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Friday, April 26, 2013 — The Weekender
Tehachapi Dermatology GENERAL, COSMETIC & LASER DERMATOLOGY
Jeffrey Ross Gunter, M.D. Board Certified in Dermatology Diplomat American Board of Dermatology Fellow, American Society MOHS Surgery Fellow, American Academy of Dermatology
Skin Cancer and Laser Center SKIN REJUVENATION SKIN ALLERGIES
SKIN CANCER SPECIALIST SKIN DISEASES
COSMETIC PROCEDURES ACNE/ROSACEA
Tehachapi’s Mole, Birthmark & Skin Cancer Treatment Facility Most Insurance Accepted • Medicare Assignment Courtesy Insurance Billing
(661) 823-7546 20211 Valley Blvd • Tehachapi New Patients Always Welcome
Offering the Latest in All Laser Treatments Treating All Skin Cancer/Skin, Hair & Nail Disorders Specializing in MOHS Micrographic Surgery
JASBIR S. SANDHU, M.D.
Board Certified Dermatologist & Cosmetic Surgeon Practicing for over 20 years
20111 West Valley Blvd., Tehachapi • 750-9922 • www.gursanmedspa.com OFFICES ALSO IN LANCASTER AND RIDGECREST
Health and Fitness Directory DENTISTS
OPTOMETRISTS
RICK D. WELLS, DDS LINDA T. WELLS, DDS
Family Dentistry
FAMILY EYE CARE
20878 Sage Lane
Dr. John E. Fagan
822-4861
Fashion Eyewear Contact Lenses Provider for Most Insurance Plans OPTOMETRIST
661-822-1212
20231 Valley Blvd., Suite G
DOCTORS
To be in this directory please call (661) 822-6828
MARK PESCHE, D.O. Board Certified Family Practice NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS
822-2530 Located at:
707 VALLEY BLVD.
Health & Fitness Ask the Doctor
Age no barrier to heart valve repair BY PAUL G. DONOHUE, M.D. CONTRIBUTING WRITER
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I had an echocardiogram. The findings are consistent with "moderate to severe aortic stenosis with trace mitral and tricuspid regurgitation and mild pulmonic insufficiency, with left atrial enlargement and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. The ejection fraction is greater than 65 percent." My doctor referred me to a cardiologist, who told me I need surgery. I am 86 years old and do not feel it would be safe. Will you explain in plain English what I have, and if surgery would lengthen my life span? -- M.I. ANSWER: Forget about the mitral, tricuspid and pulmonic heart valves. These three valves have an insignificant leak. Your aortic valve, however, is your main problem. The aortic valve closes after the heart pumps blood out to the rest of the body. Your valve is so narrow (stenosis) that it creates an obstacle to emptying
the heart of blood. That has given rise to "diastolic dysfunction." Your heart can't fill with blood normally, as it should between heartbeats (diastole). It is less stretchable. The aortic valve trouble has caused it to thicken. Early on in aortic stenosis, all goes well. When the valve narrows to a critical size, about 1 square centimeter, symptoms arise, and heart damage progresses more rapidly. The three most important symptoms and signs of aortic stenosis are shortness of breath when up and about, chest pain with activity and fainting spells. Once these symptoms appear, a downhill course in heart health is to be expected. Even though you're 86, age is not a contraindication to surgery. If your health is otherwise good, you could be a candidate
for it. Discuss with the doctor the surgery he has in mind. Ask if you might be able to receive a new valve inserted into the heart through a surface blood vessel by way of a catheter. No extensive incisions are made. It's a less-traumatic procedure. Replacement of your heart valve will increase your life span and will do away with the severe symptoms that come from a narrowed aortic valve. The booklet on heartvalve disorders describes the more common causes of heartvalve problems and how they are treated. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -No. 105W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What elevates a person's white blood cell count? What can a person do about it? Mine has been
high for a while. -- B.L. ANSWER: White blood cells are the body's warriors. They fight germs and perform other tasks to protect the body from infection. The normal white blood cell count is 5,000 to 10,000. Infections, inflammation, trauma, some noninfectious illnesses, leukemia and stress (including emotional stress) raise the count. So do dehydration and cortisone medicines. If no illnesses are found, it's not unusual to ignore the higher-thannormal count. If suspicions of hidden illness are high, then further testing has to be done -like a bone marrow test. A person can do nothing on his own to lower the count. DR. DONOHUE regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. © 2013 North America Synd., Inc.All Rights Reserved.
Pediatric Cancer landscape calls for global outreach (NewsUSA) Around the world, pediatric cancer survival rates are failing to keep pace with real-life treatment and diagnostic opportunities. Five-year survival rates for children with cancer went from 30 percent in the 1960s to 80 percent in the 2000s, but since then improvements have been sparse. Developing countries, those too often faced with few resources and treatment options, suffer the most. In Africa, an estimated four-fifths of childhood cancer patients do not survive. But the strict regulatory nature of pediatric drugs, including some-
what outmoded research methods, is just as problematic in Europe and the U.S. An associate director at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Hematology and Oncology Products calls for global cooperation, insisting on the acknowledgement "that childhood cancer is a growing problem" that needs more international collaboration in clinical research. Collaboration like The National Children's Cancer Society Global Outreach Program, which helps facilitate donations of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to
countries in need. Since 1993, NCCS has distributed more than $292 million in medical help across 41 countries. That's more than 108,000 children who have been treated or helped by the joint efforts of NCCS and their pharmaceutical partners. With collaborative efforts such as this, pediatric cancer patients from impoverished regions have better access to effective treatment, much-needed pharmaceuticals and methods for early detection. But there's still a long way to go. Oncologists say inter-
national progress depends on increasing the quality and quantity of drug research, with an emphasis on modernizing regulations and cooperative outreach. Making headway in research, combined with a higher volume of global aid programs from resources like NCCS, means more information and treatment options will be available to lowincome countries. To learn more about the state of pediatric cancer or the need for international aid and global outreach, visit www.thenccs.org/globalOutreach.