On the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast, Dr. Timothy Moynihan, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic, explains the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) crack down on companies making unproven cancer treatment claims and discusses common cancer myths. Also on the podcast, Dr. Elizabeth Cozine, a primary care physician at Mayo Clinic, covers primary care topics, including ear infections, HPV and the whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women. And Dr. Brian Carlsen, an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic, shares the story of reattaching the hand of a young accident victim.

The post #MayoClinicRadio Podcast: 6/3/17 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Timothy Moynihan, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic, will explain the FDA crackdown and discuss common cancer myths. Also on the program, Dr. Elizabeth Cozine, a primary care physician at Mayo Clinic, will cover primary care topics, including ear infections, HPV and the whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women. And Dr. Brian Carlsen, an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic, will share the story of reattaching the hand of a young accident victim.

Here is your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post FDA cracks down on bogus cancer treatments: Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Timothy Moynihan, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic, will explain the FDA crackdown and discuss common cancer myths. Also on the program, Dr. Elizabeth Cozine, a primary care physician at Mayo Clinic, will cover primary care topics, including ear infections, HPV and the whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women. And Dr. Brian Carlsen, an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic, will share the story of reattaching the hand of a young accident victim.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: FDA cracks down on bogus cancer treatments appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Timothy Moynihan, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic, will explain the FDA crackdown and discuss common cancer myths. Also on the program, Dr. Elizabeth Cozine, a primary care physician at Mayo Clinic, will cover primary care topics, including ear infections, HPV and the whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women. And Dr. Brian Carlsen, an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic, will share the story of reattaching the hand of a young accident victim.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Miss the show? Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Bogus cancer treatments / primary care hot topics / hand reattachment appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

/// Sound bite  ( Brian Carlsen, M.D., Mayo Clinic Plastic Surgeon)  "We can put things back together and get the x-ray to look good and even get the leg to look good, but if it's painful or it doesn't work or there is no sensation, then even that situation can be difficult for the patient.  And the patient may in some situations be better off with an amputation."  TRT :17 

Dr. Carlsen says much has been learned recently about treating severe limb damage through the unfortunate injuries of soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.  One of those lessons is to engage the patient in the decision-making process to best tailor limb reconstruction to their needs.

/// Sound bite  "When you're considering the patient, you have to think about what are their hobbies? What is their work? Are they able to go through a prolonged rehabilitation process?  How far are they from home? All of these issues."  TRT :13

Dr. Carlsen says the more patients participate in their health care decisions, the more likely they are to follow a doctor's advice and, ultimately, the higher their quality of life will be.       

The post Boston Marathon Bombing: Healing the Wounds appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Anistasia Smith and her mother, Bridgette Grunewald, give a big thumbs-up to Brian Carlsen, M.D., and the team at Mayo Clinic who cared for the then 4-year-old in February 2011. Anistasia’s left thumb had been severed in a recliner chair.

“Anistasia was asleep, cuddling on her grandma’s chest. When the recliner was brought to an upright position, her thumb was caught in the chair’s mechanism and cut off,” says Grunewald. “My mother put pressure on Anistasia’s hand to control the bleeding and called 911.”

First responders retrieved the thumb and used a bag of frozen vegetables from the family’s freezer to keep it cold and increase the likelihood of the tissue surviving.

Anistasia was transported from her home in Milroy, Minn., to a hospital emergency room in nearby Marshall. The on-call surgeon recommended Anistasia go to Mayo Clinic to determine if the thumb could be reattached.

“The surgeon told us that the window of opportunity for reattachment is about six hours. More than two hours had passed already while we waited for the surgical consultation,” says Grunewald. Mother and daughter were flown by helicopter to Rochester. “Anistasia had pain medication and was calm on the ride. She comforted me and told me not to cry.”

At Mayo Clinic, Anistasia was met by a surgical team and was in an operating room within minutes. “They assured me they would do everything possible to reattach my daughter’s thumb,” says Grunewald. “I had complete faith in them. Their dedication took away my fear.”

Dr. Carlsen, a plastic surgeon, explains why reattaching the thumb was so important. “Half of all hand function is dependent on the thumb,” he says. “The fingers need something to grasp against. If we cannot reattach a severed thumb, we will place another finger or even a toe in the thumb position. It’s the most important digit.”

The complex surgery took more than 12 hours. “The bones in a child’s hands are immature and the blood vessels we need to reattach are very small, requiring microsurgery,” says Dr. Carlsen.

In a subsequent operation, Dr. Carlsen performed a skin graft on her hand. Anistasia had hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Mayo Clinic to help the wound heal. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room. The lungs gather up to three times more oxygen than is possible at normal air pressure, and the blood carries this oxygen throughout the body, promoting healing. During her hospital stay, Anistasia had to remain still to avoid injuring her thumb.

“Anistasia was very brave and not intimidated by the doctors and nurses who tended to her,” says Dr. Carlsen. “Everyone on the team fell in love with her infectious spirit.”

At follow-up appointments in May, Dr. Carlsen removed a surgical pin that attached Anistasia’s thumb to her hand. And, he asked her to touch her thumb to her pinkie. Anistasia, now 5 and in preschool, passed the flexibility test with flying colors.

“We are so thankful Mayo Clinic was able to reattach Anistasia’s thumb,” says Grunewald. “Dr. Carlsen and his team are amazing. We are privileged to have had the best of the best. Dr. Carlsen made us feel like we were his only patients. Anistasia says she wants to become a doctor now. I’d love for her to be as skilled and supportive as he is.”

The article comes from our Sharing Mayo Clinic print publication.

Related Departments

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Pediatrics

The post Thumbs-Up After Successful Thumb Reattachment appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.