A nurse will provide a quick written test that can help you assess your risk factors and conduct a simple diabetes screening, and other educational literature will be available. For more information, call St. John's Episcopal Hospital at (718) 869-7750, or the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (342-2383).
Annual spring blood drive at NCC
Nassau Community College, in conjunction with the Nassau University Medical Center, is putting out an open call to members of the community to make a blood donation during its annual spring blood drive, scheduled for March 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the school's College Center Building.NCC and NUMC hope to supply a substantial percentage of the area's need for blood products, and the drive is part of a six-times-a-year effort to encourage all able individuals to participate in this vital activity. "Through our educational efforts to increase the number of blood donors, and our own contributions, the College hopes we will meet a substantial level of the community's blood needs," said Professor Arthur Friedman, co-chair of the NCC blood drive task force. "We look forward to working in partnership with community residents in this much-needed blood drive."Make an appointment to give blood by calling Professor Friedman at 572-7883, or stop in March 17, and say "I want to be a blood donor." The donation process takes less than an hour and refreshments will be served to participants. The blood drive is sponsored by the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and the Engineering Society of Nassau Community College. Blood donors must be at least 17 years old, in good health, and should come with some photo identification. Although small snacks will be provided, it is also asked that donors eat before donating.
Pregnancy Workshop
Winthrop University Hospital will present a bilingual pregnancy workshop on Saturday March 19, at 11 a.m. at the Freeport Memorial Library, The program will discuss timely, health-related information for pregnant women and women who are considering becoming pregnant. The Freeport Memorial Library is located at 144 West Merrick Road, between South Bergen Place and South Ocean Avenue, and is accessible to persons with disabilities. For additional information, call 379-3274.
Less pain, quicker recovery
In a continuation of its development of surgical programs that are dedicated to minimally invasive surgery, South Nassau Communities Hospital recently launched a Center for Advanced Orthopedics. The center is one of the first of its kind in the Northeast to commit to using arthroscopic technology and minor incisions, to repair common, and sometimes serious, knee or shoulder injuries. "No pain, no gain - that's not what we believe in," said Akram Boutros, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at South Nassau. "The mission of the Center is to link the advantages of modern surgical technology, such as the arthroscope, and the skills of exceptionally-trained specialists to eliminate the painful and often debilitating after-effects caused by open surgery, which delay patients' recovery and hinder their rehabilitation."The arthroscope is a pen-shaped instrument with a very small video camera attached to the end of it that transmits a three-dimensional view of the surgical field on a high definition monitor. The view can be magnified as much as 30 times, giving the surgeon a clear and unobstructed vision of damaged areas of the knee or shoulder. The arthroscope is not new: what's new is the precision and skill that now wields the arthroscope to accomplish previously complex and debilitating surgery in an efficient, gentle way.From this visual advantage, the Center's orthopedic surgeons complete each operation in less than two hours with pencil-thin surgical tools, which require an approximately 1/4-inch incision in the joint. This reduces trauma to surrounding tissues, the loss of blood and post-operative pain. As a result, patients experience a quicker recovery and a return to daily activities. Minimally invasive knee and shoulder surgery require a 1/2-inch incision compared to a five-inch incision for the open approach. The patients' average length of rehabilitation of minimally invasive shoulder surgery ranges between four to six weeks, while the length for open surgery is between four to six months. The length of rehabilitation after minimally invasive knee surgery is two to 10 weeks, compared to 36-52 weeks for open surgery.
