Exploring Surgery and Uncommon Diseases

Episode 1 of 1

From rare disease management to repairing some of the most common physical conditions, new approaches to surgical and therapeutic treatments continue to bring about impressive results. In Exploring Surgery and Uncommon Diseases, we will look at how these advancements have made improvements in the areas of knee cartilage repair, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and cataracts - including intraocular lenses. We'll also look at a rare childhood disease known as MPS II, or Hunter's Syndrome. Although there is no current cure for MPS II, and no new surgical treatment options, researchers are beginning to make inroads in making this disease a bit more manageable. Knee cartilage damage causes doctor visits for about 6 million people in the US every year. This damage may result in significant pain, swelling, clicking, locking and catching, limiting even simple tasks such as climbing stairs. Knee cartilage repair has made great inroads with arthroscopic repair, a technique using small incisions to replace or repair the meniscus, a key element in the workings of the knee. MPS II or, Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II, also known as Hunter syndrome, is a disease that strikes children. MPS II is a deficiency of an enzyme called iduronate-2-sulfatase, causing a harmful buildup of long chains of sugar carbohydrates that the body utilizes to make connective tissues. This buildup can damage the heart, bones, joints, lungs and central nervous system. When that happens, it can cause inflammation in the tissue and a long-term disease with progressive injury to the body's organs. Currently, there is no cure for MPS II. But for some patients, new treatment options to address this enzyme deficiency are underway. Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is high blood pressure in the lungs due to a thickening of the very small pulmonary arteries. When this pressure is elevated, the heart works harder to pump blood to the lungs, creating dangerous situations such as heart failure. In addition to better diet and exercise regimens, there are new surgical innovations used to address the problems associated with PAH. One of the latest is the use of medicated stents and balloons that have proven to be effective in preventing blockages from reforming in arteries. Cataracts, a cloudy film that slowly covers the lens of the eye, are mostly caused by aging, or, found in patients with diabetes or those taking certain medications. Because cataracts worsen over time, there are about three and a half million cataract surgeries done each year in the US, making it the single most common operation performed. It is an extremely complex procedure, but thankfully, due to new technology, the success rate for this procedure is extremely high. And in addition to removing cataracts, a new technique applicable to some patients, can improve their overall vision. It's called an intraocular lens, or, IOL. These lenses are surgically implanted, and can give patients better vision than they experienced, even before the development of cataracts. Overall, this one-hour program will encourage viewers to become more proactive in their own healthcare, helping them to make informed choices by working collaboratively with their doctor.

Previously Aired

Day
Time
Channel
6/22/2016
8 p.m.
6/23/2016
2 a.m.
6/26/2016
3 p.m.
6/27/2016
2 a.m.
6/29/2016
2 p.m.
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