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Coronary Interventional Procedures (Angioplasty/ Stent)
Coronary Interventional Procedures (Angioplasty/ Stent)
Coronary interventional procedures include angioplasty (PTCA), stent, and atherectomy.
Angioplasty (PTCA) is a medical procedure in which a balloon is used to open narrowed or blocked coronary arteries (blood vessels of the heart).
A stent is a flexible coil of mesh that is inserted into a patient's coronary artery to keep that artery open so that blood can pass through it easily. A stent is placed as part of a balloon angioplasty procedure.
Atherectomy is a procedure for treating coronary blood vessels that are narrowed or completely blocked. The procedure is used to increase or restore blood flow through the artery. During the procedure, a blade is introduced into the narrowed area to shave plaque (a thickened area within a blood vessel) away from the vessel wall.
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Cardiac |
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Heart Bypass Surgery
Heart Bypass Surgery
Heart bypass surgery or coronary artery bypass grafting is a surgical procedure in which a section of a coronary artery, which has been partially or completely blocked, is bypassed by transplanting a healthy section of blood vessel around the diseased area. The conduit to route blood around the obstructed area may be an artery or a vein. There is some information that arteries may have a better long-term patency rate (chance of staying open for years) than veins. The arteries and veins used for the bypass procedure are taken from the patient's own body; they may be harvested from within the chest, the arms or the legs.
A coronary artery bypass is performed by a cardiac surgeon who makes an incision in the patient's chest to expose the patient's heart. Incisions may also be made in the legs or the arms to obtain a vein or artery for the bypass. The patient is connected to a heart-lung machine that takes over the function of the heart and lungs while the surgeon works on the heart. An opening is made in the diseased artery or arteries above and below the blockage. A section of artery or vein is then sewn to the points above and below the blockage in the affected artery, effectively providing a detour around the obstruction. At the conclusion of the bypass procedure, the heart-lung machine is disconnected, allowing blood to flow back through the heart, and the incision is closed.
Most bypass operations are performed by dividing the breastbone to provide access to the heart. Some bypass operations are now performed through "limited" incisions made either between the ribs or partially through the breastbone, with or without the use of the heart-lung machine.
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Cardiac |
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Heart Failure
Heart Failure
Heart failure refers to a condition in which the heart does not pump efficiently, and consequently, it is unable to circulate enough blood to meet the needs of the body. Inefficient pumping also causes the blood returning to the heart to back up in the veins, which can cause an accumulation of fluid in the tissues and lungs. Because many of these symptoms of heart failure are caused by the congestion of the tissues and lungs with fluid, it is frequently called congestive heart failure.
The most common causes of heart failure in the U.S. are:
Coronary artery disease – The narrowing of the arteries due to plaque buildup.
Cardiomyopathy – A disease of the heart muscle that causes the heart to lose its pumping efficiency.
High blood pressure
Disease of the heart valves
The most frequently reported symptoms of heart failure are: fatigue with exertion, shortness of breath especially when lying down, and general fatigue. Heart failure can be treated in a variety of ways, depending upon the cause of the failure, including coronary bypass surgery, valve replacement surgery, or heart transplantation.
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Cardiac |
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Hip Fracture Repair
Hip Fracture Repair
Hip fracture repair surgery repositions the bone fragments resulting from a displaced fracture back into their normal alignment. These newly repositioned fragments are held to the underlying bone with the use of special metal plates and screws.
An intramedullary (IM) rod may also be used to hold the bone fragments in place. This rod is inserted into the center marrow compartment of the long thigh bone (femur).
The goal of hip fracture repair surgery is to allow the fracture to heal to maximize the likelihood of restoring full function to the joint and to relieve pain. Procedures for partial hip replacement are also included in this category of hip fracture repair.
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Orthopedic |
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Total Hip Replacement
Total Hip Replacement
Total hip replacement surgery is performed to replace a diseased hip joint with an artificial hip joint. The surgery is done to free patients from stiffness and pain caused by osteoarthritis (a degenerative joint disease and the most common form of arthritis) and rheumatoid arthritis (a chronic autoimmune disease that occurs when antibodies in the blood system designed to attack viruses and infections mistakenly target the body's own healthy tissues).
Total hip replacement surgery is performed by an orthopedic surgeon who makes an incision in the patient’s hip, removes the diseased joint, and replaces it with the artificial hip joint. In some cases, total hip replacement surgery has to be repeated or "revised." For the ratings analysis, HealthGrades only includes initial procedures, which indicate that the hip replacement procedure is being performed for the first time on a particular patient.
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Orthopedic |
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Total Knee Replacement
Total Knee Replacement
Total knee replacement is performed to replace a diseased knee joint with an artificial knee joint. The surgery is done to free patients from stiffness and pain caused by osteoarthritis (a degenerative joint disease and the most common form of arthritis) and rheumatoid arthritis (a chronic autoimmune disease that occurs when antibodies in the blood system designed to attack viruses and infections mistakenly target the body's own healthy tissues).
Total knee replacement surgery is performed by an orthopedic surgeon who makes an incision in the patient’s knee, removes the diseased joint, and replaces it with the artificial knee joint. In some cases, total knee replacement surgery has to be repeated or "revised." For the ratings analysis, HealthGrades considers only initial procedures, which indicates that the knee replacement procedure is being performed for the first time on a particular patient.
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Orthopedic |
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a group of diseases that includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthmatic bronchitis. The common characteristic of these diseases is obstruction to airflow out of the lungs, and the common symptom is shortness of breath. In the U.S., an estimated 90 percent of COPD is due to smoking. Treatment includes absolute avoidance of smoking, and bronchodilators and oxygen for those with advanced disease.
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Pulmonary |
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Pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is also called viral pneumonia, community-acquired pneumonia, or simple pneumonia. It is caused by one of several viruses including varicella (chickenpox), influenza, and adenovirus.
Pneumonia is not a single disease, but the name for several types of lung inflammation caused by infectious organisms. Pneumonia is the sixth most common cause of death in the U.S., primarily because it is a common complication of any serious illness. It is more common in males, during infancy and old age, and in those who have reduced immunity to infection. The symptoms, treatment, and outcome vary greatly, depending on the cause and on the general health of the patient.
Symptoms may include fever, headache, chills, weakness, chest pain, and a cough that produces sputum and occasionally blood. Potential complications include pleural effusion (fluid around the lung), empyema (pus in the pleural cavity), and, rarely, an abscess in the lung.
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Long Stay |
Pulmonary |
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Appendectomy
Appendectomy
An appendectomy is the surgical removal of an inflamed appendix. The appendix is a small, fingerlike pouch that projects from the first part of the colon. Removal is done either by abdominal incision or laparoscope, with the patient asleep under general anesthesia. The hospital stay is typically one to three days.
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Other Procedures |
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Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery, or gastric bypass surgery, is surgery that can be used to achieve
significant weight loss in individuals who are very obese (morbidly obese).
A thumb-sized stomach pouch is created (using a stapling or banding technique)
then the outlet of the pouch is connected directly to the intestine, essentially
bypassing the lower stomach. After the surgery, the amount of calories your
body can intake is reduced which leads to weight loss.
Different procedures used include:
Vertical-banded Gastroplasty – The upper stomach
near the esophagus is stapled to form a small pouch. The outlet from the pouch
to the stomach is restricted by the use of a band made of special material.
This band delays the emptying of food from the pouch, causing a fullness sensation.
Short-limbed Roux-en-Y Gastroenterostomy – The
surgeon will divide the stomach into a small upper section. The surgeon will
staple off the small section from the larger section. Then, they will reconnect
a section of the small intestine to this new pouch, bypassing the larger stomach
area remaining and connecting the base to the remaining portion of the small
intestine.
Small Intestine Reconstruction – In this procedure, more of the small intestine is bypassed than with the short-limbed Roux-en-Y
procedure.
All procedures are performed under general anesthesia. A hospital stay of
two to four days is expected.
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Other Procedures |
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Bowel Obstruction
Bowel Obstruction
A bowel obstruction is a blockage of the bowel (intestine), preventing passage of material. The bowel is a long tube-shaped organ in the abdomen that completes digestion. Common symptoms include constipation, abdominal swelling, and abdominal pain. Treatment includes intravenous fluids, rest, nasogastric suction, and in some cases, surgery.
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Long Stay |
Other Procedures |
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Carotid Surgery
Carotid Surgery
Carotid surgery is a surgical procedure to remove the lining and fatty obstruction of a carotid artery that has been narrowed by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of arteries usually due to the buildup of fatty tissue. The largest and most common clinical problems associated with atherosclerosis of a carotid artery are stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).
A carotid surgery restores normal blood flow to the brain, reducing stroke or TIA risk. Before surgery, the site of narrowing is located by means of an x-ray procedure called angiography.
Carotid surgery is a delicate procedure that may take several hours to perform. The procedure is performed in a hospital setting with general anesthesia. The artery is exposed, clamps are applied, an incision is made, and the diseased lining is removed along with the atherosclerotic material and any thrombus (blood clot) that has formed. The incision is closed with stitches. Most patients are able to leave the hospital within a day or two.
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Other Procedures |
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Cholecystectomy
Cholecystectomy
A cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a digestive organ that stores bile produced by the liver. Bile is used in the digestion and absorption of fats in the duodenum. Removal of the gallbladder is done by incision or laparoscopy.
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Long Stay |
Other Procedures |
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Gastrointestinal Bleed
Gastrointestinal Bleed
Gastrointestinal bleed refers to bleeding that occurs along the gastrointestinal tract, which includes the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, intestines, rectum, and anus. It is a symptom of a disease rather than a disease itself. The cause may not be serious, but locating the source of bleeding is important. Most causes of bleeding are related to conditions that can be cured or controlled, such as ulcers or hemorrhoids.
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Long Stay |
Other Procedures |
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Gastrointestinal Surgeries and Procedures
Gastrointestinal Surgeries and Procedures
Gastrointestinal surgeries are operations to correct problems relating to the stomach, large intestines, and small intestines. Gastrointestinal procedures are processes used to correct problems relating to the same areas. Gastrointestinal surgeries and procedures include gastrectomies, vagotomies, gastric repairs, small and large intestine resections, small and large intestine anastomoses.
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Other Procedures |
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Respiratory Failure
Respiratory Failure
Respiratory failure occurs when the body is not providing enough oxygen to the cells and is not removing excess carbon dioxide from the cells. Failure may be acute or chronic. Some causes are asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, radiation sickness, and leukemia.
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Long Stay |
Other Procedures |
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Sepsis
Sepsis
Sepsis is a toxic condition caused by the presence of microorganisms or their poisonous products in the bloodstream. Pulse and respiration usually rise, accompanied by headache, pains, malaise, loss of appetite, concentrated and diminished urine, constipation, restlessness, insomnia, and irritability.
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Long Stay |
Other Procedures |
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