Treatment Techniques & Surgery

Left untreated, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can seriously, even fatally, damage the liver and lungs. This program enables viewers to understand the incurable disorder and how it can be identified and treated. Computer-generated animation shows how AAT, a protein that facilitates lung function, can back up in the liver and never reach the lungs. Three case studies, including one featuring a lung transplant patient, help to explain AATD's causes, symptoms, and lifestyle impact while outlining protein augmentation therapy and oxygen supplementation. Dr. Kyle Hogarth of the University of Chicago Medical Center and John Walsh, founder of the Alpha 1 Foundation, are featured in interviews. (25 minutes)

Alternative, or complementary, health systems are gradually being integrated into American culture and can now be found in many American physicians' offices. This program from The Doctor Is In provides an overview of Chinese and Indian medicine, homeopathy, herbalism, naturopathy, and massage. It also examines osteopathy and chiropractic as practices recognized by traditional doctors. The program observes patients who are using one or more of these therapies in their health care, and speaks with several experts including Andrew Weil, a Harvard-trained physician and author of numerous books on integrative health; Dr. Christiane Northrup, an obstetrician/gynecologist and proponent of alternative medicine; Dr. Fredi Kronenberg, director of an alternative medical center at Columbia University; and Nancy Lonsdorf, a physician who practices both Western and the Indian system of Ayurveda in her practice. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (29 minutes)

This program explains how anesthetics modulate and inhibit the conduction of neural stimuli. After contrasting sleep with unconsciousness, the structure of the nervous system and the transfer and suppression of electrochemical signals are addressed. The particulars of how anesthesia functions are then discussed, with a focus on the properties of volatile anesthetics, sedative hypnotics, analgesics, muscle relaxants, and opioids; their effects on the brain and other organs; and methods of administering. Specific agents include ketamine, midazolam, propofol, etomidate, halothane, desflurane, fentanyl, lidocaine, and nitrous oxide. (61 minutes)

This program from The Doctor Is In uses case studies involving osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis to explore how a number of patients cope with these conditions. In addition, Dr. Michael Weinblatt, former director of the Robert B. Brigham Arthritis Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital and chairman of the American College of Rheumatology, and Dr. William Arnold, medical editor of The Arthritis Foundation's Guide to Alternative Therapies, discuss the most effective treatments currently in use. Quack remedies touted via the Internet are also addressed. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (29 minutes)

More than 2 million people suffer from atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat caused by abnormal electrical signals in the atria, the heart's upper chambers. This program analyzes the disorder, showing how the irregularity can create discomfort, blackouts, and blood clotting in the valves of the heart, potentially leading to a stroke. The video also features expert commentary from medical professionals, personal stories from patients, and detailed explanations of effective treatments for atrial fibrillation, including medication and a minimally invasive surgical procedure known as ablation therapy. (28 minutes)

Maintaining a patient's personal hygiene plays an important role in preventing disease, especially infection, as well as helping with comfort and body image issues. This program demonstrates basic care procedures and best practices for showering and bed bathing a patient in a professional and caring manner. Preparation steps for these procedures are included, as are dressing, grooming, sanitary, safety, and privacy needs. In addition to its effectiveness in highlighting general care principles, the video is designed to support dementia and elderly care training. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (25 minutes)

Supplemented with clinical photos and precise diagrams, this program quantifies wound assessment and describes approaches to wound healing. The physiological healing cascade and infection flags are discussed, along with case studies spanning an age range of 31 to 78. A deep bruise, a leg ulcer complicated by eczema, an infected surgical incision, and a necrotic neck tumor are presented, allowing the introduction of subjects such as the hydrobalance, hydrosorptive, hydroactive, and hydroionic methods of wound dressing; graduated compression therapy; and odor reduction. (29 minutes)

In the era of Big Pharma, why are researchers looking more and more to nature-and the human body itself-to provide tomorrow's medical cures? This program illustrates how scientists are growing and harvesting pharmaceuticals from common plants and farm animals, attempting to replicate organs, and transferring much-needed islet cells to patients with diabetes. The next big breakthrough in medical care is as likely to come from a rainforest or a goat as it is from a petri dish or a test tube. (47 minutes)

Several years after he was given less than a year to live, David, a patient with glioblastoma multiforme, is alive and cancer-free. In this program, Henry Friedman, of the Duke University Medical Center; Michael Prados, of the University of California at San Francisco; and other medical experts use case studies to show how scientific advances in the areas of brain mapping, laser surgery, and chemotherapy are offering patients like David a new lease on life. Information on the symptoms and risk factors involved with cancers of the brain is included. (24 minutes)

Although the elderly, infirm, and bedridden may have the potential to improve their health and physical performance, they often display less progress than other patients. For this reason, inexperienced caregivers can become discouraged. This program serves as a source of inspiration for those who are working to help frail and immobilized patients. Viewers are reminded that everyone ages in a unique way; that even the most basic daily activities can have tremendous benefits, both mental and physical; and that-in addition to dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's-depression is a major factor to consider. The importance of social interaction is also a significant topic. (30 minutes)

Inspire and encourage young women to investigate medicine as a career with this Web-enabled DVD-a collection of stories and perspectives shared directly with viewers by thirteen veteran women physicians, surgeons, and specialists. The program conveys each doctor's deep sense of passion and commitment to patient care, innovation, and research; it also illuminates the challenges these trailblazers had to confront in order to earn degrees and practice medicine. Interviewees include Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the federal CDC; Dr. Mary Ellen Avery, pioneer researcher in the treatment of premature infant respiratory distress; and Dr. Leigh Ann Curl, orthopedic surgeon for the Baltimore Ravens football team. All video in this Web-enabled DVD is viewable on a DVD player, but a computer with a DVD-ROM drive is necessary to access its Web links and navigate its menus. (2 hours)

A chronic condition is a long-term or permanent illness with no known cure. This program provides a framework for dealing with chronic illnesses-such as stroke, emphysema, or rheumatoid arthritis-whether viewers are seeking general knowledge, attending to their own health concerns, or caring for a loved one. The program explores ways for family members and other caregivers to participate in the development of a realistic chronic care plan. Valuable perspectives are included through interviews with healthcare support professionals, private individuals who are responsible for the day-to-day needs of others, and chronically ill patients. Case studies illustrate smart decision-making and home care options. (30 minutes)

This program documents the MANTRA clinical study, the largest multifaith prayer experiment ever devised. A three-year effort to find a causal link between prayer and physiological healing, the project generated a high degree of skepticism among scientific purists and religious leaders. Nevertheless, it rigorously assembled medical data on 750 critical heart patients while coordinating Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist prayer groups from North Carolina to Nepal. Does Prayer Work? follows the investigation with complete objectivity, culminating in multiple interpretations of the results. Original BBCW broadcast title: Does Prayer Work? (51 minutes)

Besides creating structures and vehicles, engineers also help disabled people rebuild their bodies and their lives. This program visits London's Roehampton Rehabilitation Centre, where new limbs for amputees are designed and built. Two case studies-one featuring a woman with an artificial leg, the other a man with a mechanical arm-illustrate 21st-century alternatives to conventional prosthetics. Viewers learn about surgery and physical therapy needed to prepare patients for their new limbs; the advent of electronic arms that utilize small, long-lasting batteries; the working methods behind the mobility of these new appendages; and the process of custom fitting. A Discovery Channel Production. (24 minutes)

Given the limits of today's medical technology, a three-year trip to Mars would place astronauts in grave danger. Thus, NASA has divided its attention between outer and inner space, aiming to create self-sufficient nanomedicine by the year 2020. This program studies health care research driven by that goal. With exciting animation sequences and conversations with top-level experts, the video introduces microbivores, respirocytes, dendrimers, and other innovations designed to search out and destroy diseases in the earliest stages. Interviews feature NASA scientists Dr. Kathie Olsen and John Hines; nanotech pioneers Dr. Ralph Merkle and Dr. Carlo Montemagno; and cancer expert Dr. Carol Dahl. (50 minutes)