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show first aired January 24, 2008
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1034
Some people make it sound like it’s as easy as a trip to the supermarket. I’m going in for a tummy tuck, or I’m getting my breasts done...just minor surgery. But whenever there’s general anesthesia involved...no surgery is minor. On today’s Health Show, we’ll hear from a doctor who is promoting what he calls a better, safer way to do cosmetic surgery. We’ll also hear about a breakthrough in the search for a vaccine against the bird flu. And hear from one of the world’s leading experts on cervical cancer...who says the best way to fight the disease is to never get it.
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ANESTHESIA & PLASTIC SURGERY: WHAT'S SAFE?
In January of 2004, Olivia Goldsmith, the best selling author of The First Wives’ Club, went in for a chin tuck. She chose to have general anesthesia used for the surgery. Within 4 minutes she was in a coma from which she would never awake. Last year Dr Donde West, mother of entertainer Kanye West and former English professor and chairperson of the English Department of Chicago State University, died from complications related to a tummy tuck and breast reduction she received. While incidents like this are unusual and shocking, they are not unprecedented. Dr Barry L. Friedberg has been warning for years about the unnecessary use of general anesthesia for plastic surgery. He practices exclusively in office-based anesthesia for cosmetic surgery and is an assistant professor in anesthesia at University of Southern California. He spoke with The Health Show’s Jim Horne about his system of sedation anesthesia.
Avian Flu: Is A Vaccine Closer?
You might not have heard much about the bird flu lately, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still out there, or that work to fight it has stopped. Researchers at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands have made a significant breakthrough in developing a vaccine against the Avian Flu. Working closely with the drug company G-S-K, the medical team defined a way to combat different strains of the H-5 N-1 virus. Until now, there have been fears that should there be a global outbreak of bird flu, scientists would not be able to produce enough vaccine in time. But the Dutch team has found that by using agents that stimulate the immune system called adjuvants, less vaccine is needed for treatment. Radio Netherlands’ Paul Anstis spoke with Professor Ab Osterhaus about how these agents work.
Cervical Health Awareness Month
Cervical cancer is a disease that doctors know very well. Since the introduction of the Pap test, death from cervical cancer has decreased by 70 per cent in the United States. Dr. Jerome L Belinson is a gynecological oncologist based at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland Ohio. He is involved in worldwide research concerning screening for cervical cancer. Bob Barrett asked him if cervical cancer still a major threat to woman or is the battle being won?
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