Surgeries and Procedures

It's rare, but when it happens, it can be traumatic and frightening for those who experience it. But how does such a thing even occur with today's modern medicine?

By Meg Sparwath

Recovering from any surgery is never as easy as you hope. But putting in some time to get fit before it could make healing a lot easier. Here's how.

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

Drilling a hole in somebody's skull was all the rage 4,000 to 12,000 years ago. In fact, 5 to 10 percent of skulls from this period have a hole in them, made while the person was still alive. The question is, why?

By Jesslyn Shields

Laparoscopic surgery has become the preferred method of minimally invasive surgery. It involves making tiny incisions in the body, and doctors remove some organs via the belly button.

By Alia Hoyt

Making sure the bowels are moving is key to monitoring health after surgery.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

What happens when permanent teeth don't come in behind our baby teeth? Turns out there are treatments, but they'll cost you (both time and money).

By Jesslyn Shields

The strong and sticky goo of the Dusky Arion slug provided scientists with unlikely inspiration for a glue that sticks well to wet surfaces.

By Kate Kershner

This new study could present alternative to drugs with negative side effects. And parents of pre-surgery children experience less anxiety, too.

By Jesslyn Shields

You won't believe some of the emergency medical procedures people have performed under duress. They range from sucking out venom to performing a Caesarean birth. Could you do the same?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

It may sound crazy initially - using a tooth to repair eyesight - but it's a very real surgery with a pretty impressive track record.

By Nathan Chandler

Transitioning from one gender to another is hardly an overnight process, with many steps from point A to B. What are the stages of gender reassignment?

By Maria Trimarchi & Molly Edmonds

Of those who go under the knife to switch genders, many will opt for a procedure to alter their voice to match their new sex. What is transgender voice surgery?

By Kevin P. Allen

We often expect celebrities to be in better health than us "regular people." After all, their wealth means that they have unlimited access to the best care that money can buy. While this might be true, celebrities aren't invincible. Many celebrities over the years have undergone heart bypass surgery.

By Shanna Freeman

It's the biggest joint in the body and it's fun to bounce soccer balls off of -- it's the knee. But when arthritis or wear and tear destroys it, you might need a replacement.

By Tom Scheve

Plastic surgeries are becoming more and more common throughout the country. In 2005, more than 1.8 million cosmetic surgeries and 8.4 million invasive cosmetic procedures were performed.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Obesity is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, but many people cannot lose enough weight through diet, exercise and medication. On average, how much weight can be lost through gastric bypass surgery?

By Melissa Jeffries

Lots of people are trading in glasses and contacts for more permanent vision correction. Curious about vision correction surgery? Find out if you're a candidate for LASIK and see how the process works.

By Jeff Tyson

Heart bypass operations were once very dangerous, but now they're almost commonplace. How are these procedures done, and how do they fix a person's heart?