Private MD

Private MD is the health care alternative focused on providing premium quality patient care with emphasis on personal attention and health. Private MDs get to know patients as people, not just as lists of symptoms. Fewer patients give the MD an opportunity to stay abreast of medical advances that will surely come to bear on the welfare of his patients. Advances in modern medicine have contributed to our growing population. On average, an internist in the US is responsible for 3,000 patients. Primary care providers find it, therefore, increasingly difficult to afford patients enough time to get to know them and to keep up with scientific progress. Increasing the patient-MD involvement improves the MD's familiarity with his patients. Having MDs to spend more time with each patient provides a higher level of care than is normally available. The Private MDs with Concierge Medicine deliver the highest standard of care. Concierge MDs care for fewer patients than in a conventional practice, ranging from 100 patients per MD to 1,000, instead of the 3,000 to 4,000 that the average MD now sees every year. All generally claim to be accessible via cell phone or email at any time of day or night or offer some other "special" service above and beyond the "normal" care provided. The annual fees vary widely, from $600 to $5,000 per year for an individual, with the lower annual fees being in addition to the usual fees for each service and the higher annual fees including most services.

Obstetrician

An obstetrician is a physician that specializes in caring for pregnant women through childbirth. Many obstetricians also train as gynecologists so they are able to give medical advice and treatment concerning a woman's reproductive system. Most students in residency study both gynecology and obstetrics and then decide on their career path. Often medical students find themselves drawn to this career due to the amazing occurrence of life through the birth of a baby. Obstetrician/gynecologist is a physician specialist who provides medical and surgical care to women and has particular expertise in pregnancy, childbirth, and disorders of the reproductive system. This includes preventative care, prenatal care, detection of sexually transmitted diseases, Pap test screening, and family planning. An obstetrician is a medical doctor who specializes in the management of pregnancy, labor, and birth. They also receive specialized education in the health of the female reproductive system and surgical care. Much of their education focuses on the detection and management of obstetrical and gynecological problems. An obstetrician/gynecologist, commonly abbreviated as OB/GYN, can serve as a primary physician and often serve as consultants to other physicians. OB/GYNs can have private practices, work in hospital or clinic settings, and maintain teaching positions at university hospitals. OB/GYNs may also work public health and preventive medicine administrations. OB/GYNs have a broad base of knowledge and can vary their professional focus. Many develop unique practices, providing high-quality health care for women. OB/GYNs may choose to specialize in the following areas: An obstetrician closely monitors their patient's health during pregnancy and delivery. They diagnose fetus abnormalities or health issues of their patients and offer healthy living advice and treatment. They see their patients on a regular basis for health consultations, ultrasounds, and any of their patient's prenatal medical needs including forming a birth plan. The frequency of a patients check up often depends on risk factors and resources.

Lap Band

A lap band is an inflatable silicone device that a surgeon places around the top portion of the stomach, via laparoscopic surgery, in order to treat obesity. Lap band surgery is an example of bariatric surgery designed for obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater, or between 35 to 40 in cases of patients with certain co-morbidities that are known to improve with weight loss, such as sleep apnea, diabetes, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure or metabolic syndrome, among others. Lap banding is the least invasive surgery of all bariatric surgeries. Lap banding using laparoscopic surgery usually results in a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, smaller scars, and less pain than open surgical procedures. The patient can continue to absorb nutrients from food normally. Lap bands are made entirely of biocompatible materials, so they can stay in the body without causing harm. However, not all patients are eligible for laparoscopy. Patients who are extremely obese, who have had previous abdominal surgery or have complicating medical problems may require a more open surgery approach. The surgeon creates a small incision near the belly button and pumps carbon dioxide into the abdomen to create a workspace. Then the surgeon inserts a small laparoscopic camera through the incision into the abdomen. The camera sends a picture of the stomach and abdominal cavity to a video monitor. It gives the surgeon a good view of the key structures in the abdominal cavity. The surgeon makes more small incisions in the abdomen. The surgeon watches the video monitor and works through these small incisions using instruments with long handles to complete the procedure. The surgeon creates a small, circular tunnel behind the stomach, inserts the lap band through the tunnel and locks the band around the stomach. Clinical studies of lap band surgery patients found that they felt better, spent more time doing recreational and physical activities, benefited from enhanced productivity and economic opportunities and had more self-confidence than they did before surgery. The placement of the band creates a small pouch, or stoma, at the top of the stomach. This pouch holds approximately one half cup of food. A typical stomach holds about six cups of food. The pouch fills with food quickly, and the band slows the passage of food from the pouch to the lower part of the stomach, causing the sensation of being full. As the upper part of the stomach registers as full, the message to the brain is that the entire stomach is full, and this sensation helps a person to be hungry less often, feel full more quickly and for a longer period, eat smaller portions, and lose weight over time. As patients lose weight, their bands will need adjustments, or "fills," to ensure comfort and effectiveness. The surgeon can adjust the lap band by introducing a saline solution into a small access port just under the skin. There are many port designs and a surgeon may place them in varying positions, but they always connect to the muscle wall in and around the diaphragm via sutures or staples.