Medical dictionary

What is an arteriovenous fistula?An arteriovenous fistula is when an artery connects directly to a vein. This is an abnormality, as blood usually flows from arteries into smaller capillaries, where the oxygen and nutrients carried by the blood can be distributed to tissues, before passing into the veins. If these capillaries are bypassed by the fistula, the blood supply to nearby tissues is decrea

  What exactly is an arteriovenous malformation? The medical term arteriovenous malformation refers to an atypical tangling of the blood vessels that connect our arteries and veins. They can develop anywhere within the body, but are most commonly found within the brain and spine. What does arteriovenous malformation lead to? Typically, patients who suffer from arteriovenous ma

What is arthritis, and what are the most common types?Arthritis is a disease that causes inflammation of the membrane that covers the joints. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, but the most common are:Osteoarthritis: The most common type of arthritis. It usually develops with age, and affects the fingers, knees, and hips. In some cases, it develops in areas where there was

What is arthroplasty? The term arthroplasty refers to any surgical procedure to restore the function of a damaged joint, often by replacing them with artificial joints made of chromium, cobalt and titanium, along with high density plastics. The ultimate aim of arthroplasty is to correct deformities, reduce or eliminate pain in the affected areas, and restore mobility. Arthroplasty

What is arthroscopic debridement?Arthroscopic debridement is a minimally invasive procedure used to remove broken and damaged sections of joint cartilage to help improve mobility and reduce pain.It is often used to treat cases of arthritis or instability of the wrist, knee, hip or ankle joints.  What is arthroscopic debridement used to treat?Arthroscopic debridement, also known as arthro

What is an arthroscopic meniscectomy? An arthroscopic meniscectomy is a minimally-invasive procedure where some or all of a damaged meniscus is removed from the knee joint, specifically the tibio-femoral joint. This can help to improve mobility and patient quality of life by relieving symptoms a torn meniscus can bring.     Why might someone need an arthroscopic meniscect

What is arthroscopic subacromial decompression? Arthroscopic subacromial decompression is a type of shoulder operation that aims to treat shoulder impingement. Shoulder impingement is a very common cause of shoulder pain and results from when tendons and bones in the shoulder rub against each other on raising your arm. Subacromial decompression is a day-case procedure, so you won't have t

What is ascites?Ascites is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the space between the lining of the abdomen and the abdominal organs, known as the peritoneum.  What are the types of ascites? Previously, ascites was classified into transudative or exudative based on the amount of protein that was in the fluid build-up. Now, the condition is classified by the Serum Ascites Albumin Gr

What is Asherman’s syndrome? Asherman’s syndrome or Asherman syndrome is a rare, acquired condition that refers to the presence of scar tissue in the uterus or cervix. This scar tissue causes the uterine walls to thicken, reducing the size of the uterus, and in severe cases, the walls can sometimes fuse together. Asherman’s syndrome is also known as intrauterine adhesions (IUA