What is a high-risk pregnancy? A high-risk pregnancy is one that threatens the health or life of the mother or her fetus. It often requires specialized care from specially trained providers. Some pregnancies become high risk as they progress, while some women are at increased risk for complications even before they get pregnant for a variety of reasons. Early and regular prenatal care helps many women have healthy pregnancies and deliveries without complications. Risk factors for a high-risk pregnancy can include: Existing health conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or being HIV-positive1 Overweight and obesity. Obesity increases the risk for high blood pressure, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, stillbirth, neural tube defects, and cesarean delivery. NICHD researchers have found that obesity can raise infants' risk of heart problems at birth by 15%.3 Multiple births. The risk of complications is higher in women carrying more than one fetus (twins and higher-order multiples). Common complications include preeclampsia, premature labor, and preterm birth. More than one-half of all twins and as many as 93% of triplets are born at less than 37 weeks' gestation.4 Young or old maternal age. Pregnancy in teens and women age 35 or older increases the risk for preeclampsia and gestational high blood pressure.5,6 Women with high-risk pregnancies should receive care from a special team of health care providers to ensure the best possible outcomes.

Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. It may also involve removal of the cervix, ovaries, fallopian tubes and other surrounding structures. Usually performed by a gynecologist, a hysterectomy may be total or partial.

There are many types of menstrual disorders, including: Abnormal uterine bleeding. Excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding. Amenorrhea. The absence of menstrual bleeding. Oligomenorrhea. Light or infrequent menstruation. Fibroids. ... Premenstrual syndrome (PMS). ... Premenstrual dysphonic disorder (PMDD). What causes abnormal menstruation (periods)? Stress and lifestyle factors. ... Birth control pills. ... Uterine polyps or fibroids. ... Endometriosis. ... Pelvic inflammatory disease. ... Polycystic ovary syndrome. ... Premature ovarian insufficiency.

Gastroenterology: The medical specialty devoted to the study, diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the digestive system. These disorders may affect the esophagus (swallowing tube), stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), rectum, liver, gallbladder, or pancreas.

Liver Cirrhosis Cirrhosis is a complication of liver disease that involves loss of liver cells and irreversible scarring of the liver.Alcohol and viral hepatitis B and C are common causes of cirrhosis, although there are many other causes.Cirrhosis can cause weakness, loss of appetite, easy bruising, yellowing of the skin (jaundice), itching, and fatigue. What is Cirrhosis? Cirrhosis is a complication of many liver diseases characterized by abnormal structure and function of the liver. The diseases that lead to cirrhosis do so because they injure and kill liver cells, after which the inflammation and repair that is associated with the dying liver cells causes scar tissue to form. The liver cells that do not die multiply in an attempt to replace the cells that have died. This results in clusters of newly formed liver cells (regenerative nodules) within the scar tissue. There are many causes of cirrhosis including chemicals (such as alcohol, fat, and certain medications), viruses, toxic metals (such as iron and copper that accumulate in the liver as a result of genetic diseases), and autoimmune liver disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the liver.

A FibroScan is a test that measures the amount of fibrosis (thickening or scarring of tissues) in your liver.It can be used alone or with other tests (such as biopsy, blood tests,ultrasounds) to see how much scarring there is on your liver. What is Liver FibroScan? Liver fibrosis occurs when the healthy tissue of your liver becomes scarred and therefore cannot work as well. Fibrosis is the first stage of liver scarring. Later, if more of the liver becomes scarred, it’s known as liver cirrhosis. What are the stages of Liver Fibrosis? There are several different scales of liver fibrosis staging, where a doctor determines the degree of liver damage. Since staging can be subjective, each scale has its own limitations. One doctor may think a liver is slightly more scarred than another. However, doctors will usually assign a stage to liver fibrosis because it helps the patient and other doctors understand the degree to which a person’s liver is affected. One of the more popular scoring systems is the METAVIR scoring system. This system assigns a score for “activity” or the prediction of how fibrosis is progressing, and for the fibrosis level itself. Doctors can usually assign this score only after taking a biopsy or tissue sample of a piece of the liver. The activity grades range from A0 to A3: A0: no activity A1: mild activity A2: moderate activity A3: severe activity The fibrosis stages range from F0 to F4 as per liver fibrosis scan testing: F0: no fibrosis F1: portal fibrosis without septa F2: portal fibrosis with few septa F3: numerous septa without cirrhosis F4: cirrhosis What are the symptoms of Liver Fibrosis? Doctors don’t often diagnose liver fibrosis in its mild to moderate stages. This is because liver fibrosis doesn’t usually cause symptoms until more of the liver is damaged. When a person does progress in their liver disease, they may experience symptoms that include: appetite loss difficulty thinking clearly fluid buildup in the legs or stomach jaundice (where the skin and eyes appear yellow) nausea unexplained weight loss weakness

Endoscopy is a way of looking inside the body. Endoscopy is often done with a tube put into the body that the doctor can use to look inside. Another way to look inside is to put a camera in a capsule (capsule endoscopy). This capsule includes one or two tiny cameras, a light bulb, a battery, and a radio transmitter. It is about the size of a large vitamin pill. The person swallows the capsule, and it takes pictures all the way through the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract. The radio transmitter sends the photos to a recorder the person wears on their waist or shoulder. A technician downloads the photos from the recorder to a computer, and the doctor looks at them. The camera comes out and is flushed down the toilet safely. . How the Test is Performed This test can be started in the doctor’s office. The capsule is the size of a large vitamin pill, about an inch (2.5 centimeters) long and less than ½ inch (1.3 centimeters) wide. Each capsule is used only once. The health care provider may ask you to lie down or sit up while swallowing the capsule. Capsule endoscope will have a slippery coating, so it is easier to swallow. The capsule is not digested or absorbed. It travels through the digestive system following the same path food travels. It leaves the body in a bowel movement and can be flushed down the toilet without harming the plumbing. The recorder will be placed on your waist or shoulder. Sometimes a few antenna patches may also be put on your body. During the test, the small light on a recorder will blink. If it stops blinking, call your provider. The capsule may be in your body for several hours or several days. Everyone is different. Most of the time, the capsule leaves the body within 24 hours. Flush the capsule down the toilet. If you do not see the capsule in the toilet within two weeks of swallowing it, tell your provider. You may need an x-ray to see if the capsule is still in your body.

High Resolution Manometry – HRM High Resolution Manometry (HRM) is a new approach of measuring pressures in the esophageal body and presentation of the results. This method consists of measuring multiple pressures simultaneously. This allows detailed assessment of all relevant data for the whole esophagus. Besides the conventional displays, rapid data interpretation via Clouse contour plots can be established. The Clouse contour plot display offers more information than the traditional pressure curves, and is still easier to analyse due to the recognition of typical patterns. So, more information and easier analysis go perfectly together. MMS offers 36 pressures solid state and 20-36 pressure channels water perfused HRM solutions. Important advantages of HRM can be: Improved understanding of the motility peristaltic pressure waves Prevent misdiagnosis of achalasia (pseudo relaxation of the LES) Perform UES/LES investigations (also with water catheters)

Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a thermoablative technique increasingly being used in endoscopy. Since its introduction, the flexible APC probe has been employed by endoscopists throughout the world. APC has helped change the endoscopic management of many gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, including hemorrhagic proctitis, watermelon stomach, bleeding peptic ulcer, and colonic varices. Endoscopists and surgeons are creatively combining standard and new electrosurgical techniques with APC. For instance, APC used in combination with piecemeal polypectomy, endoscopic mucosal resection, balloon dilatation for structures, and plasma welding of bleeding vessels after sclerotherapy injection are among the recent innovative techniques reported. Other emerging innovations using APC that are being considered include endoscopic and block resection of mucosal and submucosal tumors of the GI tract, endoscopic mucosal resection supplemented with APC for high-grade dysplasia and early GI cancers, endoscopic repair of anastomotic strictures, and welding GI fistula tracts. As such, endoscopists require more efficient and cost-effective multifunctional thermoablative probes. This review discusses the development and the potential application of dual-mode plasma endoscopic probes in fulfilling these emerging needs.

It is a soft, plastic feeding tube that goes into your stomach. Liquid, such as formula, fluids, and medicines, can be put through the PEG tube if you cannot eat or drink all the nutrients you need. It can also be used to take air and fluid out of your stomach. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement involves the insertion of a feeding tube through the abdominal wall into the stomach during an upper endoscopy. A small incision is made on the left side of the abdomen, and then a small, flexible, hollow tube (catheter) with a balloon or flared tip is inserted through the stomach. PEG tube placement is also known as gastrostomy tube insertion, g-tube insertion, stomach tube insertion and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube insertion. Gastrostomy tubes may be needed temporarily or permanently. Your physician may be recommended PEG tube placement for: Birth defects of the mouth, esophagus or stomach (esophageal atresia or tracheoesophageal fistula). Patients who cannot swallow correctly. Malnourished patients who cannot take enough food by mouth to maintain their nutrition. Patients who continually aspirate when eating.

Liver Transplant Liver transplantation is the second most common type of organ transplantation procedure. It is the only option for people whose liver no longer functions. A whole liver can be obtained only from a person who has died, but a living donor can provide a part of the liver. A donated liver can be stored for up to 18 hours. Other complications Some complications of liver transplantation can occur within 2 months. For example, the liver may malfunction, blood clots may block blood vessels to or from the liver, or bile may leak out of the bile ducts. Complications that occur soon after transplantation typically cause fever, low blood pressure, and abnormal results on tests to evaluate liver function. Later, the most common complication is scarring and narrowing of the bile ducts. This disorder can cause jaundice, dark urine, light-colored stools, and itchiness all over the body. Sometimes the narrowed ducts can be reopened, but often, another transplant is required. People whose liver has been destroyed by alcoholism can receive a transplant if they stop drinking. Liver transplantation is also done for some people who have liver cancer that is not too far advanced.