when you complain about health care...

The Sentinel-
MORE PROCEDURES TO BE AXED
15:00 - 08 July 2006
Other procedures to be hit in general surgery due to the cut-backs are removal of piles, cysts, unblocking of clogged up arteries in some patients, stomach stapling and circumcision. They will only go ahead in exceptional circumstances. Ear, nose and throat treatments to go are grommets for glue ear, some tonsil removal (not in exceptional circumstances) and surgery to stop snoring. In orthopaedics, overweight people will be denied joint replacements in some cases and instead offered weight loss support, ganglions on the wrists will not be removed unless in exceptional circumstances, epidural injections will not be routinely funded for low back pain, and some knee pain will not be dealt with. In oral surgery, wisdom teeth removal will go and dental implants withdrawn except for mouth reconstruction in cancer patients and major trauma cases. Other services to go include sterilisation reversal, some low-risk ultrasound testing in pregnancies, penis implants, some cataracts and eyelid lump removal except where there are complications.