Whipple’s Operation: From 2 Different Sources
A type of pancreatectomy in which the head of the pancreas and the loop of the duodenum are surgically removed.
whipworm infestation Small, cylindrical whip-like worms, 2.5–5 cm long, that live in the human large intestine. Infestation occurs worldwide but is most common in the tropics. Light infestation causes no symptoms; heavy infestation can cause abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and, sometimes, anaemia, since a small amount of the host’s blood is consumed every day.
Diagnosis is through the identification of whipworm eggs in the faeces. Treatment is with anthelmintic drugs, such as mebendazole. A heavy infestation may require more than 1 course of treatment. whitehead A very common type of skin blemish (see milia).
see pancreatectomy. [A. O. Whipple (1881–1963), US surgeon]
A technique by which narrowing or blockage of an artery (see ARTERIES), vein (see VEINS) or a section of the gastrointestinal tract is bypassed using surgery. Arterial blockages – usually caused by ATHEROSCLEROSIS – in the carotid, coronary or iliofemoral arteries are bypassed utilising sections of artery or vein taken from elsewhere in the patient. Tumour growths in the intestines are sometimes too large to remove and can be bypassed by linking up those parts of the intestines on each side of the growth.... bypass operation
A surgical procedure using instruments – or sometimes just the hands; for example, when manipulating a joint or setting a simple fracture. Operations range from simple removal of a small skin lesion under local anaesthetic to a major event such as transplanting a heart which takes several hours and involves many doctors, nurses and technical sta?. Increasingly, operations are done on an outpatient or day-bed basis, thus enabling many more patients to be treated than was the case 25 years ago, and permitting them to resume a normal life – often within 24 hours. (See also SURGERY; MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY (MIS).)... operation
documented verification that the system or sub system performs as intended throughout all anticipated operating ranges... operation- qualification
A type of partial gastrectomy in which the lower part of the stomach is removed. Once used as a surgical treatment for peptic ulcers, it has now largely been replaced by treatment with antibiotic drugs.... billroth’s operation
Procedures to bypass the blockage or narrowing of an artery or vein or any part of the digestive system. Arteries can become blocked or narrowed in atherosclerosis. Obstructions can be bypassed using sections of healthy artery or vein from elsewhere in the body or using synthetic tubing. Veins are bypassed most often in patients with diseases of the liver that cause portal hypertension and bleeding oesophageal varices. This kind of bypass is called a shunt. Intestinal bypasses are employed most commonly in patients with cancer in which tumour growth is too extensive to be removed. An obstructed bile duct can be bypassed by constructing a new opening into the digestive tract. (See also coronary artery bypass.)... bypass operations
See LASIK; photorefractive keratectomy; keratotomy, radial.... short sight, operations for
a major operation performed to remove a malignant tumour from the head and neck. Extensive dissection, often involving the face, is followed by reconstruction to restore function and cosmetic acceptability.... commando operation
a method of reconstruction after surgical removal of the distal colon and proximal rectum, in which the rectal stump is closed off and the divided end of the colon is brought out as a *colostomy. The technique allows for a second operation to join up the bowel ends and obviates the need for a stoma. It is often used temporarily where primary anastomosis is unsafe (e.g. in cases of perforated *diverticular disease) or permanently as a palliative procedure (e.g. for unresectable colonic cancer). [H. Hartmann (1860–1952), French surgeon]... hartmann’s operation
see achalasia. [E. Heller (1877–1964), Austrian pathologist]... heller’s operation
an operation for *hallux valgus (see also bunion) or *hallux rigidus that involves an excision *arthroplasty of the metatarsophalangeal joint, at the base of the big toe. The toe will be slightly shorter and floppy, but usually this improves alignment and range of movement. [W. L. Keller (1874–1959), US surgeon]... keller’s operation
meatal advancement and glanuloplasty operation: a simple surgical procedure designed to correct minor to moderate degrees of coronal or subcoronal *hypospadias. This single-stage operation corrects any associated minor degrees of *chordee and transfers the urethral opening to the glans, allowing normal urination.... magpi operation
an overlapping repair of an umbilical hernia. [W. J. Mayo (1861–1939), US surgeon]... mayo operation
an operation devised to surgically straighten a congenitally curved penis but now more frequently employed to correct the penile curvature caused by *Peyronie’s disease. The procedure can often result in penile shortening. [R. M. Nesbit (20th century), US surgeon]... nesbit’s operation
a recommended surgical treatment of congenital anal malformation.... pena operation
see pyloromyotomy. [W. C. Ramstedt (1867–1963), German surgeon]... ramstedt’s operation
a combination of three clinical features that indicate the presence of an *insulinoma: (1) attacks of fainting, dizziness, and sweating on fasting; (2) severe hypoglycaemia present during the attacks; (3) relief from the attacks achieved by administering glucose. [A. O. Whipple]... whipple’s triad
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