Pioneering Surgery gives man world's first 'bionic' penis

Medic-ALL (08;26;2015) IN THE NEWS! From engadget

When Edinburgh, Scotland resident Mohammed Abad was six years old, he was involved in a horrific car accident. He was struck by a vehicle and then dragged nearly 600 feet (180 meters), tearing his tallywhacker (and left testicle) clean off. But thanks to advances in modern medicine, and a dedicated team at the University of London, Abad will soon have a bionic penis that puts Steve Austin's junk to shame.

The University of London team has spent more than three years crafting a new, 8-inch wang out of skin grafts culled from Abad's forearm and becomes erect by mechanically pumping fluid into it. This pump is activated by a button located near his remaining testicle. "When you want a bit of action you press the 'on' button," Abad told The Sun. "When you are finished you press another button. It takes seconds. Doctors have told me to keep practising." He'd already undergone two surgeries before the recent 11-hour marathon installation surgery. Doctors on the team report that the prosthesis should be sufficient for Abad to start a family, if he so chooses.

This marks the first time that such a device has been successfully implanted. However, in March, a 21-year-old South African man received the world's first natural penial transplant.

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NOT IN VAIN! The Ice Bucket Challenge

Medic-ALL (08:21:2015) MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS

About this time last year, a whole lot of people from all works of life voluntarily bathed with ice-containing buckets in what was popularly known as the "Ice Bucket Challenge" all in  a bid to raise awareness and money for research the medical condition Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis A-L-S , also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. A year and over $220 million donations later we have dividends to show.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins , who took the challenge themselves and got soaked, say they've made a major breakthrough in A-L-S research, and they credit it largely to the massive influx of public interest and the funds raised through the movement.

Jonathan Ling and Philip Wong, researchers at John Hopkins say they have discovered how a brain protein called TDP-43 linked to A-L-S works and with it, have developed a potential treatment for the disease.

About a decade ago, researchers discovered people with A-L-S often had clumps of TDP-43 protein outside the nucleus of their brain cells. But it was unknown whether it was the cause or the result of the degenerative disease.

In experiments using mice, they made a protein to mimic TDP-43 and put it into the nerve cells, or neurons.The cells came back to life, indicating the protein problem is at least part of the reason the nervous system slowly dies off in A-L-S. This sparked interest that the treatment could be used to slow down or halt the progression of the condition. The team of researchers at Hopkins already have funding to put their protein into human trials, all because so many people were willing to get wet.

 In spite of the the overwhelming rave on social media about the disease, thanks to the "Ice Bucket Challenge", A-L-S is a relatively rare disease , with about 7000 deaths in the United States  from the disease each year. According to the ALS Asssociation website, about 15 people are newly diagnosed of the disease on  daily basis  and more than 5,600 yearly. It was partly surprising to find hundreds of celebrities, politicians and personalities "gladly" get caught up (and drenched) for the cause. The campaign helped the ALS association raise $115 million last year.

The average life expectancy in persons  with ALS is two to five years from the time of diagnosis.  However, with recent advances in research and improved medical care, many patients are living longer and with more productive lives. Half of all those affected live at least three years or more after diagnosis.  About 20 percent live five years or more, and up to ten percent will survive more than ten years. 

Ref: abcnews, BostonGlobe, ALS Association

See also ALS and the Ice Bucket Challenge

 Medic-ALL.Inc 2015!.

The "Female VIAGRA" is HERE; FDA approves the Pink Pill

Medic-ALL (08:19:2015) SEXUAL HEALTH 

Up until now it was totally right to use the phrase "it's a man's world" when it concerned managing sexual dysfunction and improving sexual function and libido. But not anymore, as the United States Food and Drug Administration, FDA yesterday approved a counterpart for the men's "blue pill" in the form of the "Female Viagra" or if you like, "the Pink Pill.

The pill which is aimed at improving the female's desire for sex was approved after extensive lobbying campaign by the drug's makers, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, which has gone on for several months. In fact, there were campaigns launched by activist groups with petitions claiming that the lack of libido-enhancing drugs for women reflected "persistent gender inequality" at the FDA,since there were 26 government-approved drugs to treat sexual dysfunction in men.

The approved drug is called Flibanserin and will be marketed under the brand name Addyi. It is to be taken daily to treat pre-menopausal woman suffering from hypoactive sexual desire, which is a condition characterized by low sexual desire that causes marked distress or interpersonal  difficulty and is not due to to a co-existing medical or psychiatric condition, problems within a relationship or the effects of a medication or other drug substance. The FDA has asked the makers to specially train doctors and pharmacists who dispense it and keep track of any problems with women taking the drug. Hence, only trained physicians will be allowed to write prescriptions for the pill.

How exactly does it work?

Unlike Viagra and other men's erectile dysfunction medications which work by increasing blood flow to all parts of the body including the genitals, to improve a man's physical ability to have sex. Filbaserin modifies serotonin, a message carrying chemical in the human brain and is also said to increase the effects of desire-enhancing chemicals like dopamine. 

According to documents, the studies which compared Addyi with a placebo found that women using the drug had a median of 0.5 or 1.0 more satisfying sexual events a month, depending on the study. The median number of satisfactory sexual experiences each month before the drug test was two or three.

All Safe..?

The FDA is requiring a strong warning to women that the drug should never be taken while taking alcohol and there is also the risk of sudden loss of consciousness while taking the pill as well as the long term risk of taking a psychoactive drug daily for years. Women should also avoid taking Addyi with certain medications such as medications which are used to treat yeast infections.

As critics and supporters continue to debate the "controversial" approval and efficacy of the "Female Viagra", many consider it a huge advancement in women's health and many believe other medications will soon follow after "Addyi". However, as part of this approval, drug's makers have agreed to carry out further studies to ensure the safety of the new medication.

Medic-ALL Inc 2015!

International Left-Handers Day: Separating Facts From Myths About Lefties

Medic-ALL (08:13:2017)

 Happy Left-Handers' Day

Let the Real left handed folks. "please Stand up"! 
Forget what the world thinks of you, to be special,  means to be uniquely different, and that is exactly what left handed people are.

There are a lot of beliefs and myths about left handed people or "lefties" as they are fondly called. This beliefs range from how this handedness plays a role in their behaviors and level of intelligence to whether it's a genetic trait or not.

Today, August 13 marks the International Left-Handers day, a day set aside to celebrate the 11% of people (that's about 836,000,000 out of the 7.6 billion) in the world who have the amazing ability to use their left limbs for tasks that most of the general population can only carry out comfortably using their rights limbs.

Facts show that about 13% of men are left-handed , while it's 10% in women. Even though we seem to live in world designed for "right-handers" , today represents a perfect opportunity to tell your family and friends how proud you are of being left-handed, and also raise awareness of the everyday issues that lefties face.

RESPECT THE LEFT-HANDED PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE! They are truly Special

READ MORE in this Medical Daily article on the Facts regarding Left-Handedness. Happy "Left-Handers' and "Left-Footers' Day!

Click here for more : August 13 Is International Left-Handers' Day: Let's Separate Facts From Myths About Lefties



Ref: MedicalDaily

Medical Jobs in Saudi Arabia

Medic-ALL @ One !!!: MedJobs:

Medic-ALL ( 08: 03;2015) Jobs for Doctors in Saudi Arabia  There are great opportunities for doctors to work in the Kingdom of...