CO2 Laser Surgery

CO2 Laser circumcision is a new technology for circumcision. It uses laser, as opposed to a surgical knife, to remove the redundant foreskin. This new technology is preferred over traditional surgery as it can perform the dual task of circumcision and stopping the bleeding simultaneously. Even bleeding from the capillaries can be effectively stopped. During the circumcision, the laser knife removes the redundant foreskin using an arc-like motion, which results in a neat incision. Apart from effectively helping the surgeon control the area to be circumcised, laser circumcision is also suitable for patients with different penis sizes and lengths, making it preferable over traditional surgery that makes incisions in straight lines.




Reference information: http://circum.com.hk/laser-circumcision.html
It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your physicians for diagnosis and treatment. 

大頸泡/甲狀腺腫大

俗稱大頸泡的甲狀腺腫大，屬於多囊性增生，患者以女性較多，本港患者的成因多與免疫系統問題有關。甲狀腺位於頸項底部兩旁，其功用是發放甲狀腺荷爾蒙，維 持新陳代謝，惟當甲狀腺組織不斷增生，可能會壓住氣管，令呼吸不暢順。除此之外，亦會影響外觀，以及可能會有致癌危機。患者可透過甲狀腺微創切除手術，取 走增生組織，不會在頸部留下疤痕。


大頸泡的成因 

大頸泡是否等如甲狀腺亢進？這想法完全錯誤，大頸泡只是多囊性增生，是結構性問題，與荷爾蒙分泌未必有直接關係。不過，在其他較落後國家，大頸泡可能與缺 乏碘有關，因為患者未能從海產食物吸收足夠的碘，滿足身體所需，令血液內的甲狀腺荷爾蒙Ｔ３及Ｔ４偏低，引致腦下垂體不斷發放甲狀腺激素ＴＳＨ，刺激甲狀 腺增生。


大頸泡徵狀 

甲狀腺位於頸項底部兩旁，即喉核以下位置，一般約長1.5至2厘米，當甲狀腺增生至2至3厘米，會在頸部凸出，如泡狀般，並可以觸摸得到。甲狀腺腫大分為全部及局部兩種，由於甲狀腺增生時，會接觸到鎖骨，令頸入口位收窄，當增生組織愈來愈大，有機會壓住氣管，影響呼吸。




資料來源:  http://www.thyro.com.hk/
以上所提供的資訊僅作為教育及參考用途，如果你有任何醫療問題，
應向醫生查詢，而不應單倚賴以上提供的資料。

RadioFrequency Ablation (RFA) (2)

4. How soon after RFA can I return to normal activity?

Walking immediately following the procedure is encouraged and normal daily activity can be resumed immediately. For those into sports and heavy lifting, a delay of 5-7 days is recommended.


5. What are the key benefits of RFA?

RFA can be performed entirely under local anaesthesia in most cases. It is applicable to the majority of patients including those with pre-existing medical conditions or medications preventing the administration of a general anaesthetic. Cosmetic outcomes from RFA are far superior to stripping. Patients report minimal bruising, swelling or pain following the procedure. Many return to normal activities immediately.

6. Is RFA suitable for all varicose veins?

The majority of varicose vein can be treated with RFA. However, the procedure is mainly for large varicose veins. It is not suitable for veins which are too small or too tortuous, or with an atypical anatomy. There are many other alternatives for treating varicose or spider veins. Our specialists can help you choose the best option.





Reference information: http://veno.com.hk/radiofrequency-vein-ablation.html
It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. 

RadioFrequency Ablation (RFA) (1)

1. What is the Radiofrequency Ablation of Varicose Vein?

RFA a minimally invasive treatment alternative to the traditional vein stripping surgery for varicose veins and gives better cosmetic results with less scarring. The principle is that by removing the abnormal vein by applying radiofrequency energy inside the vein (‘endovenous’) to destroy (‘ablate’) it.

2. How is RFA done?

The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis with the patient awake. The entire procedure is done under ultrasound visualisation. After a local anaesthetic is injected into the thigh area, the laser fibre is threaded into the vein through a small puncture hole. Then radiofrequency energy is released which heats up the wall of vein and causes it to collapse. Radiofrequency energy is released continuously as the fibre moves along the whole length of the diseased vein, resulting in the collapse and ablation of the varicose vein. Following the procedure, a bandage is placed over the entry site, and additional compression is applied. Patients are then encouraged to walk and resume all normal activities

3. How is RFA of varicose vein different from conventional surgery?

RFA does not require general anaesthesia and is a less invasive procedure than vein stripping. The recovery period is also shorter than surgery. Patients usually have less post-operative pain, less bruising, faster recovery, fewer overall complications and smaller scars.

..........cont'l



Reference information: http://veno.com.hk/radiofrequency-vein-ablation.html
It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. 

周邊血管疾病微創治療

腦血管或心血管硬化所衍生出來的腦中風或冠心病等嚴重疾病，讓大眾聞之色變；而隨着都市人「三高」（高膽固醇、高血壓、高血 糖）日趨嚴重，加上吸煙及年紀老化等風險因素，實際上我們全身血管均有可能出現不同程度硬化現象，血管逐漸缺乏原有彈性，血管壁逐漸變厚、鈣化甚至閉塞。 所謂的「周邊血管疾病」就是指心與腦血管以外，身體其他血管疾病所帶來的健康問題，血管硬化便是最常見成因。


臨床上，最常受影響的是下肢動脈，隨年紀增長，加上上述各高危因素，導致患者下肢血管壁逐漸變厚，血管亦因此變得狹窄，嚴重時 甚至可完全閉塞，令血液供應不足，引起「間歇性跛行」，即患者行走一段距離後便出現下肢疼痛，最常出現於小腿肌肉，通常休息一會便可紓緩，但隨着病情惡 化，走路距離愈來愈短，甚至連靜止不動下肢亦感痛楚，嚴重者更可出現不癒之潰瘍及壞疽，若仍未有妥善處理，約5%患者最終可能因下肢壞死而截肢。


統計顯示，六十歲以上的人口中，有15%出現間歇性跛行情況，到了七十歲，比率更上升至30%。外科醫生可根據患者的病情，安排合適的治療。早期個案，醫生可透過藥物改善病徵，再鼓勵病人透過適量運動，保持外圍並行血管的血流暢順，但已有問題的血管，仍然是閉塞或狹窄的。


因此病情中度至嚴重者需透過介入性治療處理，除傳統開放性手術，醫生亦可通過微創介入治療，以球囊或支架擴張狹窄或已閉塞血管，恢復腿部血液供應。對比於開放式手術，微創介入手術傷口細，可局部麻醉進行，復原較快。


一般球囊透過導管進入目標血管內，靠壓力擴張狹窄段，使阻塞的血管恢復下肢血液供應；但因大部分病人血管已產生病變，有報告指 約六至七成病人在十二個月內會有「翻塞」現象；現時較新式的「滲藥性球囊」，比一般球囊多一層藥物，會在擴張後在血管內壁內發揮藥效，目的是延長血管暢通 及血液流動，從而達到直接改善下肢血液供應目的，減少復發。

作者為香港大學外科學系榮譽臨床副教授、血管健康基金會會長



外科專科醫生
謝卓華
 

資料來源: 信報

以上所提供的資訊僅作為教育及參考用途，如果你有任何醫療問題，

應向醫生查詢，而不應單倚賴以上提供的資料。

Thickened toenails

Thickened toenails are very common and can become problematic as they can be very difficult to cut with normal nail clippers. Nails can become thickened due to repetitive trauma or damage to the nail bed. Incorrectly fitting shoes can cause the toes to bang repetitively against the end of the shoe causing microtrauma. If you have dropped or kicked a particular toe it can cause damage to the nail bed causing it to grow back thicker permanently. . As the nail thickens, they can increase the pressure on the toe which can become painful when wearing shoes.

In some cases, the way that a person walks can contribute to thickening of the toenails (for example if a person has developed claw toes due to their walking style, the toes will absorb the ground reaction forces through the end of the toes which can causes thickening of the toenails and corns/calluses on the ends of the toes). Age related changes can also cause nails to thicken.


Our podiatrist can remove or thin down the thickened and deformed nails and advise you on proper footwear or insert.




Reference information: http://podi.com.hk/en/skin-toenail-part2.html#topic3
It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.