Endovenous laser treatment (EVLT), also called endovenous laser ablation, is a minimally invasive procedure involving the use of a highly concentrated laser to repair varicose veins. Typically found in the legs, these gnarled, enlarged veins are caused by a faulty valve or weak vein wall....
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment for severe mental health conditions, including depression, that do not respond well to medications or other treatments. Psychiatrists perform this medical treatment on patients who are suicidal, depressed, bipolar, psychotic, or catatonic, or who...
Cystoscopy is a common urological procedure that is usually performed in the office setting as a diagnostic test to inspect the interior of the bladder and urethra with a lighted, flexible endoscope, called a cystoscope, according to the American Urological Association Foundation. The cystoscope...
Cardiac catheterization is a procedure used to diagnose and treat cardiovascular conditions. It can be used in treatment of coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, heart failure, heart valve disease, and small vessel disease or coronary microvascular disease. Physicians may also...
Stereotactic core-cut breast biopsy (SCCB) is a mammographically guided, core needle biopsy. Physicians use the procedure to evaluate non-palpable suspicious breast lesions. A minimally invasive procedure, SCCB is a good alternative to surgical biopsy because it usually results in little (if any...
Breast reconstruction is a surgical procedure designed to restore a patient’s breast to its normal shape and size. It is commonly performed after a patient undergoes a mastectomy following a cancer diagnosis, but it can also be used to repair breasts after a lumpectomy or breast trauma,...
Pulmonary function testing (PFT), or lung function testing, is a breathing test that helps measure how well a patient moves air in and out of their lungs, and how well oxygen is entering their body, according to the American Lung Association. PFTs are often used to gauge diseases such as asthma...
Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive procedure designed to treat patients suffering from the debilitating pain caused by compression fractures of the vertebrae. Compression fractures can be caused by osteoporosis, a spinal injury, spinal tumors, or multiple myeloma. The procedure...
The term intravenous (IV) sedation is used to describe the type of anesthesia resulting in the loss of protective reflexes of the patient, but not in unconsciousness, as with general anesthesia. There are different levels of sedation: minimal, moderate, and deep. An anesthesiologist chooses the...
Cardiac pacing and arrhythmia management involves the use of an implantable device to regulate a patient’s abnormal or irregular heartbeat. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), a heartbeat of less than 60 beats per minute is called bradycardia; a heartbeat of more than 100 beats...
