A person of any age and at any point during a serious illness may be referred for palliative care. Supportive care is specialized health care for improving the quality life of patients, their family, and their caregivers. It can also be provided in addition to treatments for curing the illness. Our board-certified specialists provide expert supportive care in an inpatient facility setting as well…, Inpatient Supportive care, One of our supportive care physicians is on call 24 hours a day, every day at our location within the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital - Medical Center. One of our board-certified physicians thoroughly evaluates all new patients and each patient remains under daily evaluation by our specialists. Patients with more complex needs may need more frequent evaluation. We regularly conduct family meetings…, Outpatient Supportive care, UT Health outpatient supportive care service is offered at the Geriatrics and Supportive Care practice and is for patients who require additional treatment to manage pain and other symptoms. Many of our patients have been recently discharged from a hospital or supportive care facility, and some are cancer survivors from the UT Health San Antonio Cancer Center and other cancer centers. For…
What Your Child May Look Like After Surgery, Several tubes and lines are needed to monitor and care for your child while in the hospital. Even when you know what to expect, it is overwhelming to see the amount of tubes and lines that will be on your child when they arrive in the intensive care unit after surgery. Below are some of the tubes and lines you might see on your child and their function. Most of these will be seen right after…
Our Outcomes
Our program is predicated upon the mission statement: “We wish to provide ridiculously wonderful care to children and families affected by congenital heart disease.” We refer to this mission statement often and have kept its meaning and intent as the guiding principle in how we have planned and produced our programmatic growth. We realize the only manner in achieving this mission is to treat…
Neonatal / Pediatric Transport Team, Neonatal/Pediatric Transport: 1-855-4-UHS-PED ( 855-484-7733 ) The Neonatal/Pediatric Transport Team is a 24/7 fully dedicated pediatric specialty team serving referring hospitals and clinics throughout San Antonio and South Central Texas. The team serves more than 35 surrounding South Central counties and completes more than 500 patient transports a year. The team can be requested through the…
General Guidelines, Thorough hand washing for all caregivers and anyone visiting your home Minimize exposure to crowded areas such as malls, churches, and social gatherings during the months of October through March Eliminate exposure to tobacco smoke, Prevention of Winter Illnesses, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Prevention Children under age two, should receive Palivizumab (Synagis®) shot starting in October and every month until March. This has been shown to reduce the incidence of RSV and decrease the chance of hospitalization for RSV., Flu Prevention, Children with CHD above six months of age should receive a flu shot in October. If less than six months of age, all close contacts should receive the flu shot or the live attenuated influenza vaccine (Flumist®). Any child who has never received the flu vaccine should receive two doses of the vaccine at least four weeks apart. Call your healthcare provider if your child develops any of the…, Endocarditis Prevention, Certain children with heart conditions may require antibiotics prior to medical and dental procedures. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether your child needs this added protection prior to procedures or tests.
Post-surgery care for lung and chest patients, Follow-up appointments Your follow-up appointments are listed on your discharge summary. Bring your discharge summary and all medications with you. Call 210-450-0999 if unable to keep your appointment. Medication list Please review it carefully and take only the medicines that are listed unless instructed otherwise by a physician. Wound care You may shower and allow incision to get wet. Blot…, Post-surgery care for esophageal patients, Restrict diet to soft foods for three months No hard, sharp or crusty foods like peanut brittle, Dorito chips, hard tacos, crusty breads, etc. No stringy foods like celery, fruits with skin (example apples, unless peeled) Crush all medicines if possible or take in elixir form Weigh at least twice weekly and record weights in a diary. Bring this information with you for your follow-up appointment…
Post-Surgery Care For Cardiac Patients, Follow-up appointments, Follow-up appointments are listed on your discharge summary. Bring your discharge summary and all medications in the bottles with you. Call 210-450-0999 if unable to keep appointment., Discharge medications, Take only the medications listed on your discharge summary. Discard old medications. Please review your medication list carefully and compare medications picked up from pharmacy with discharge medication list., Wound care, Shower daily and wash incisions with mild soap and water. Do not soak or submerge incisions in water — no baths, swimming pools or hot tubs. The top layer of your skin may be sealed with surgical glue. Around 10-14 days post-surgery, you may experience flaking of the glue around the incision. The incision should remain closed. It is normal for your incision to be bruised, itchy, numb and/or sore…, Pain management, Take pain medication when the pain first begins — don’t wait until you are in severe pain. Use your medication only as directed. If the pain does not get better or if it gets worse, call us. Medications taken by mouth need at least 20 minutes to take effect. Take pain medication before any activities that increase pain (for example: walking, using the breathing machine). Most pain medications…, Activity do's and don'ts, Do get some light exercise daily. Walking is the best choice. Do NOT lift any object weighing more than five pounds for four weeks. Five pounds is approximately the weight of a gallon of milk in each hand. Do NOT drive for six weeks or until cleared by your physician Do NOT drive while taking pain medication Do NOT return to work or school until cleared by your physician Refrain from sexual…, Diet, Avoid added salt Decrease intake of fats and cholesterol Eat a balanced, healthy diet to help your wound heal, Please check your incisions every day. If any of the following occurs, call 210-450-0999 . For any life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1 ., Swelling Opening in the incisions Redness (a small, non−tender rim less than 1/4" on edge of incision is probably normal) Excessive tenderness Drainage (yellow or bloody, or any fluid with an odor) Temperature above 101 degrees
Treatment options for those with Trigemenial Nueralgia (TN) include medication, nerve blocks, complementary approaches or various surgical procedures. Below you will find more information on each treatment option., Medication, Anticonvulsant medicines are used to block nerve firing and are generally effective in treatment of TN. Tricyclic antidepressants are used to treat pain described as constant, burning or aching. Typical analgesics and opioids are not usually helpful in treating the sharp, recurring pain caused by TN. If medication fails to relieve pain or produces intolerable side effects such as excess fatigue,…, Nerve Blocks, A nerve block is an injection that temporarily inhibits a nerve’s ability to transmit pain signals: Local Anesthetics – A local anesthetic is injected into the trigger area and stops the pain for approximately the time period that the drug is active. This is not a means of achieving long term relief. Alcohol Block – Alcohol is injected into the peripheral branches of the trigeminal nerve…, Complementary Techniques, Some patients choose to manage TN using complementary techniques, usually in combination with drug treatment. These therapies have not been studied as thoroughly as medication or surgical procedures for TN, but some people have benefited from them. These therapies offer varying degrees of success. Be sure to consult with your doctor before trying out any new complementary therapies. Acupuncture…, Surgery, Surgical procedures that are used to treat TN can be classified as either destructive or non-destructive. Non-destructive treatments attempt to eliminate the underlying cause of trigeminal neuralgia without causing injury or damage to the trigeminal nerve. The most common treatment within this category is microvascular decompression (MVD). During MVD, physicians move any compressing blood vessels…, Surgery: Balloon Compression, During balloon compression, a tube called a cannula is inserted through the cheek and guided to the position where one branch of the trigeminal nerves passes through the base of the skull. A soft catheter with a balloon tip is threaded through the cannula and the balloon is inflated to squeeze part of the nerve against the hard edge of the dura mater (a thick covering that surrounds the brain).…, Surgery: Glycerol Injection, Glycerol injection is usually an outpatient procedure in which the patient is sedated intravenously. A thin needle is passed through the cheek, next to the mouth, and guided through the opening in the base of the skull to where all three branches of the trigeminal nerve come together. The physician then injects a small amount of sterile glycerol that damages the trigeminal nerve fibers and blocks…, Surgery: Radiofrequency Thermal Lesioning, During this procedure, a patient is sedated while a hollow needle is inserted through the face and guided to the trigeminal nerve. Once the needle is positioned, the patient is awakened. The surgeon inserts an electrode through the needle and uses it to send a mild electric current. This causes a tingling sensation in the patient’s face. The patient is asked when and where the tingling occurs.…, Surgery: Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Stereotactic radiosurgery (gamma knife, cyber knife) uses computer imaging to direct highly focused beams of radiation at the site where the trigeminal nerve exits the brainstem. This causes the formation of a lesion (injury) that disrupts the nerve’s ability to transmit pain signals to the brain. Patients usually leave the hospital the same day or the day following treatment. They do not…, Surgery: Mircovascular Decompression (MVD), MVD is the most invasive of all surgeries for TN, but it also offers the best opportunity for permanent relief. During the procedure, a physician makes an incision behind the ear. Using a microscope, the physician moves any arteries that are compressing the trigeminal nerve and places a pad between the nerve and the arteries. Patients recuperate in the hospital for several days afterward. If no…
Although early descriptions of TN can be inferred from the writings of Galen, Aretaeus of Cappadocia, and Avicenna, the first accurate descriptions of TN were not officially documented until the 1700s. In 1756, Nicholas André conceptualized TN in terms of convulsive behavior. He believed that the grimaces of pain his patients expressed suggested that TN belonged to the same spectrum of diseases…
Below are brief descriptions of our radiology services with links to more information., MRI / MRA, The physician practice of UT Health San Antonio offers a complete range of MRI/MRA imaging services. MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. MRI is an imaging device that uses a magnetic field to create images of any part of the body. Some scans require an injection of a contrast material. The length of the exam can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour per procedure depending on the exam…, CT scan, CT stands for computed tomography. We have a 64 Slice CT scanner that provides superior and faster diagnostic information with less radiation and higher resolution resulting in superior image quality and greater diagnostic confidence. Some CT scans require special preparation, for example NPO, oral contrast or pre-medication if allergic to iodine., Digital x-ray, An x-ray (radiograph) is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Imaging with x-rays involves exposing a part of the body to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body. X-rays are the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging., Bone density screening, Bone densitometry , also known as DXA scan, is used to determine bone mineral density in patients. This is used in diagnosing osteoporosis, a disease that affects millions of Americans, primarily postmenopausal women. A bone density scan also determines fracture risk by measuring sites in the body that are most common for adult fractures. The scanner we use is the GE Lunar Prodigy Advance. It is…, Ultrasound, Ultrasound imaging uses high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Unlike x-rays, ultrasound exams do not use radiation. Because ultrasound images are captured in real time, they can show the structure and movement of the body's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels.