Keyhole heart surgery

The ankle is the most commonly injured joint in the body. This is related to increasing participation in sport, as well as people leading a generally more active lifestyle. Accordingly we are seeing more ankle fractures and sprains presenting to our Accident and Emergency departments. Whilst the majority of these injuries heal uneventfully, a small proportion of patients will go on to develop ‘wear and tear’ or ankle arthritisInflammation of one or more joints of the body.. Although not as common as hip and knee arthritis, ankle arthritis has steadily become more common, and the upward trend is still continuing.

In this article Paediatric Surgeon, Mr Curry, explains how the technique of laparoscopicA keyhole surgical procedure. surgery can be applied to infants and children and what procedures can routinely be performed this way. Keyhole, also known as laparoscopic, surgery involves making small openings on the abdominalRelating to the abdomen, which is the region of the body between the chest and the pelvis. wall, usually no more than a few millimetres big. Through these openings special devices called ports are inserted that allow cameras and long instruments to be inserted into the abdominal cavityThe part of the body that contains the stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder and other organs. to enable the surgeon to perform the operation.

The healthy heart has a number of valves which prevent the bloodA fluid that transports oxygen and other substances through the body, made up of blood cells suspended in a liquid. from flowing backwards. Normally these delicate structures are made of thin flexible and durable tissueA group of cells with a similar structure and a specialised function. that works efficiently over the 2000 million heart beats that occur during the course of our lives. When you consider this statistic it is not surprising that on occasions the heart valves can begin to fail. This can occur in one of two ways. Firstly, and most commonly, the valve tissue can become narrowed or stenosed. Alternatively the valves can begin to leak. This is known as regurgitation or incompetence.

Atrial fibrillationAbnormally fast and uneven contractions of the heart muscle, so that blood cannot be pumped efficiently is the most common heart rhythm disorder in the developed world and it is estimated 1 million people in the UK have this condition. Atrial fibrillation, or AFAn abbreviation for atrial fibrillation for short, is the leading cause of strokeAny sudden neurological problem caused by a bleed or a clot in a blood vessel. in the country and may also cause heart failureFailure of the heart to pump adequately. in some patients. It results from abnormal electrical impulses in the top chambers of the heart, the atriaThe two upper chambers of the heart., which can lead to rapid, irregular palpitationsThe feeling when you become aware of your heartbeat - when frightened, for example., breathlessness, chest pain light-headedness and tiredness. AF increases with age and is very frequently associated with having high blood pressureThe pressure of blood within the arteries. but can also occur in patients with no other medical problems.

Pain in the chest is a very worrying symptom. It can have a very simple and relatively harmless cause, such as indigestionDiscomfort after eating. or muscleTissue made up of cells that can contract to bring about movement. strain, but it can also be caused by a heart attackThe death of a section of heart muscle caused by an interruption in its blood supply. Also called a myocardial infarction., an alarming and potentially life-threatening condition.  It is therefore extremely important to find out quickly and precisely what is causing chest pain but it can often be difficult for doctors to reach a diagnosisThe process of determining which condition a patient may have. based simply on the symptoms and medical history. There is however now a laboratory test that greatly assists with this task.