medicine

Springfield Hospital Uses Leeches To Treat Patients

Michele Skalicky — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:09:11 +0000

A medical procedure that goes back thousands of years is enjoying a resurgence: leeching. The segmented worms are used primarily in microsurgeries like limb reattachments and plastic surgery.

At the Mercy Springfield pharmacy in Springfield, MO leeches are kept in a jar in a refrigerator.

Leeches are classified as medical devices by the US Food and Drug Administration and about 20 medical grade leeches that are kept in case they’re needed, which is usually once or twice a year.

Branson Hospital Uses Maggots To Heal Wounds, Reattach Limbs

Michele Skalicky — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:03:30 +0000

Maggots, a method that some might consider old-fashioned, are being used to treat wounds that won’t heal, in plastic surgery and in limb reattachments at a hospital in Branson.

Liliane Sparks of Hollister has health problems that prevent her from using a hyperbaric chamber to help heal her wounds. But without the proper treatment of the deep wounds on her feet, she faced amputation. Her doctor, Bob Dorsey at CoxHealth in Branson, suggested maggot debridement therapy.

90-Mile View: Dr. Gary Yarbrough

Danie Alexander and Steve Kraske — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Dr. Gary Yarbrough has practiced family medicine in small towns for 30 years. In that time he's met some memorable people.

Allergies: Indoor, Outdoor & Everywhere

Beth Lipoff and Steve Kraske — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:29:09 +0000

With the temperatures soaring this week, spring has burst onto the scene… and that means lots of pollen.

Nobel Winners Unlocked Cells' Unlimited Potential

Michaeleen Doucleff — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:14:00 +0000

The two scientists who won this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine discovered that cells in our body have the remarkable ability to reinvent themselves. They found that every cell in the human body, from our skin and bones to our heart and brain, can be coaxed into forming any other cell.

The process is called reprogramming, and its potential for new drugs and therapies is vast.