Abdominal surgery isn’t fun. Often minimally invasive “keyhole” surgery is performed, but some patients don’t get off that easy.
For abdominal surgeries involving large incisions, the surgeon decides whether to make a midline (vertical) or transverse (horizontal) incision. When I had a laparotomy (that’s a major abdominal surgery with an incision of around four or five inches), the surgeon recommended a transverse incision because I could “still wear a bikini.” I’ll tell you how that went in a bit. First, a new study compared the two incision types.
The Department of Surgery at Heidelberg University Hospital studied transverse and midline incisions used …read more

One of the most common foot problems in developed countries is the bunion.
A bunion bony bump that forms on the joint at the base of your big toe. This puts pressure on the toe joint and causes pain.  The toe is also forced inwards, towards your other toes, causing crowding.
Although bunions run in families, they are often caused by shoes that are too tight or ill-fitting. And, as the bunion grows, it becomes harder to find well-fitting, comfortable shoes.
To have the bunion removed, a surgery, a bunionectomy, is done. However, although many people who have had the surgery say it …read more