Heart Surgery (before, during & after)

Heart Surgery (before, during & after) – http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/hs/hs_whatis.html

Post by Daniel Cornwall 12/31/2013

Representative questions that can be answered with this resource:

• Why is a character’s chest shaved before surgery?
• What does a heart-lung bypass machine look like?
• What sizes cuts can you expect from minimally invasive heart surgery?
• What are common home problems after a heart surgery?

Description:

This National Heart Blood and Lung Institute site provides information on what to expect before, during and after heart surgery. The risks of this type of operation are also explained. The “after” section has a list of common and annoying things that might make for colorful character scenes.

Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant

Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant – https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/blood-and-bone-marrow-transplant

Post by Daniel Cornwall 12/31/2013

Representative questions that can be answered with this resource:

• What’s the difference between an autologous transplant and an allogenic transplant?
• What are some complications of bone marrow transplants?
• What sorts of tests can a character expect before a bone marrow transplant?
• How many months after the operation will a bone marrow transplant patient have a central venous catheter stuck in his chest?
• What is the full recovery time for a bone marrow transplant?

Description:

Bone marrow produces blood cells and also contain some stem cells. Marrow transplants are used to treat some cancers, some severe blood diseases and some immunological disorders. This site from the National Heart Blood and Lung Institute provides information on what to expect before, during, and after a marrow transplant operation. The risks of this type of operation are also explained.