Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Spring 2013 - (Page 4)

A HEALTHY START AS K T H E D O C Q: WHAT IS AN AORTIC ANEURYSM AND WHO IS AT RISK? HOW IS IT TREATED? MEET WITH DR. GONZE To make an appointment with Dr. Gonze at Vascular Surgery Associates in Bel Air, call 410-879-2006. A: The aorta is the main blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body. An aortic aneurysm is essentially a weak area of the vessel that bulges out. It can happen to anyone, but is most common in men older than 60. Other risk factors include obesity, smoking, high blood pressure and family history. Most aortic aneurysms present no symptoms. If there are any, it is usually sudden pain in the lower back or abdomen. Treatment depends mainly on the size and growth rate of the bulge. Some grow quite slowly and do not need immediate treatment. Rapidly growing aortic aneurysms are more dangerous as they are more likely to rupture, and surgery is needed to repair them. Because your aorta is such a large blood vessel, a rupture is life-threatening due to rapid blood loss. Older surgical procedures were quite involved and required long recoveries. Newer, minimally invasive options are now available, which allow the aneurysms to be repaired with quicker recovery times. At Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, where we are one of a select few national training sites, our vascular surgeons teach other surgeons how to use the latest technology. Mark Gonze, MD, FACS Chief of Surgery of Upper Chesapeake Health and Co-Medical Director of the Upper Chesapeake Heart and Vascular Institute Aquatic therapy supports the weight of a person and allows him or her to exercise without the stress of gravity. Using the natural pressure of water, aquatic therapy can help reduce joint and tissue swelling and allows a person to achieve effective muscle strengthening with less pain. Another beneﬁt is the emotional boost people get when they are able to do things in the water that they might not be able to do in a traditional physical therapy session without more time. Upper Chesapeake Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation has partnered with the Y in Abingdon to provide an aquatic therapy program in the Y’s new heated pool. Aquatic therapy has been shown to beneﬁt patients with arthritis, orthopeadic injuries, pain, weakness, or balance deﬁcits. You will need an order from a physician, and most insurance is accepted. Call 443-409-0051 to schedule an appointment! 4 MARYLAND’S HEALTH MATTERS ©2013 THINKSTOCK AQUATIC THERAPY Comes to the Y

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Spring 2013

Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Spring 2013
Contents
A Healthy Start
Like This? Try That!
The Breath of Life
At a Glance
Physician Update
News and Events

Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Spring 2013