Back Surgery: Closing the Gap

More Health Watch

• Santa's H1N1 Concerns
• Fresno, CA - Concerns about the H1N1 flu are spreading all the way to the North Pole.
• Valley Reaction to New Mammogram Guidelines
• Fresno, CA - The backlash continues to grow over new government guidelines concerning mammograms.
• Delivering Stem Cells without Surgery
• MIAMI, Fla. - Some are calling it the next big frontier in cardiac treatment -- injecting stem cells to regenerate the heart. But the experimental procedure means major surgery. Doctors are opening the door for heart patients who want to test the benefits of stem cells -- without an operation.
• Surgery to Stop Sweating
• PHOENIX - We all break a sweat now and then, but nearly 8 million Americans have a problem that makes them sweat so much, it's embarrassing. No amount of antiperspirant or powder can stop it, but there's a surgical procedure that can.
• Madera Man uses Wii for Physical Rehab
• Fresno, CA - Brian Davis suffered major injuries after he and his father crashed in their small plane, back in March. Now he is re-building his body with the help of an unlikely partner.
• Space Age Back Healing
• Fresno, CA - Chiropractors aren't just for adults anymore. Nearly 2 million kids in the United States saw a chiropractor last year, looking for help with everything from back pain to asthma. Now, space age technology is creating a new twist on treatments for smaller patients.
• New Breast Cancer Screening Guideline Controversy
• Fresno, CA - Breast cancer survivor Jamie Ledezma of Fresno believes the new screening guidelines proposed by the United States Preventive Services Task Force are a big mistake.
• New Antidepressant Really Turns Women On
• Fresno, CA - Three separate studies have found Flibanserin-- boosted the sex drive of women who took the pill. Women who reported having no sex drive are now having, on average, two sexual encounters per week. The drug affects brain chemicals in a way that surprised the researchers.
• No Pain Heart Health
• Fresno, CA - More than 1.5 million surgeries are performed each year where doctors place catheters in the groin to get to the heart. It gives surgeons precise access, but removing the catheter can be a painful process, requiring days of recovery. Something as simple as a sponge is easing the discomfort and getting patients out of bed sooner.
• Report lists foods containing BPA
• A new consumer report shows that several canned and packaged foods contain the chemical Bisphenol-a or BPA.
• Beating Cancer with Beads
• Fresno, CA - More than 1 million people are diagnosed with liver cancer every year, and the majority die within the next 12 months. That's because 90 percent of the patients have tumors that are too large or too complicated for surgery. Now doctors are turning to a powerful treatment that uses tiny glass beads to kill the cancer. The treatment turned out to be a lifesaver for a man who thought he was out of options.
• One Incision Surgery
• TAMPA, Fla. - It's the latest trend in surgery -- doing more with fewer incisions. Now doctors have gone one step further, cutting the number of cuts down to one. One woman had major surgery with barely a mark left behind.

• Robots Teach Kids How to Walk
• Cavity Prevention Systems
• Breathing On Their Own
• Hospital risks
• Infant Potty Training
• Eye Surgery without Stitches
• Saving Little Lungs & Lowering Costs
• Fake Patients: Real Training
• Learning to See With Macular Degeneration
• Sticky Solution, Tape Helps Heal Injuries
• Health Coverage, Programs Available for Uninsured
• Teen Tanning Regulation
• Removing Brain Tumors
• Washing Away Varicose Veins
• Icy Treatments Revive the Dead
• E-Cigarette Controversy: Are They Safe?
• Video-Guided Lung Cancer Surgery
• City of Fresno Prescription Discount Card