Medical Tests & Procedures Archive

Strong core muscles and overall fitness are linked to shorter surgical recovery times.

Fasting for eight to 12 hours before a cholesterol test doesn’t seem to be necessary. But for now, people should continue to follow their physicians’ advice on this matter.

Bariatric surgery can dramatically improve type 2 diabetes and other risks for heart disease.

The latest statistics on obesity suggest that this disease remains a huge problem in the United States: nearly one in three American adults meet the criteria for obesity. What's more, about one in 10 women and one in 20 men are considered extremely obese (see "Obesity in the extreme").

People with extreme obesity face a high risk of cardiovascular disease and myriad other health problems, as well as a shortened life span. Most have struggled with excess weight since childhood or early adulthood, and many have undergone multiple, frustrating attempts to shed pounds. For some, weight-loss surgery (also known as bariatric surgery) may be the best—perhaps only—option for lasting weight loss.

Men should always seek out a second medical opinion anytime they are given a diagnosis of serious illness or a recommendation for surgery. Also, when seeking a second opinion, it is best to visit a different medical center to get a truly independent diagnosis, and to bring along a family member or friend to accurately record the new information.

Used alone or with hormone therapy, radiation can be a viable option for men at any stage of prostate cancer.

 Image: BigStock

Nowadays, men diagnosed with prostate cancer are often given two treatment choices, on opposite ends of the spectrum. First is active surveillance, where you forgo immediate treatment and monitor the cancer's growth. The other is surgery to remove the cancerous prostate.

But an in-between option might be a better choice for men who do not want the anxiety of wait-and-see or the physical hardship of surgery: radiation therapy.

Recovering from heart bypass surgery usually takes at least six weeks. Common challenges include feeling weak and tired, a loss of appetite, constipation, and depression. Also, heavy lifting and driving should be avoided. 

If you're at risk for heart disease, you may need additional testing before a hip replacement or other major surgery.

 Image: photodisc/Thinkstock

All surgery, even minor procedures like cataract removal, involves a certain amount of stress. People facing surgery might experience emotional stress related to their illness or condition, often coupled with concerns about their recovery.

Some of the most common noncardiac surgeries done in older people, such as a hip replacement or gallbladder removal, can also put physical stress on the heart. Anesthesia and the operation itself can causes changes in heart rate and blood pressure as well as unmask previously undiagnosed heart disease.

What to do when routine test results are at the high or low end of the acceptable range.

Catching early changes in blood work may help prevent chronic disease, such as diabetes. 
Image: Ca-ssis/Thinkstock

As a smart medical consumer, you know it's important to look over the results of your routine blood work, even when the numbers are all within the normal range. But what if you notice that some results are at the high or low end of that range? Should you be concerned about this?

Some procedures may help you escape the need for glasses.

Monovision LASIK and lens replacement surgery may help you see more clearly.
Image: a.collectionRF/Thinkstock

You cannot avoid declining vision. After age 40, everyone begins to experience some form of presbyopia, a condition coined from the Greek words for "old sight."

The idea of having a knee replaced is daunting. But what if both of your knees need repairing? Is one visit to the operating room better than two?

If you are otherwise in good health, it's a conversation worth having with your doctor and rehabilitation team. There are some benefits to replacing both joints during a single surgery (called simultaneous replacement). These include undergoing anesthesia only once, fewer days in the hospital, and only one (albeit prolonged) rehabilitation that lets you resume normal activities sooner than two separate ones.