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A gateway to the strategies, policies, programs and services delivered by the Department of Health & Human Services.
Victorian government portal for older people, with information about government and community services and programs.
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Brain surgery is performed for a number of reasons, including alterations in brain tissue, brain blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid...
Day surgery is completed in one day, usually the person does not have to stay in hospital overnight...
An anaesthetic is a drug or agent that produces a complete or partial loss of feeling...
Ask your doctor or surgeon about the benefits, risks and possible side effects of surgery...
Most people can resume normal activities around three weeks after an arthroscopy...
Before a biopsy, you need to discuss a range of issues with your doctor or surgeon...
A colonoscopy can be used to look for cancer of the colon (bowel cancer) or colon polyps, which are growths on the lining of the colon...
An endoscope or fibrescope is a long, usually flexible tube with a lens at one end and a video camera at the other...
The advantage of laparoscopy is that only a small incision is required, which is why it is also known as 'keyhole surgery'...
Donated blood is used to help people who are sick or injured, or for medical research...
Donated blood is screened for blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis, syphilis and HIV...
Corneal transplant surgery would not be possible without generous donors and their families, who have donated corneal tissue so that others may see...
Kidneys are often donated after death but more people are choosing to donate one of their kidneys while still alive (living kidney donation)...
Discover the facts about organ and tissue donation, decide about becoming a donor and discuss your decision with the people close to you...
Transplantation varies depending on the transplant organ or tissue so speak with your medical team about surgical procedures, recovery and medications...
A 'tummy tuck', or abdominoplasty, is cosmetic surgery to remove fat and excess loose skin from the abdomen...
Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, aims to improve the appearance of the upper eyelids, lower eyelids or both...
Body contouring is surgery to remove sagging skin and extra fat, and improve the shape and tone of underlying tissue...
An 'arm lift' is surgery to reshape or reconstruct the underside of the upper arm from the armpit to the elbow...
Breast implants are inserted under the skin to create larger breasts...
Breast reduction for men is surgery to correct overdeveloped or enlarged breasts...
Breast reduction surgery removes excess breast fat, glandular tissue and skin to achieve a breast size in proportion with your body...
A brow lift is cosmetic surgery to correct a sagging forehead and repair frown lines...
Cosmetic genital surgery involves reshaping the labia, vulva or penis to alter their size or shape...
Buttock and pectoral implants involve surgery to insert shaped silicone pieces into skin cavities...
Cosmetic surgery carries risks and, in some cases, the results are not what you may anticipate...
Cosmetic injections into the skin can be used to reduce wrinkles...
Ear correction surgery, or otoplasty, is usually done to move prominent ears closer to the head or to reduce the size of large ears...
A facelift is a type of cosmetic surgery that removes or tightens facial skin to make a person look younger...
Facial implants are used by people who want to restore or improve the normal shape of their face...
Hair transplant surgery involves taking skin from parts of the scalp where hair is growing and grafting it to the thinning or bald areas, or areas of trauma...
Liposuction is invasive surgery and is not a substitute for weight reduction or a cure for obesity...
People may choose to travel overseas to seek medical or surgical treatment that is unavailable in their home country. This is called medical tourism, and it's a booming industry worldwide. People...
Rhinoplasty may be performed for cosmetic reasons or to correct a structural problem...
IVF (in-vitro-fertilization) and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) are assisted reproductive treatment (ART) procedures in which fertilisation of an egg occurs outside the body...
A caesarean section is usually performed when it is safer for the mother or the baby than a vaginal birth...
Sterilisation is a permanent method of contraception that a woman can choose if she is sure that she does not want children in the future...
Having a vasectomy does not affect a man?s ability to produce male sex hormones, enjoy sex or reach orgasm...
A dilatation and curettage (D&C) is an operation performed on women to lightly scrape away the womb lining...
The conditions that prompt a hysterectomy can often be treated by other means, and hysterectomy should only be a last resort...
An appendectomy is usually carried out on an emergency basis to treat appendicitis...
Some women choose to have breast reconstruction surgery to give a similar appearance to the look of their original breast in normal clothes...
A craniotomy is an operation to open the skull (cranium) in order to access the brain for surgical repair...
During laser eye surgery, a computer-controlled laser is used to remove microscopic amounts of tissue from the front surface of the eye...
After heart bypass surgery, eat a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals and cold-water fish...
People with coronary heart disease talk about the medical procedures that followed their heart attack and diagnosis...
People with kidney failure need dialysis or a transplant to stay alive...
Knee replacement surgery removes a diseased knee joint and replaces it with an artificial joint...
A laminectomy is a surgical incision into the vertebra to obtain access to the spinal cord...
A laparotomy is a surgical incision into the abdominal cavity used to examine the abdominal organs and aid diagnosis...
A myomectomy is an operation performed to remove fibroids from the uterus...
Obesity surgery is not a form of cosmetic surgery, nor an alternative to good eating habits and regular exercise...
A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure that involves making a cut in the trachea (windpipe) and inserting a tube into the opening...
Surgery on the prostate gland can have many side effects, including erectile problems and urinary incontinence...
Getting a second opinion from another healthcare professional can help you make the right decision about about a diagnosis or treatment.
Want to know more about the medications you are taking. Search and find information sheets on over 4,000 prescription and over-the-counter medicines.
Find out more about over 170 common surgeries including risks, benefits and after care.