sa国际传媒

Less-invasive surgery leads to higher death rates; surgeons advised to make patients aware of new findings

Dear Dr.

What should you do if the doctor says: 鈥淵ou need a hip or knee replacement due to severe arthritis鈥�? The time-honoured treatment is a major operation to replace the injured joint. This might still be the best option for some patients.

Dear Dr. Roach: The letter from the person taking tramadol for 10 years hit a nerve. Your answer prompted me to write. My 63-year-old husband has been on painkillers since 1994, when he tore his ligaments around L-5/S-1.

Dear Dr. Roach: I am a 68-year-old female. I鈥檓 in good health, take no medications and work at a desk job all day. I urinate at 5:30 a.m., once at lunch and once before bed, and I do not drink any beverages after 6 p.m.

Factors can include family history, blood pressure, cholesterol level, smoking, diet and exercise patterns

Dear Dr. Roach: I am a female, mid-50s in very good health. I鈥檓 considering donating a kidney to a friend鈥檚 adult son, who has been on dialysis for several months.

Dear Dr. Roach: I am an 83-year-old male and have been in excellent health.

Dear Dr. Roach: I was having lots of arthritis pain in my neck and feet last summer. Someone recommended turmeric supplements to help. I started taking 600 mg twice a day. The pain slowly subsided. Needless to say, I was ecstatic.

Dear Dr. Roach: At about four to six years old, I got chickenpox and, of course, had a lot of itchy bumps on my body. One bump in particular did not heal right.