Medicare now covers two types of office visits — one when you are new to Medicare, and one each year after that. This is a free benefit for all patients with Medicare. Here are some facts you should know so you can take charge of your health and wellness. Your comprehensive "Welcome to Medicare" visit includes: Height, weight, and blood pressure measurements A calculation of your body mass index…, Annual Wellness Visit Coverage, Your annual "wellness" visit is not an annual physical — it is a regular strategy session designed to help you and your physician develop an ongoing health plan intended to keep you healthy, safe and independent for a long time. It will enable you and your physician to develop or update a prevention plan, based on your current health and risk factors. If you have Medicare, you will not be charged…
What are kidney stones?, Kidney stones are formed when minerals such as calcium crystallize in the urine. The stones typically form in the kidneys and can cause pain or urinary blockage when they pass. The UT Health San Antonio Comprehensive Kidney Stone Center is unique because we provide care for the entire disease process from acute stone treatment with state-of-the-art procedures to comprehensive metabolic evaluation…, Treatments, Minor outpatient procedures such as cystoscopy with ureteral stent placement to bypass an obstructing kidney stone may be performed in the office. Outpatient surgery, if needed, may be performed by our physicians at the MARC Day Surgery Center. More complex percutaneous procedures requiring overnight observation will be performed in a hospital. Our board-certified, fellowship-trained…, Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), , a non-invasive procedure in which sound waves are sent through the back and focused onto a kidney stone. The sound waves create a shock wave that causes the kidney stone to fragment. The ideal patient for shock wave lithotripsy is someone with a small stone (less than two centimeters in diameter) in the kidney or the ureter that is not causing significant obstruction. The procedure is an…, Ureteroscopy, , a minimally-invasive procedure in which a small scope is placed through the urethra into the bladder and up the ureter to a kidney stone. The kidney stone is then fragmented with a laser and/or extracted with a small basket. At the end of the procedure, a temporary stent is placed in the ureter to prevent blockage of urine flow due to the passage of stone fragments or swelling of the ureter.…, Percutaneous nephrolithotomy, , a minimally-invasive procedure in which a small scope is placed through the back into the kidney. The kidney stones are then broken up with a combination ultrasound and pneumatic probe or laser and extracted through the back. At the end of the procedure, a drainage tube (nephrostomy) is left in the kidney to drain the kidney in case blockage of urine flow due to stone fragments, blood clot, or…, Prevention, For patients at increased risk for kidney stone recurrence and who wish to pursue a proactive approach to preventing future stones, we provide a comprehensive metabolic evaluation. This evaluation helps determine the causes of a patient’s kidney stones and directs preventative strategies that may involve focused dietary changes or medication therapy.
The hospitals affiliated with UT Health San Antonio's General Surgery and our physicians are committed to our missions: Providing the highest quality of care to our patients Advancing medical knowledge Improving the delivery of care by supporting research Promoting the good health of the community Teaching the next generation of health professionals We perform surgery at the following hospitals…, Information about teaching hospitals, Teaching hospitals are affiliated with a medical school or a school of nursing or other health-related professions. In the United States, physicians are typically trained in a teaching hospital. University Hospital is the primary teaching hospital affiliated with UT Health San Antonio., What advantages does a teaching hospital provide to the patient?, Patients have 24-hour access to physician care. Physicians at all levels of training and their supervising attending physicians participate in the care of the patient. Through the affiliation with the Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, University Hospital is able to offer a broad range of clinical services, provide medical education and sponsor basic and applied medical research…
With the advancement of assisted reproductive technologies, many more patients have embryos cryopreserved (frozen) after a fresh IVF stimulation. This is likely due to improved IVF stimulation techniques, improved laboratory environment for extended culture of embryos, development of new technologies for cryopreservation such as vitrification, and expansion of the use of preimplantation genetic…
Based on your insurance benefits and health questionnaire, your personalized care plan will include some or all of the following: Physical exam Dermatology exam Eye exam (if requested) Lab work Other tests, consultations or counseling may be requested or recommended after reviewing your family history, lifestyle and test results. This could include: Cardiac stress test Chest X-ray Colonoscopy Ear…