nodowry

THE LAST CHANCE TO WIN
THE WAR AGAINST FEMALE FETICIDE
PARTIAL RECALL OF ULTRA SOUND SCANNERS

“If there was a way to address the decrease in sex ratio in some of the economically best states such as Punjab or Haryana ..., it would be a great achievement.”- Hon’ble Shri K.G. Balakrishnan, Chief Justice of India.

India, the second most populous nation on Earth, could find itself dealing with the combined frustrations of as many as six million single men/bachelors and no women by 2020. Female feticide is creating a shortage of female babies. The problem may further aggravate in future decades. Chinese experience suggests that this in turn may create a society totally unsafe for women and children. Census, 2001 revealed that India has 8,49,99,203 boys and 7,88,20,411 girls in 0-6 years age group.

Just days after India had elected a woman to the highest office , remains of several female fetuses were discovered. Western media, particularly the BBC was quick to remind its audience that the case of aborted female fetuses was not one-off incident but reflected the continuing gender bias in India despite laws against it.

Ultra sound scanners are the new Weapons of Mass Destruction in India. Each year one million baby girls are being killed through sex selective abortions. The decision to abort a female fetus is taken instantly with the help of ultra sound scanners which are easily accessible throughout the country and affordable to all.
A glance at the child-sex ratio (0-6 years) will reveal that it started falling considerably after 1981and ultra sound scanners entered India during 1980s.

YEAR CHILD SEX RATIO VARIATION

1961 976
1971 964 -12
1981 962 -02
Introduction of Ultra Sound Scanners in India
1991 945 -17
2001 927 -18

Pre-conception sex selection is possible in pre-conception medical interventions which are expensive, not affordable to a large number of people.

Pre-Implantation Generic Diagnosis (P.G.D.)
It involves two stages: In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and genetic testing. In IVF, parental sperm and eggs are collected and brought together to create fertilized eggs. By their third day, the zygotes consist of about eight cells and are transferred to the woman’s uterus. PGD’s genetic tests are performed at the early preimplantation stage of a six-to ten-cell embryo. Clinicians remove one cell and analyze its DNA for certain
genetic and chromosomal characteristics. Currently, a panoply of genetic tests are available, including those for cystic fibrisis,Tay-Sachs disease, Down syndrome, Hemophilia A and sex. The embryos selected for implantation are ultimately transferred to the woman’s uterus; the extra embryos may be discarded or frozen for future use.
Germany has effectively banned P.G.D. through its Embryo Protection Act, which prohibits the creation of embryos for any reason other than realizing pregnancy. [Harvard Law Review Vol.118:2770, Regulating P.G.D.: The Pathologization Problem]
Another method -Ericsson method, developed by Dr. Ronald Ericsson is less than 70 % accurate, but P.G.D. is 100% accurate though expensive.

Pre-natal sex determination can be done with the following medical techniques:

Ultrasonography [done after 14 week gestational period-instant result]
Amniocentesis[done after 15 week gestational period-takes 14-21 days to get result]
C.V.S.. Chorionic Villus Sampling [done after 12-14 week gestational period-takes 2 days to get result]

Amniocentesis
A large-bore hypodermic needle is used to penetrate the uterine wall. The syringe is inserted to avoid the placenta and the fetus- both of which can usually be localized by a technique-ultrasonography-and a few ml of amniotic fluid are withdrawn.
This fluid contains sloughed-off fetal cells is then used to begin tissue cultures. After the fetal cells have multiplied enough to provide sufficient material, certain diagnostic tests can be performed.
The timing of amniocentesis is crucial to the success of the effort. The test can not be performed much earlier than 15th week diagnosis may have to wait 3 weeks while the fetal cells grow.
Amniocentesis is usually performed during the fourth month of pregnancy in conjunction with genetic counseling of parents with suspected inheritable defects, when the pregnant woman's age might predispose the fetus to genetic abnormalities, or when the woman has been exposed to substances that could seriously harm fetal development. The procedure has been shown to increase the risk of subsequent miscarriage by 0.5 percent. More than 75 abnormalities and the sex of the fetus can be ascertained by analyzing the fetal cells in amniotic fluid. Perhaps the most common use of the test is to detect Down's syndrome.
[Source: Genetics, Law & Social policy –Philip Reilly, Harvard University Press, 1971]

Chorionic villus sampling
In chorionic villus sampling, a doctor removes tissue from the chorionic villi, fingerlike projections that are part of the developing placenta, between 10 and 12 weeks of pregnancy. Using ultrasound guidance, the doctor inserts either a needle through the woman’s abdominal wall or a thin, hollow tube called a catheter through her cervix to reach the chorionic villi. The doctor suctions out cells using a syringe.
[Source: Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2004]
Ultra sound is the main culprit among all these techniques because it instantly gives result, is non-invasive, accessible and affordable to all. More importantly it facilitates other two techniques which are invasive and performed with the help of ultrasonography.
Routine ultra sound scanning is illegal in India and safety of ultra sound scanning is not established which is usually done by untrained persons who over-expose the fetus and can not always determine fetal sex accurately.
Many private clinics have been disclosing the sex of the fetus leading to sex-selective abortions.
Once the fetal sex is found to be female, many couples proceed to medical termination of pregnancy which is Illegal, unethical, distressful and unsafe to the woman.

Post-natal elimination-Infanticide- is an overtly ‘barbaric’ practice, carried by non-professional and less powerful persons e.g. traditional dais or an old person in the household. It does not allow parents to distance themselves from the event, i.e. the killing of the child and free of any guilt. [McKee 1984]
Sex-selective abortion, on the other hand, is carried out by ‘professionals’, superior in the power hierarchy. They use scientific techniques, hardware and skills; sanitize the process eliminating the fetus and reduce the burden on the parents. [Economic and Political Weekly 11.10.2003, Survival Of The Girl Child-Tunneling Out Of The Chakravyuha By Satish & Agnihotri]

Role of ultra sound scanners
Child sex ratio is low in the areas where ultra sound scanners are more easily available. A study by the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics establishes a clear correlation between the number of sonography centers and decline in child sex ratio in Maharashtra. The average sex ratio for districts with more than 100 sonography centers is 901 and for districts with less than 100 sonography centers it is 937 the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in 2004, initiated surveys in selected states to study the functioning of ultrasound sonography centers in detail and to understand the various issues involved in their functioning so that appropriate action can be taken to strengthen the implementation of the Act. Population research centers in Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, New Delhi and Andhra Pradesh were entrusted with the task of conducting separate surveys in their respective states, to assess the extent and use of ultrasound machines in the country. A survey of sonography centers was done mainly to determine the extent of ‘untrained’ ownership and the purposes for which the sonographies were carried out.
Researchers at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune, were able to establish a direct link between the availability of sonography centers and a decline in the female sex ratio between 1991 and 2001 in Maharashtra. The study also showed that districts with more than 100 sonography centers had a distinctly lower child sex ratio than districts with less than 100 sonography centers. The average sex ratio for districts with more than 100 sonography centers is 901 and for districts with less than 100 sonography centers it is 937.The study explains that this is a rough indication of the link between higher availability of sonography centers and a decline in child sex ratio. Gadchiroli district with the smallest number of sonography centers (five) has the highest female sex ratio (974) in the state. Four districts -- Gadchiroli, Gondiya, Nandurbar and Bhandara -- with a fewer number of sonography centers (less than 20) have a healthier child sex ratio (958 and above).
It is also observed that 80% of owners have fixed machines; only 12% use mobile machines. At ‘trained’ centers, only 7% use mobile machines; the number increases to 25% for ‘untrained’ centers, indicating a tendency among untrained owners to make use of a ‘mobile’ facility in the absence of capacity to invest. Studies in various parts of the country have also observed that mobile facilities are mostly used to carry out illegal sex-determination tests and abort female fetuses.
[Source:www.infochangeindia.org/bookandreportsprint94.jsp - visited on 01.10.2007]

So the entire focus should be on ultra sound scanners in the war against female feticide, that too on privately owned ultra sound scanners.
The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994

(PC & PNDT Act) controls the operation of ultra sound scanners in India. Ultra sound scanners are used by Genetic Counseling Centre [s2(c)], Genetic Clinic [s2 (d)] (includes vehicles fitted with ultra sound scanners), Genetic Laboratory [s2 (e)].
Evaluation report dt.30.06.2006 submitted by the National Support and Monitoring Cell- PNDT sadly observed that: “... [T]here is neither transparency nor clarity in the functioning of the officials/Authorities authorized under the [PC&] PNDT Act. What is more distressing is the fact of wrong reporting that has been going on. There is no accountability nor any will to enforce the national laws at any level. The State is totally complacent on the issue, since there is no monitoring of action as prescribed in the Act, and total irresponsible reporting in flagrant violation of norms, rules and regulations. That the reports furnished by the State Government form the basis for facts being placed before the Parliament is also a matter that can not be ignored.”

We need guidelines that do not allow private Genetic Counseling Centers/Genetic Clinics/Genetic Laboratories to operate anymore in the country, disallowing private persons to operate the same by amending the PC & PNDT Act and the Rules made there under and cancel the licenses of the existing centers currently operating in the larger public interest. All the existing Centers should be seized. Compensation may be paid if they were already registered under The Act and such seized ultra sound scanners may be given to the Government hospitals which are not having such equipment. This will be a 'partial Recall' of ultra sound scanners.
At the same time manufacturing and importing of hand-held ultra sound scanners should be prohibited.
British Medical Journal [10APRIL2004] reported that The U.S. Food and Drug Administration shut down commercial establishments offering pre-natal ultra sound videos. The FDA says that at higher levels it is used daily to speed the healing of fractures and because of its heating effect, to treat sprains and pulled muscles. Even at low level ultra sound can cause jarring vibrations and a rise in temperature.
[See ANNEXURE I]

The Indian Ministry Of Health And Family Welfare effectively banned private blood banks by amending the Drugs And Cosmetics Rules 1945, by making the Drugs And Cosmetics (6th Amendment) Rules, 2005.Now blood banks in India can only be run by the Government, Indian Red Cross Society, hospital, charitable trust or voluntary organization approved by a state Transfusion Council only. Similar approach can be adopted to deal with privately owned ultra sound scanners. [See ANNEXURE II]

Non-availability of ultra sound scanners will also control population growth –because most couples who do not want a girl child do not go for a second child when they can not pre-select the sex of the fetus.
Because no family will be ever sure of the sex of the child’s sex before its birth.
Besides, non-availability of ultra sound scanners will promote women’s health (both physical and mental health) because she need not undergo unnecessary abortions each and every time the fetus is found to be female.
Medical fraternity in India may strongly object to these measures because ultrasonography has a major role in medical diagnostics. [See ANNEXURE III]
But this will not result in total absence of ultra sound scanners .They will be made available in Government hospitals. Medical fraternity should come forward to bear with the partial absence of ultra sound scanners from their laboratories in the larger public interest until the child sex-ratio in India reaches satisfactory levels.

Land access enhances a woman's livelihood options and gives her a sense of empowerment .The findings of a recent study suggest that women who own property are less likely to encounter spousal violence A joint study by Pradeep Panda of the Centre for Development Studies Trivandrum, and Bina Agarwal of the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, has analyzed this issue in some detail. The survey covered 502 married rural and urban women within the age-group 15-49, in Kerala's Trivandrum The study's findings did bear out the fact that ownership of immovable property by women is associated with a dramatically lower incidence of both physical and psychological harassment, as well as long-term and current violence. For example, as many as 49% of the women who owned neither land nor house suffered
Long-term physical violence, compared with 18% and 10% respectively of those who owned either land or a house, and 7% of those who owned both.
The effect of property ownership on psychological violence is even more dramatic. While 84% of property-less women suffered abuse, the figure was a much lower (16%) for women who owned both land and a house. Interestingly, while a fair proportion of women (propertied and property-less) faced dowry demands, only 3% of propertied women faced dowry-related beatings by their in-laws and husbands, compared to 44% of property-less women. [Source: InfoChange News & Features, August 2003]
Registration fee and other fees should be abolished on lands to be registered in favor of women. [But care should be taken to impose heavy penal charges on subsequent transfer of the lands in favor of men to discourage the same.]

Task force
Arvind Kumar, the then Collector of Hyderabad district, has illustrated what can be done through systematic work, and dedication. During 2003-2004 he actually tracked down all 389 diagnostic clinics n the city, issued show-cause notices to those 374 clinics which had not registered, took action against those providing incomplete information. Seized 112 machines that were not registered, and prosecuted equipment suppliers for supplying machines to clinics with no registration licenses. Later he was transferred to an unimportant post. Hyderabad has shown considerable improvement in terms of recent birth rate statistics.
Kishan kumar, deputy commissioner of Nawanshahr has started a drive to check female feticide. He imitated a survey of all children from 0-6 years in the 477 villages of the district, to gauge the extent of the problem in his area. He tried to computerize database of all pregnant women in the district with their delivery dates, and is updated every week-end. [Source: Outlook 27.02.2006]
A Task Force should be set up to oversee the implementation of the laws with persons like Arvin Kumar, former Collector of Hyderabad District and Kishan kumar, deputy commissioner of Nawanshahr.

Additional measures
In addition possibility of 33 1/3% reservation for women in Government and private jobs as well as education institutes as in Andhra Pradesh, similar reservation for women in police department as in Tamilnadu to reduce crimes against women ,abolition of all taxes on purchase of two wheelers intended for women to increase their mobility and abolition of registration fee and other fees on lands to be registered in favor of women (but care should be taken to impose heavy penal charges on subsequent transfer of the lands in favor of men to discourage the same.) should be debated. Government should appoint sufficient number of full time Dowry Prohibition Officers under the Dowry Prohibition Act 1961,s8-B who can also discharge their functions as Protection Officers under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005,s8(1).
These measures should be immediately initiated at least in selected states on a pilot basis.
We should go to any length to protect our Nation from possible disastrous consequences as a result of man’s actions against Nature.

The greatest sin on Earth

Each minute, we are killing a female fetus in India. A simple analysis of the 2001 Census shows that India has 61, 78,792 less girls in 0-6 year age group which means we killed more than more than 6 million female fetuses in one decade:1991-2001. An India. a Barkha, an Aishwarya, a Sania are being disallowed a single day of life span on this land. Ultra sound scanners have become the deadliest weapons of mass destruction in India.

Amartya Sen found the number of missing women in India to be 37 million, as a result of sex bias in relative care, using as the standard for comparison the female: male ratio of 1022 observed in sub-Saharan Africa(since women in that region receive less biased treatment)
[‘Missing women’, British Medical Journal Vol.304 1992;586-7]

Supported by the Special Fertility and Mortality Survey (SFMS) undertaken by The Office of the Registrar General of India The Lancet interpreted: “Prenatal sax determination followed by selective abortion of female fetuses is the most plausible explanation for the low sex ratio at birth in India. Based on conservative assumptions, the practice accounts for about 0.5 million missing female births yearly, translating over the past two decades into the abortion of some 10 female fetuses.” [‘Low male-to female sex ratio of children born in India: national survey of 1.1 million households’, The Lancet Vol 367 January 21,2006]

Prosperity can not be achieved without women. No nation has ever done it.
See the American experience: The number of women equaled the number of men in 1940s.And the U.S.A. started dominating the world from 1940s.

Year Sex-ratio(U.S.A.)
1920 961 women /1000 men
1930 975
1940 993
1950 1013
1960 1030
1970 1050

ANNEXURE I

FDA warns against commercial prenatal ultra sound videos
Janice Hopkins Tanne New York

Prenatal ultra sound videos called “keepsake videos” and taken by commercial studios may affect the fetus, warns the US Food and Drug Administration. The administration shut down such studios 10 years ago and is again considering regulatory action. Ultrasound is a form of energy and can’t be considered harmless, even at low levels, it says.
The studios have been springing up in shopping centres in cities and towns across the United States. Typically they use the latest high powered ultra sound equipment, which can cost up to $100 000 to produce images of the moving fetus.
The Studios’ offer expectant parents one of more sessions at different stages of the pregnancy for $ 125 to $ 250.the videos show the fetus’s fingers and toes,hair,muscles,facial features and genitals and show it sucking a thumb or moving about. Some of the studios’ websites post testimonials from parents who say that they bonded with their forthcoming baby and recognized features, such as the father’s nose. The studious say they are an optional service and do not replace prenatal care. The cost of the service is not reimbursed by health insurance.
The American college of obstetricians and gynecologists’ April newsletter to its says that the studios typically offer “a 30- to 45-minute ultra sound session with as many as eight to guests welcome; a video to take home, often set to music selected by the parents; a set of photos, both print and digital; gender determination if requested.”
In contrast, doctors use two dimensional ultra sound at a low power level to check for size, location, number, and age of fetuses and to check for birth defects, breathing and heart-beat. The result is a grainy black and white picture.
An article in the January and February issue of FDA consumer magazine points out that diagnostic prenatal examinations are carried out by trained professionals, while commercial ultrasonography is done by untrained people and may involve long exposures up to an hour (www.fda.gov/fdac/104_toc.html).
Although brief ultrasonography at low levels is considered safe. The FDA says that at higher levels it is used daily to speed the healing of fractures and because of its heating effect ,to treat sprains and pulled muscles. Even at low level ultra sound can cause jarring vibrations and a rise in temperature. Modern equipment can produce intensities that are eight times higher than those produced by equipment used 10 years ago.
The American Institute of Ultra sound in Medicine “strongly discourages the non-medical use of ultra sound for psychosocial or entertainment purposes.” Dr.John Seed, who heads the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, said that although there is no proof that ultra sound is damaging,” we used to think that about x rays too.”
[Source: British Medical Journal BMJ VOLUME 328 10APRIL2004, page 853]

ANNEXURE II

Ministry of Health and family welfare (Deptt.of Health) ,Noti.No.G.S.R.733(E),dated December 21,2005,published in the Gazette of India ,Extra., Part II, Section 3(i),dated 21st December,2005,pp,2-3,No.522

Whereas a certain rules further to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules,1945 was published, as required by Sections 12 and 33 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,1940 (23 of 1940),in the Gazette of India,Extraordinary,Part II,Section 3, sub-section (i)dated the 13th December,2004,under the notification of the of Government of India in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Department of Health),Number G.S.R.807(E),dated the 13th December,2004,inviting objections and suggestions from all persons likely to be affected thereby, before the expiry of a period of forty-five days from the date on which copies of the Official Gazette containing the said notification were made available to the public;
And, whereas copies of the said Gazette were made available to the public on 14-12-2004;
And, whereas Objections and suggestions received from the public have been considered by the central government;
Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by a Sections 12 and 33 of the said Act, the central government after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules,1945,namely:-

1. (1) These rules may be called the Drugs and Cosmetics (6th amendment) Rules, 2005.
(2)They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945,-
(i) in Rule 122-F,in sub-rule (1),`Explanation’ shall be omitted.
(ii)Rule 122-G shall be numbered as sub-rule (1) thereof and after sub-rule (1) as so renumbered, the following shall be inserted, namely:-
“(2) Application for grant or renewal of a license for operation of Blood Bank or processing of human blood components shall be made by the Blood Bank run by the Government, Indian Red Cross Society, hospital, charitable trust or voluntary organization approved by a State/Union Territory Blood Transfusion Council only.
Explanation: - For the purpose of this sub-rule,” renewal” shall include renewal of any license issued prior to the commencement of the Drugs and Cosmetics (6th amendment) Rules, 2005.”

Annexure III
Ultrasound Imaging - INTRODUCTION
Ultrasound Imaging is a medical diagnostic technique in which very high frequency sound is directed into the body. The tissue interfaces reflect the sound, and the resulting pattern of sound reflection is processed by a computer to produce a photograph or a moving image on a television. Ultrasound can be used to examine many parts of the body, but its best known application is the examination of the fetus during pregnancy.
The sound waves used in the ultrasound beam are produced by a rapidly oscillating crystal, and are inaudible to humans. A device called a transducer is used to transmit the sound waves and receive the echoes. The transducer must be in close contact with the skin, and a jellylike substance is smeared on the skin to improve the transmission of sound.
USES OF ULTRASOUND- FETAL EXAMINATION
During pregnancy, ultrasound is used to monitor the growth, development, and well-being of the fetus. Ultrasound can also be used to check the baby's due date; the size of the fetus's head can be measured and this is used to estimate its age. If multiple births are suspected, ultrasound may be used in order to confirm the number of fetuses. Ultrasound can be used to detect some fetal abnormalities, such as spina bifida, short-limbed dwarfism, or severe congenital heart diseases; this early diagnosis allows appropriate treatment to be given during pregnancy and childbirth. Ultrasound is also used in procedures involving the sampling of amniotic fluid or placental tissue.[Source:Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2004]
Ultra sound is also useful for:

Determining gestational age
Determining fetal weight
Measurement of growth
Diagnosis of fetal distress
Multiple gestation
Abruption placenta
Placenta previa
Prolonged pregnancy
Neural tube defects
Cleft lip and cleft palate
Chronic hypertension during pregnancy
Congenital abnormalities
Congenital heart diseases
Diabetic
Diagnosis of intra-uterine growth retardation
Premature rupture of membranes
Fetal surveillance for high risk obstetric patient
Hydrocephaly

[Source:FERNANDO ARIAS, High Risk Pregnancy and Delivery,1984]

Outside of obstetrics

Diagnostic ultra sound has made tremendous impact in day to day management of patients; it is a versatile non-invasive imaging modality. It is extremely useful in the evaluation of lesions of soft tissues and organs like the liver, gall bladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, bladder and prostate. Small and large mass lesions can be detected and the nature of the lesions-whether solid or cystic or mixed type can be determined. It is used to detect tumors, damage, or abnormalities in the liver, kidney, ovaries, eyes, and other organs.
Ultrasound can be used to examine the arterial system, heart, pancreas, peritoneal cavity, urinary system, ovaries, venous system , brain, and spinal cord. Fluid conducts the sound waves well, making ultrasound a useful technique for diagnosing cysts (which are filled with liquid), examining fluid-filled structures such as the bladder or biliary system, and viewing the fetus in the amniotic sac. Air, bone, and other calcified tissues absorb nearly all the ultrasound beam, so this technique cannot be used to examine the bones or lungs.
Ultrasound examination of the heart is known as echocardiography. Echocardiography is used to study congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, tumors of the heart and other cardiac disorders. Ultrasound can also be used to guide surgical procedures, for example during the insertion of a biopsy needle into a particular area or the pregnancy diagnostic test called amniocentesis. Doppler ultrasound is used to measure the flow of a liquid, for example blood flow. Endoscopic ultrasound, Color Doppler in abdomen diseases, Harmonic imaging are other possibilities.

Diagnosis of medical conditions has been enhanced by ultrasound, computerized axial tomography (CAT, or CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the endoscope, which doubles as a highly precise, less invasive surgical instrument.

Valve abnormalities are often detected by listening to the heart with a stethoscope. Abnormal valves cause extra sounds in addition to the normal sequence of two heart sounds during each heartbeat. These extra heart sounds are often known as heart murmurs, and not all of them are dangerous. In some cases, a test called echocardiography may be necessary to evaluate an abnormal valve. This test uses ultrasound waves to produce images of the inside of the heart, enabling doctors to see the shape and movement of the valves as the heart pumps.

If a physician suspects an ovarian tumor, ultrasound may be used to create a picture of the organ from a pattern of sound wave echoes—tumors and healthy tissues produce different echoes.

Cirrhosis, irreversible liver damage characterized by scarring, or fibrosis, and widespread formation of nodules in the liver.The surest way to diagnose cirrhosis, especially in the earlier stages when symptoms are minimal, is by liver biopsy, in which a doctor uses a hollow needle to collect a small sample of liver tissue. In more advanced cases, symptoms such as jaundice, fluid in the abdomen, and generalized muscle wasting suggest a diagnosis of cirrhosis. Blood tests that show low albumin levels, elevated bilirubin levels, clotting problems, or other abnormalities can also point toward cirrhosis. Radiological tests such as ultrasound can sometimes detect advanced cases of cirrhosis.

The major disorder associated with the gallbladder is the presence of gallstones, varying in shape and size from a pea to a small pear. Accreted from the constituent salts in the bile, they are most common in diabetic patients, in blacks, and in women; their presence increases with age. Two of the reasons for the growth of gallstones are believed to be the presence of excessive amounts of substances such as calcium and cholesterol in the bile and the retention of bile in the gallbladder for a long period of time. The usual treatment for gallstones is surgical removal. Two naturally occurring bile salts, chenodeoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid, taken orally dissolve gallstones in some patients. Ultrasound treatment to shatter the stones also eliminates the need for surgery in some cases

If the diagnostic symptoms of hepatitis—including an enlarged and tender liver, jaundice, and fatigue—are present, a physician may order tests to evaluate liver function, such as a blood test for excess levels of the bile pigments that cause jaundice. If liver malfunction is confirmed, the doctor may perform an ultrasound examination to exclude the possibility of gallstones or cancer.

New techniques continue to advance the field of surgery. High frequency sound waves, called ultrasound, are directed at kidney and gallbladder stones to break them apart so that they can be eliminated through the excretory system. Cryosurgery freezes and destroys abnormal tissue and is used to treat hemorrhoids and some cervical disorders, and to remove certain skin growths. Laser surgery, on the other hand, uses a beam of light to vaporize or destroy tissue, a procedure commonly employed in ophthalmology, neurosurgery, and thoracic surgery.

Owners often regard pets as family members and expect them to receive the same compassion and caliber of medical care as human patients. Many veterinarians now use sophisticated diagnostic equipment such as endoscopes (fiber-optic devices for looking inside the body) and ultrasound machines (devices that use sound waves to create images of internal structures). [Source: Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2004]

nodowry

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Friday, August 18, 2006

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Followers

Blog Archive

About Me