Coronary artery stents are placed inside one or more arteries in the heart when a person with heart disease experiences chest pain or a heart attack. The American Heart Association reports that over 70 percent of people who undergo angioplasty, a...
Chemotherapy is the use of medications to kill cancer cells, and has become an integral part of treatment for many cancers. There are various ways chemotherapy can be administered, including topically, orally, subcutaneously and intravenously....
Corticosteroids are medications, such as hydrocortisone, cortisone and prednisone, used to treat a variety of conditions, states the Mayo Clinic. These medications work by reducing inflammation related to certain condition, such as asthma, lupus...
Diagnostic procedures, ranging from non-invasive to invasive testing, are valuable diagnostic tools for the cardiovascular system. These procedures can catch cardiac problems before symptoms develop in most cases. Based on your needs, the...
Coronary arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart. When they have a buildup of cholesterol in the arterial wall, this is considered coronary heart disease (CHD). It is often referred to as atherosclerosis. CHD can cause significant...
The digestive system consists of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus. These organs work together to perform the process of digestion. Digestion breaks down large food particles into smaller...
Renal artery stenosis is a narrowing of the artery that brings oxygen-rich blood to the kidneys. This narrowing is typically because of cholesterol build up in the artery wall that is called atherosclerosis. The clinical manifestation of renal...
The coronary arteries are those blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with the blood, oxygen and nutrients necessary to keep it functioning. These blood vessels can become blocked with fatty buildup of plaque in a process called...
The National Institutes of Health states that arthritis is the inflammation of one or more joints. Furthermore, arthritis involves the breakdown of the cartilage in joints that absorb shock when pressure is placed on it. Arthritis in the back...
Your urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Urine is manufactured in the kidneys and drains down the ureters to the bladder, where it is stored temporarily. When you urinate, urine passes from the bladder through the...
Procedures to treat heart disease vary from minimally invasive outpatient ones to heart transplant surgery requiring a lengthy hospital stay and recovery time. Heart diseases that require intervention include heart failure, heart attack, blocked...
Hydronephrosis is characterized by a warping or ballooning of the renal pelvis and calyxes in the kidney, caused by increased pressure inside the kidney due to a blockage to the free flow of urine. The renal pelvis is a funnel-like tube that forms...
Degenerative arthritis of the spine can be a significant disability, mainly because it can affect any level, or multiple levels, of the spinal column, from the neck to the tail bone. There are many different treatment approaches to this problem,...
Gallstones are hard objects that form inside the gallbladder, a membranous sac located underneath the liver on the right side of your abdomen. Gallstones typically cause no symptoms, but when they do, they take the form of pain, infection and...
An artificial device may be implanted to regulate the heart rhythm, according to the American Heart Association. A heart rhythm can be too fat, too slow or irregular, causing an insufficient amount of blood and oxygen to reach the body. Deficient...
Babies who cry, as if in pain, and who seem especially restless at night may suffer from a condition known as acid reflux. This potentially harmful condition can allow gastric juices to irritate and damage the upper gastrointestinal tract,...
The human wrist is a useful and complicated joint. It can perform strong movements as well as fine intricate ones. It is what is known as a gliding hinge, able to move in different planes. A wrist fracture, or broken wrist, can cause considerable...
Deep venous thrombosis, or DVT, is a known complication of knee fractures. "Knee fractures" refer specifically to fractures of the distal femur, patella, or proximal tibia. These fractures are associated with increased clotting risk due to the...
