Not long ago, having surgery meant a long hospital stay and an even longer recovery. Today, minimally invasive diagnostic and surgical tools allow patients to avoid unnecessary procedures and recover from surgery quickly so they can get back to the activities they love. Thanks to medical technology, which encompasses everything from laboratory tests to imaging machines to replacement joints, conditions are diagnosed earlier, surgeries are performed faster and recovery times are significantly shorter.
Below are real-life examples of individuals who are benefiting from medical technology. They are part of the "Progress You Can See" program, an educational effort sponsored by AdvaMed, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, about the value of medical technology.
• During a routine mammogram, Diane Dodge's physician discovered a lump in her breast. To decipher whether the tissue was cancerous, her doctor needed to do a biopsy, which he did using a new vacuum-assisted breast biopsy machine, a minimally invasive device that removes the tissue to be tested with only a tiny needle prick. The doctor got a tissue sample quickly; Diane went home within hours; and luckily, the lump was not cancerous.
• Bonnie Blair, winner of five gold medals in speed skating, is the most decorated Winter Olympic athlete in U.S. history. Bonnie suffered from an embarrassing and debilitating health issue-stress urinary incontinence (SUI)-which kept her from her favorite activities. Bonnie underwent a 30-minute minimally invasive procedure to treat her SUI that uses a "sling" made of a special synthetic mesh tape to hold up her urethra. She has been symptom-free since the surgery.
• Aaron Wernz, a Specialist in the Army National Guard, was injured in Iraq when an explosion sent shrapnel throughout his body. Although Aaron survived, a piece of shrapnel was still lodged in his heart. Fortunately, Aaron's doctors used a 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scanner-instead of more invasive procedures-to determine that he didn't need open-heart surgery.
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To learn about minimally invasive procedures and to read more stories of people who have benefited from medical technology, visit www.progressyoucansee.org. To get a free copy of the "Profiles in Progress You Can See" book with all 25 patient stories, please e-mail a request to progressyou cansee@advamed.org or call toll-free at 1-866-633-1510.
Five-time Olympic gold medal winner Bonnie Blair has benefited from minimally invasive medical technology.
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