Descriptions
Chronic renal failure is a progressive deterioration of kidney function over a long period of time. It can be caused by diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, lupus erythematosus, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and a form of cancer called myeloma. If diagnosed early the degenerative process can be slowed, but not reversed, by interventions that can range from simply restricting fluid intake and protein consumption (proteins are the main source of waste products) to taking drugs to address the underlying disease that is damaging the kidneys. Some patients may go on to develop end-stage renal failure, a life-threatening condition that requires long-term dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Treatment
Kidney Dialysis, also known as hemodialysis, medical treatment used to remove waste materials from the blood of patients lacking renal function. Blood from an artery is pumped through a dialyzer, or artificial kidney, where it flows past a semipermeable membrane. Dialysis fluid passing on the other side of the membrane removes unwanted elements in the blood by diffusion. The blood is then returned to the body through a vein.
Transplantation
Kidneys are the most common organs to be transplanted. Kidneys remove waste products from the blood stream. If they fail, often as a result of diabetes mellitus or cancer, a person can die from the buildup of these toxic materials. The waste products can be removed artificially through a process called kidney dialysis, but the patient must be hooked up to the dialysis machine two to three times each week for as long as 12 hours at a time. Kidney transplants free the recipient from dependence on dialysis. If the kidney is rejected, the patient must go back on dialysis or receive another transplant. The first successful transplant of any organ was performed in 1954, when American surgeon Joseph Murray successfully transplanted a kidney donated from the recipient’s twin brother.
Monday, November 17, 2008
UROLOGY
Urology, surgical specialty concerned with diseases of the urinary system and male reproductive system. Urologists study, diagnose, and treat disorders of the ureters, bladder, urethra, and kidney, and conditions affecting the male reproductive system, especially the prostate gland.
Urologists treat common disorders of the urinary system, including urinary tract infections; enuresis, the involuntary discharge of urine; cystitis, the inflammation of the bladder; tumors of the bladder; and mineral deposits in the kidney, commonly known as kidney stones. Urologists also specialize in disorders of the male reproductive system, such as enlargement of the prostate gland, and reproductive problems such as infertility and impotence.
Urologists use a variety of surgical techniques, diagnostic tools, and treatment therapies. One of the tests urologists use most frequently to diagnose disease is urinalysis, the chemical analysis of a patient's urine. Ultrasound, a procedure that uses inaudible sound waves to generate computerized images of internal organs, enables urologists to see irregularities in the bladder and other organs. Urologists treat small kidney stones nonsurgically with lithotripsy, a procedure in which doctors direct sound waves at stones in the bladder to disintegrate them. Two other important tools are the catheter, a long, tubular device for draining an obstructed bladder, and the cystoscope, a narrow, illuminated probe used to examine the bladder and ureters. Urologists also perform surgical procedures, such as prostatectomy—that is, the partial or complete removal of an enlarged or cancerous prostate gland—and operations to remove large kidney stones.
Those interested in a career in urology must obtain a medical degree and complete a two-year training program in general surgery, followed by at least three years of urological training. Finally, candidates must pass a written and an oral examination.
Urologists treat common disorders of the urinary system, including urinary tract infections; enuresis, the involuntary discharge of urine; cystitis, the inflammation of the bladder; tumors of the bladder; and mineral deposits in the kidney, commonly known as kidney stones. Urologists also specialize in disorders of the male reproductive system, such as enlargement of the prostate gland, and reproductive problems such as infertility and impotence.
Urologists use a variety of surgical techniques, diagnostic tools, and treatment therapies. One of the tests urologists use most frequently to diagnose disease is urinalysis, the chemical analysis of a patient's urine. Ultrasound, a procedure that uses inaudible sound waves to generate computerized images of internal organs, enables urologists to see irregularities in the bladder and other organs. Urologists treat small kidney stones nonsurgically with lithotripsy, a procedure in which doctors direct sound waves at stones in the bladder to disintegrate them. Two other important tools are the catheter, a long, tubular device for draining an obstructed bladder, and the cystoscope, a narrow, illuminated probe used to examine the bladder and ureters. Urologists also perform surgical procedures, such as prostatectomy—that is, the partial or complete removal of an enlarged or cancerous prostate gland—and operations to remove large kidney stones.
Those interested in a career in urology must obtain a medical degree and complete a two-year training program in general surgery, followed by at least three years of urological training. Finally, candidates must pass a written and an oral examination.
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