medpundit |
||
|
Friday, May 28, 2004A pioneering operation to remove a young girl's tonsils - live on the internet - has been hailed a success. Consultant surgeon Michael Timms operated on Jessica MacNeal, seven, from Blackburn, Lancashire, at the town's Royal Infirmary. He used a new procedure - coblation tonsillectomy - which is said to be faster and less painful than the conventional surgery. It uses salt water which is turned into a plasma that can cut through tissue. That's not quite correct. The procedure was radiofrequency ablation, which uses radiofrequency energy to destroy tissue in a controlled fashion. Cardiologists routinely use it to modify electrical pathways in the heart. It's also used in prostate surgery. I suppose this is an attempt by the company to to convince the NHS to cover it for the much more routinely done tonsillectomy. How did the surgery go? Jessica's mother, Sharon, said: "I feel happy for Jessica. She is wide awake, drinking and smiling. It is brilliant. "Nobody should be concerned about this operation." "I had my tonsils out 20 year ago and it is amazing how they do it nowadays," said her father William, also 31. That's nothing. In the 1930's my father-in-law had his tonsils removed on the kitchen table. Can't get more convenient than that. posted by Sydney on 5/28/2004 08:39:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
|