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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL Perry Hospital's Surgery Center uses new technology in cancer detection ■* i' «H9H jC$ ■j ■ * j j gjy * $ V V / I LF -*, :| ■ * Ik ’ft, J{ x* '*A <*!■ i*i V : & : ' : $Jf MKj|V j V H ■ a:V*| #J& m& * I M|| j JJ|t sigSapTH-; BIN Spiffij? ' x.: Vi S|. 1|- I - X, :ft 11 4| *% 4 J -jl m| | af#' jpffe % ' JJ - i m - sipp «n&£ m sfe j J i—i ;, #— Dr. Horatio V. Cabasares, surgeon and member of the medical staff of Perry Hospital, and Nichole McGlamry, Nurse Manager for Perry Hospital’s Surgery Center, review the Neoprobe and its components. Is it normal aging or something more serious? When an aging parent begins to exhibit odd behav ior, it’s natural for their adult children to wonder whether normal aging is the cause or whether it is something more serious like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease. But other often treatable conditions can also affect physical and cog nitive abilities, and may be the culprit instead of old age. An aging parent is losing weight, seems weaker and is a bit more confused lately. It could be due to aging, but these symptoms can also be attributed to other medical causes, such as: • Depression • A reaction or side effect from a drug or a problem with drug interactions • Anemia • A vitamin deficiency • Dehydration • A concussion or injury from a fall • Increased alcohol use • A metabolic disorder caused by a poorly function ing kidney, liver or thyroid • Diminished vision or hearing ability • An illness such as the flu, bronchitis, West Nile virus or urinary tract infec tion • Poorly fitting dentures or the need for dental treat ment • An undiagnosed or poor ly managed chronic condi tion such as diabetes or high blood pressure But how does an adult child know when an aging parent’s forgetfulness or unsteady gait is age-relat ed or something more? For example, some minor mem ory changes that do not impair daily activities or quality of life - like taking longer to recall a person’s name or finding the right word - can be normal with age. But not remembering the road to take to the gro cery store, not being aware of a memory lapse or not being able to recall recent events can be signs of other, more serious problems. According to Dr. Javed H. Fazal, a board certified internist specializing in geri atric medicine and a mem ber of the medical staffs of Houston Medical Center and Perry Hospital, adult children should discuss their concerns with their parent and encourage him or her to visit a doctor. “Even insom nia and frequent urination warrant a trip to the doctor because these problems are often not age-related,” he explains. “They may insist their fine, but you need to insist otherwise if you notice them exhibiting any unusu al behavior. Make plans to go with your parent to the doctor’s office so you can help explain their symptoms such as when they began or worsened or what impact they have had or are having on your mom’s or dad’s daily life.” Dr. Fazal says any of the following symptoms are warning signs to look for: • Physical unsteadiness • Muscle weakness • Weight loss or gain • Bruising • Confusion • Increased memory prob lems • Social withdrawal • Insomnia • Incontinence • Increased urination or other urinary problems • A struggle to perform tasks like taking medication, paying bills or following a recipe • Poor judgment • Uncharacteristic behav ior like irritability, worry, anger, agitation or suspicion By taking action now, Dr. Fazal says, steps can be taken to help prevent fur ther disability in the aging parent and to help them learn to recognize when he or she may need living assis M , , ySliki pain management A Team Approach to Pain Treatment For A Better Quality of Life. Unfortunately, many people experience great difficulties dealina with chronic pain -pain that persists for a long length of time and can cause stress and disruption in their lives. The good news is that severe chronic pain can be treated successfully, assuring comfort for a better quality of life. The Houston Pain Treatment Center, an established and long standing service of Houston Medical Center, offers a team of Board Certified Anesthesiologists each with more than 20 years of experience in evaluating and treating patients for . chronic pain. We specialize in an array of procedures including epidural steroid injections, facet and sacroiliac Joint injections, radiofrequency ablations, selective nerve root blocks and sympathetic nerve blocks. If you are suffering from chronic pain, talk to your doctor today about pain management and treatment. All insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid and T.iCare, are accepted. HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH In the fight against cancer, Perry Hospital’s Surgery Center is using a new weap on to more accurately diag nose and detect the spread of the disease. The Neoprobe, an electron ic device that detects and measures gamma radiation, is used in surgical proce dures called Intraoperative Lymphatic Mapping (ILM) or sentinel lymph node biopsy, a minimally invasive technique for evaluating the potential spread of cancer to lymph node tissues and organs. “The Neoprobe rec ognizes isotopes injected into masses such as a breast mass,” explains Nichole McGlamry, RN, BSN, Nurse Manager for Perry Hospital’s Surgical Center. “It allows the surgeon to better map out the mass and determine its margins for a clearer, more concise diagnosis.” During an ILM procedure, a radioactive tracing agent is tance. “If it is simply ‘old age,’ adult children can still do a lot to help their parents improve their functioning and enjoyment of life,” he says. Adult children can help their parents: • Get proper nutrition. Make sure older adults’ diets are balanced in protein, fat and carbohydrates to main tain a healthy, safe weight and get the nutrients they need. Help them plan menus that include plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and adequate amounts of lean meat, poultry and fish. Ensure they get at least 1,500 milligrams of crlcium per day and consider Laving them take a multivitamin. See if they need help cook ing, driving to the grocery store or choosing healthy foods. • Improve exercise. Staying physically active can injected into the site of the primary tumor. The tracing agent then follows the drain age path of the tumor to the nearest lymph node or nodes, referred to as the “sentinel node(s).” A gamma detection device such as the Neoprobe is used to detect the path of the tracing agent. Because the lymph nodes are con nected, physicians theorize that if the sentinel nodes show no sign of malignancy, then the nodes farther down the lymphatic pathway are likely to be free of the dis ease as well. Perry Hospital’s Surgery Center is using the Neoprobe in breast biopsies and mas tectomies to better detect abnormalities in their earli est stages. For Dr. Horatio V Cabasares, a surgeon specializing in diseases of the breast and a mem ber of the medical staff of Perry Hospital, the ability to quickly locate and biop help prevent, and possible reverse, physical changes such as loss of lean muscle mass, lung capacity, flex ibility, balance, bone den sity and mental function. Suggest older adults take up an aerobic exercise like walking. They should work up to 30 minutes of activity three to five times per week. Fitness activities that incor porate weight or resistance training are especially help ful for improving strength, endurance and balance. • Engage in life. Maintaining close relation ships with others and con tinuing productive activities helps add meaning and joy to fife. Suggest opportuni ties for older adults to social ize or pursue their passions and interests. Help them find activities that provide mental stimulation, such as reading, doing puzzles, play ing an instrument or playing llllflit y.. ■% ' 6 '' ' -L V ''JL; mmm mmm . ap : J mmm, % *jßr £ jHSfi i Mli 8 - mmm- , y % Jhßb| iMI: v , ft. -fniEr "Mu , & ■Pfr mUB ‘ - t-v E. Douglas Culverhouse, Jr., MD Medical College of Georgia Certified, American Board of Anesthesiologists James Dawson, MD Medical College of Georgia Certified, American Board of Anesthesiologists F. Hunt Sanders, MD Medical College of Georgia Fellow, American College of Anesthesiologists Bobby Thompson, MD Medical College of Georgia Certified, American Board of Anesthesiologists Roger Williams, MD Medical College of Georgia Certified Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, American Board of Anesthesiologists sy sentinel nodes provides him with the vital informa tion he needs to determine if the cancer has spread or if it is localized to the site of the primary tumor. “The accurate detection of lymph nodes—whether in breast cancer surgery or melano ma surgery or any surgery that requires sampling of the lymph nodes—is a stan dard of care in our time,” he explains. “Accurate detec tion of lymph nodes is essen tial in order to prescribe the right kind of medical and surgical therapy to a cancer patient.” Accordingto Dr. Cabasares, removing lymph nodes was a hit and miss technique in the past. He explains that surgeons would dissect a large area of the body hop ing to find lymph nodes to sample. The success rate of this procedure was less than 70 percent, which meant that a number of cases were games like chess, checkers or cards. • Maintain timely medi cal care. Help aging adults make and attend their medi cal appointments to manage and prevent chronic con ditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and osteoporosis. Make sure they have regular health screenings such as breast, pelvic, colon and rectal exams as well as immuniza tions for influenza, tetanus and pneumococcal disease. They will also need regular checkups for vision, hearing and dental. Sponsored by Houston Healthcare, Senior Care is a special program designed just for senior adults. It offers free weekly strength and flexibility exercise class es led by certified instructors as well as monthly health screenings such as blood pressure, cholesterol and Hr Houston Pain Treatment Center at Houston Medical Center 1601 Watson Boulevard Warner Robins, Georgia 31093 329-3451 FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2006 not accurately sampled. This procedure later evolved into the practice of injecting a blue dye near the tumor site and following the dye to the lymph node that absorbed it, and then removing the node. “The sampling accuracy rate improved to 80 percent with this new procedure,” com ments Dr. Cabasares. “But today, the combination of injecting blue dye and a radioactive material, which is detected by the Neoprobe, increases the sampling accu racy rate to 99 percent.” To cancer patients, the Neoprobe can mean the dif ference between life and death. “In addition to sav ing patients from having wide and extensive incisions which can lead tq compli cations after surgery,” says Dr. Cabasares, “accurately detecting cancerous lymph nodes can save patients’ lives. This is truly a wonder ful machine.” glucose checks. Free exer cise classes and screenings are offered in Perry, Warner Robins, and Centerville. Perry’s Senior Care pro gram meets at Rozar Park Recreation Department. Exercise classes are held Mondays and Fridays at 10 a.m., and Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. Perry’s program also offers a nutritious lunch for $5 and an educational speaker on Fridays at 11 a.m. Warner Robins’ Senior Care meets for exercise at Houston County’s YMCA on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. Centerville’s Senior Care meets for exercise at Centerville City Hall every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 a.m. For more information about Houston Healthcare’s Senior Care program, please call 923-9771. 5A