does use a laser in the eye to help reshape the cornea during the Lasik procedure. Many folks are worried about the laser being shone directly into the eye, or that they might look away and, due to this, develop a serious complication with their eyes and the Lasik laser beam effects. In actuality, the laser is only active for ten to fifteen seconds for each eye, and the Lasik machine has a tracking system that allows the beam to be on only when the eye is in the correct position.

Another general fear for people contemplating a medical procedure is fear of “the scalpel”. Any Lasik procedure uses only a very small microkeratome blade to approach the eye, or some more recent Lasik innovations have the laser itself created the flap and avoid using any hard surface at all. There is no reason to be concerned about a scalpel, for the Lasik physician does not use one.

Many wonder about the horror stories they hear about this or any other operation, and wonder about serious consequences like going blind. According the government statistics taken by the FDA, there are no reported cases of blindness due to a Lasik operation. Actually, the risk of a serious permanent complication due to the Lasik procedure is less than 1 percent, and the risk of any permanent complications even if not serious (such as light halos) is 3 percent or less. It is extremely rare for a patient to not have improved vision after a Lasik procedure.

If the thought of being awake and having your eyes open during the Lasik procedure bothers you, remember that you will be given a mild sedative for the procedure, and that your eyes will have numbing drops administered to them. If the thought of actually seeing the Lasik physician’s hand approaching your eye is bothersome, be comforted that the surgeon applies drops to the eye that blacks out the vision in that eye for ten to fifteen seconds, which is long enough for the procedure to be done for that eye.

This introduction has hopefully addressed the most common fears about the Lasik procedure. For anyone that might gain a better life quality with improved vision, please visit your local Lasik clinic and discuss the procedure in detail with the professionals there.

Deciding Which Doctor to See

If you have more than one doctor, which many people do especially athletes then it is often confusing exactly which doctor you should see. However, if you follow some simple guidelines you should find the decision much easier. Remember, seeing a doctor is a good idea in the event of an injury, however emergencies are usually best treated in an emergency room with follow up through your normal doctor.

You should first consider why you want to go to the doctor. If you have a need rather than just simply a check up then consider exactly what is needed. If you need a simple work up or even a flu shot then seeing a standard family practitioner is usually much easier and faster. However, if you have a sports related injury then it is best to see a sports medicine doctor.

As part of your sports medicine team, you are likely to have numerous doctors all working together with a physical therapist, primary doctor and various other professionals including often a surgeon. Your first stop whenever seeing a sports medicine doctor should always be to your primary physician. After visiting with them, they can determine based off your needs exactly whom you should be referred to see next. This also often has the benefit of allowing some treatment options to get started in the meantime, rather than being forced to wait until the specialist can see you.

However, it is important to note that if you only see a sports medicine doctor and do not have a standard internal medicine or family physician that you should always see your sports medicine doctor unless they recommend you see someone else. With sports medicine doctors covering a large gamut of specialties it is possible to only use sports medicine doctors if preferred.

If you are running a fever, or else have a rash that has appeared, the best doctor to often see is your primary care physician. If however, you have been experiencing leg pain then it is best to see the sports medicine doctor. Anytime you have a problem or injury that has resulted because of sports, or can impact sports it is best to see a sports medicine doctor.

In the event that you have a pressing issue that needs immediate treatment, often the decision over which doctor to see becomes blurred. This is because many times doctors have very long waits before being able to secure an appointment. If you discover that this is your problem, you best bet is to check with both doctors and see who can fit you in sooner. If neither doctor is able to see you fast enough, you may be best to see the emergency room in your area and schedule a follow up visit. While not everyone is pleased with seeing an emergency room rather than their normal doctor it is a necessary action at times where there are serious complications or in the event of an emergency.

While emergencies may mandate the usage of the emergency room, appointments that are not emergencies should be scheduled with the appropriate doctor to ensure that you receive the best care possible. For example, if you are using a sports medicine doctor and also an internal medicine doctor you should schedule your normal yearly check ups with your internal medicine doctor, as well as your yearly flu shot. However, if you are looking into creating a new exercise program or even starting a new sport then a visit to your sports medicine doctor is most appropriate.

As the number of sports medicine doctors offering varying specialties continues to increase the decision over which doctor to choose for visits is likely to become even more confusing, however you are not alone and by carefully considering the purpose of the visit, you should be able to easily determine which doctor is the best choice for your individual needs.

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