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* Definition of Kidney Transplantation * Description of Kidney Transplantation * Treatment of Kidney Transplantation * Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Kidney Transplantation Definition of Kidney Transplantation Article updated and reviewed by Nader Najafian, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Associate Physician, Renal Division--Brigham & Women's Hospital on May 17, 2005. Kidney Transplantation is the surgical procedure of placing a fully functioning kidney into a person with severe kidney failure. This procedure is usually an elective one, performed in patients who have undergone careful preoperative assessment and preparation, since dialysis enables these patients to be maintained in relatively good condition until the time of surgery. The transplanted kidney may originate from a deceased donor (cadaver transplantation) or from a related or unrelated person (living transplantation). Description of Kidney Transplantation The function

* Definition of Juvenile Diabetes * Description of Juvenile Diabetes * Causes and Risk Factors of Juvenile Diabetes * Symptoms of Juvenile Diabetes * Diagnosis of Juvenile Diabetes * Treatment of Juvenile Diabetes * Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Juvenile Diabetes Definition of Juvenile Diabetes Juvenile diabetes mellitus is now more commonly called Type 1 diabetes. It is a syndrome with disordered metabolism and inappropriately high blood glucose levels due to a deficiency of insulin secretion in the pancreas. Description of Juvenile Diabetes After a meal, a portion of the food a person eats is broken down into sugar (glucose). The sugar then passes into the bloodstream and into the body's cells via a hormone called insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas. Normally, the pancreas produces the right amount of insulin to accommodate the quantity of sugar. However, if the person has diabetes either the pancreas produces little or no insulin, or the cel

* Definition of Amniocentesis * Description of Amniocentesis * Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Amniocentesis Definition of Amniocentesis Amniocentesis is a simple medical procedure used to obtain small samples of the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus. Description of Amniocentesis In the first half of the pregnancy (between the 14th and 18th week) the doctor may perform an amniocentesis when: * The age of the mother is 35 years of age or older. The risk of bearing children with chromosomal birth defects increases as a woman ages, thus if a woman will be 35 or older at the time of delivery, most physicians offer the option of prenatal testing for chromosomal disorders. Among the most common of these disorders is Down syndrome, a combination of mental and physical abnormalities caused by the presence of an extra chromosome. * A previous child or pregnancy resulted in a birth defect. If a couple already has a child (or pregnancy) diagnosed with a chromosomal abnormali

* Definition of Cesarean Section * Description of Cesarean Section * Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Cesarean Section Definition of Cesarean Section Cesarean childbirth consists of an operation to deliver a baby through an incision in the abdomen. Description of Cesarean Section Until recently the operation was usually used as a last resort because of a high rate of maternal complications and death. With the availability of antibiotics to fight infection and the development of modern surgical techniques, the once high maternal mortality rate has dropped dramatically. As a result, the cesarean childbirth rate has increased dramatically. There are three main types of cesarean operations, each named according the location and direction of the uterine incision: Low Transverse, a transverse (horizontal) incision in the lower uterus Low Vertical, a vertical incision in the lower uterus Classical, a vertical incision in the main body of the uterus Today, the low t

* Description of CD4 Lymphocyte Monitoring * Questions To Ask Your Doctor About CD4 Lymphocyte Monitoring Description of CD4 Lymphocyte Monitoring Monitoring lymphocyte counts in a patient with HIV infection is one way to assess the degree of immunosuppression and the risk of developing opportunistic infections. For several years after exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), an infected person will typically have either no symptoms or only minor ones such as chronically swollen lymph nodes. However, despite the absence of noticeable symptoms, HIV may be silently causing damage. HIV infects and kills certain white blood cells called CD4 lymphocytes, reducing their number. The number of CD4 cells usually declines over time in an HIV-infected person. CD4 lymphocytes act as the 'on switch' for part of the immune system, so as the number of CD4 cells drops, damage to the immune system may progress. Over time, individuals become increasingly susceptible to infections caus

* Definition of Congestive Heart Failure * Description of Congestive Heart Failure * Causes and Risk Factors of Congestive Heart Failure * Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure * Diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure * Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure * Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Congestive Heart Failure Definition of Congestive Heart Failure Article updated and reviewed by Neil Siecke, MD, Clinical Insturctor, UCSD Division of Cardiology on July 28, 2005. Congestive heart failure (or heart failure) occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood (which provides oxygen) to the muscles, tissues, and other organs of the body. Statistics on Heart Failure * A person aged 40 years or older has a one in five chance of developing heart failure. * About five million Americans have been diagnosed with heart failure. * About 550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. * Heart failure is the most common hospital discharge diagnosis with more