Laser surgery can help women who are
suffering with chronic pelvic pain
Durham, N.C.? Laser* are used for
more than high-tech light shows and
, armament guidance systems.
?U ) Nowadays, physicians are guiding
lasers through myriad medical pro
cedures? reattaching a retina or re
moving a birthmark, for instance.
And laser surgery can spell relief for
some women with chronic pelvic
pain, according to a gynecologist at
Duke University Medical Center.
"Right now the major indication
for the laser's use is to relieve pain
caused by mild to moderate endome
a triosis and adhesions." said Dr. John
".Steege, an associate clinical profes
sor of obstetrics and gynecology and
one of several physicians performing
the procedure at Duke. "Although ch
ronic pain has many causes, taking
down adhesions can sometimes be a
useful part of the treatment pack
age."
An important advantage for the pa
tient is that the surgery is performed
on an outpatient basis, so that she
tcan return home the same day, he
noted.
Endometriosis occurs when endo
metrial tissue (which lines the inside
of the uterus and is shed during men
struation) somehow escapes into the
abdominal area. It's believed that
small amounts of the tissue back up
through the fallopian tubes and at
tach to the ovaries and other abdomi
nal organs.
Despite their displaced locations,
^ these bits of endometrium continue
to grow in response to the hormones
secreted during a normal menstrual
cycle. Although pain does not always
accompany endometriosis, inflam
mation, scarring and adhesions (fi
brous tissue that holds together nor
mally separated organs) often do
occur around the tissue. And the dis
ease can block fallopian tubes and
distort reproductive organs? a ma
jor cause of infertility in women,
Steege noted.
If undetected or left untreated, a
number of sexually transmitted dis
eases can spread throughout the re
productive organs, causing pelvic in
flammatory disease (PID). PID is of
special concern, Steege said, because
scarring, adhesions, pelvic pain and
infertility can result. Because they
may produce minimal symptoms in
women, chlzmydial infections (the
most common type of sexually trans
mitted disease) often go untreated,
producing PID and its accompanying
long-term problems.
The laser is used during laparos
copy, a surgical procedure that re
quires only small abdominal inci
sions.
The abdominal cavity is inflated
slightly by pumping carbon dioxide
through a hollow needle passed
through the navel. The laparoscope,
a long tube about the thickness of a
large nail, is inserted through an ab
dominal incision. The instrument al
lows the physician to see the internal
structures without actually cutting
open the abdomen.
Many of Steege's patients with pel
vic pain undergo laparoscopy for di
agnostic purposes. "We do the lapa
roscopy with the laser setup
available in the operating room,"
Steege noted. "If present, small
amounts of endometrial tissue or
scarring can be removed during the
same operation." The procedure
takes between one-half and two
hours.
The laser literally cooks aberrant
tissue by heating the contents of the
cells, Steege noted. "The laser pro
duces a controlled amount of tissue
damage and coagulates small blood
vessels at the same time. It really ex
pands what we can do during lapa
roscopy."
But laser laparoscopy is not a pan
acea for all women with pelvic pain.
Steege noted. "There's no real ad
vantage to using the laser during a
laparotomy (when the abdomen is
opened surgically). Large endome
trial masses as well as extensive
amounts of tissue or adhesions, espe
cially if they are close to or attached
to the intestines, are best removed
using standard surgical techniques."
Steege added that although laser
laparoscopy can be used for infertil
ity caused by endometriosis or adhe
sions, the problem is more often
treated with hormonal therapy or
with microsurgery during laparo
tomy. "The effectiveness of laser
treatment for infertility is still under
study, although it is being extensi
vely used across the country," he
said.
Steege and Dr. Anna Stout, an as
sistant professor of psychiatry and of
obstetrics and gynecology, are co-di
rectors of Duke's Pelvic Pain Clinic.
"Of all the women we see in the
clinic, about 20 to 30 percent have en
dometriosis," Steege noted. "Many
others have adhesions caused by
PID, previous operations or chronic
disease. In almost all cases, there
are stress and emotional factors that
require evaluation and treatment as
well."
So far nearly 90 percent of Steege's
patients have had relief from pain af
ter laser laparoscopy.
"Although we don't have long-term
results yet, studies of laser laparos
copy for mild or moderate endome
triosis indicate that patients remain
pain-free for nine months to more
than three years," Steege said. "And
these patients haven't lost any time.
If they still have pain, we can try
other types of treatment."
?'Caswell Center receives yearly
accreditation from national agency
Kinston? Caswell Center has re
ceived two full years of accreditation
from a national organization working
to improve the quality of life of peo
ple with developmental disabili
ties. The state's oldest and largest
^ center for mentally retarded people,
Caswell works with the citizens of
North Carolina's 32 eastern counties
both on campus and in their home
communities. Caswell currently has
1,000 residents. Of that number, 9 are
from Perquimans County.
The accrediting agency is the Ac
creditation Council on Services for
People with Developmental Disabili
ties (ACDD). A not-for-profit group
supported by donations from advo
cacy and professional groups, ACDD
accredits those facilities that meet
its strict requirements regarding the
quality of educational, dietary, medi
cal and other services.
Caswell was first accredited in 1985
after working several years to meet
ACDD's standards. The accredita
tion, pursuit of which is voluntary,
followed an on-campus visit by
ACDD surveyors.
Roanoke pageant seeks contestants
Contestants in the 1988 Miss Roa
noke Rapids Scholarship Pageant
are now being sought.
Sponsored annually by the Roa
noke Rapids Jaycees, the pageant
0 will be held January 9 at the Roanoke
Rapids High School auditorium and
is open to women between the ages of
17 and 26 years who have never been
married. Residents of Halifax,
Northampton, Warren, and Hertford
counties are eligible to enter.
Entry deadline is December 20.
Miss Roanoke Rapids 1988 will be
presented a $700 scholarship and a
$700 wardrobe allowance; first run
ner-up, a $400 scholarship; and sec
ond runner-up, a $300 scholarship.
Judging criteria are talent, appear
ance in evening gown and swimsuit,
and a personal interview. Winner of
the annual pageant will compete in
the Miss North Carolina Pageant on
June 25, 1988.
tor further lmormation, contact
pageant chairman Bobby Edwards
at 537-8606 or 537-1778, pageant co
chairman Jeane Myrick at 537-4707
or pageant director Grace Boone at
536-2739. Application forms are avail
able at Planters Bank and Walden
books, both in Becker Village Mall,
State Employees Credit Union in
Roanoke Rapids, Ray Barmer at
Halifax Community College in Wel
don, and Peoples Bank in Jackson.
Tips about children and smoking
Older smokers aren't the only ones
^ who can get heart disease. Children
?'who smoke can also develop symp
toms of the disease.
The earlier a person begins smok
ing cigarettes, the greater the risk to
his or her health in the future. But
according to the American Heart As
sociation, even teenagers begin to
show signs of disease, such as cough
ing, decreased stamina and a fast
heart rate.
These conditions could worsen over
^ time and develop into heart disease if
I 1 smoking continues.
But 40 percent of high school stu
dents don't believe smoking is a
health risk. And that belief could turn
into a life threatening habit.
Cigarette smoking is the single
most important cause of early
deaths. It is also the number one pre
ventable cause of heart disease.
In an effort to dissuade children
from lighting up, the American Heart
0k Associaiton, North Carolina Affiliate
supports a "no smoking" policy in
schools.
Currently, 56 North Carolina school
systems have set their own policy
and banned smoking on school sites.
Although many teenagers say pres
sure from school friends is a major
reason they smoke, the family also
influences the smoking behavior of
children. In families where one or
both parents smoke, a child is likely
to do the same. But the problem is
compounded if older siblings smoke.
Younger children are more than
three times as likely to smoke when
they have older brothers or sisters
who light up.
Most teenagers have no intention of
becoming regular smokers when
they start experimenting with ciga
rettes. Eighty-five percent of teens
say they don't plan to carry the habit
over five years when they first start
smoking.
By the time they reach their late
teens, however, many are already
addicted.
But according to the American
Heart Association, it's never too late
to quit. When a person stops smok
ing, regardless of how long or how
much he or she has smoked, the risk
of heart disease will be reduced even
tually.
The Association offers the follow
ing guidelines to help teens kick the
cigarette habit:
Tell friends and family of the in
tention to stop smoking. A public
commitment increases willpower.
Don't quit "forever." Just stop
for a day Then try it for tomorrow,
and tomorrow.
Pick a "Q" (Quit) Day, and quit
Get together with some non-smoking
friends and keep busy.
Eliminate all evidence of ciga
rettes, such as ash trays and
matches.
AGING AND CATARACTS
A* people oge, they become more prone to develop opodties
or cloudiness of the crystalline lens of the eye. This condition is
called a cataract. Although this condition does occur in younger
people, those over 55 ore most likely to develop cataract.
Like glaucoma, if undetected and untreated, cataract can lead
to blindness. If detected earlv, adequate vision can usually be
maintained with the help of glasses until the time when surgery
may be required. After the cataract or cataracts are surgically
removed, visual help in the form of implanted lenses, spectacles,
or contoct lenses may help the patient regain clear, efficient vi
sion.
Except in very advanced cases, a cataract is very difficult to
see with the naked eye. A doctor of optometry, using a special
lighted instrument can detect a developing cataract in a thorough
vision examination, so periodic optometric examinations are im
portant in the early detection of a cataract.
Dr. A.F. DOWNUM
103 W.Eden St.
Edenton, N.C.
Phone- ill? BUI
,
Fans of the Perquimans County "Marching Pirates" traveled to Edenton on Saturday to sup
port the band during the "Peanut Festival" band competition.
State environmental health
week proclaimed by governor
Every year, thousand of homes
across North Carolina become hosts
to uninvited visitors? bugs, insects,
rodents and other pests. These un
welcome pests may create health
problems and damage food, clothes,
furniture, carpeting and even the en
tire structure of homes and build
ings.
If you've seen evidence of rodents,
termites, bugs or mice in your
kitchen, cupboards, drawers or bath,
there's a good chance your home
could be infested with these un
wanted pests. For every one you see,
there may be hundreds more hiding
somewhere in your home.
Governor James G. Martin has
proclaimed October 4-10, 1987 as En
vironmental Health Week in North
Carolina. In the proclamation, the
governor said that the health and
well-being of this state's citizens de
pend greatly upon maintaining a
clean and safe environment.
N.C. Department of Human Re
sources Secretary David T. Flaherty
and the N.C. Public Health Associa
tion joined the governor in urging cit
izens to take an active role in making
this state a healthier, happier place
to live.
Some of the more common house
hold pests in North Carolina include
ants, cockroaches, clothes moths,
carpet bettles, crickets, fleas house
flies, spiders, ticks, silverfish, pow
der-post beetles, wasps, mosquitos,
termites, mice and rats. Many of
these pests not only contaminate food
and infest other areas of the home,
they carry disease organisms that
can cause typhoid fever, cholera.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, intes
tinal worms, diarrhea, dysentary,
salmonella and many others. Some
pests, such as spiders, can cause
painful bites.
Bugs and pests in and around the
home do not necessarily indicate bad
housekeeping because every home,
no matter how clean, provides condi
tions where pests can breed.
While many of these pests are
problems mainly during the warmer
months, a number of them can be a
problem during the cooler weather as
well. Carpet beetles, for example, do
just as much damage in the winter as
in the summer. Fleas may also be ac
tive during the cooler months, plus
they may lay eggs in carpeting and
pet bedding. This could create an in
festation in the spring when the eggs
hatch.
Our adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) helps
many 1st time homebuyers realize the
American dream. Its lower initial interest rate
makes qualifying easier. Monthly payments are
easy to live with. And if rates move up,
your ARM has built in caps to protect you
from extreme upswings. Stop in for your free,
no-obligation ARM booklet now.
Hertford Savings
B & Loan a
121 N. Church St. Hertford
It is much easier to prevent pests
from infesting the home that it is to
get rid of them once they are there.
These are some housekeeping tips to
keep pests away :
-keep floors, windows, window
sills, screens, cupboards, baseboards
and closets washed and vacummed.
Household pests live on spilled food
and organic substances that are not
completely cleaned up. They breed
and live in small, hard-to-get-to
areas such as cracks and crevices
where cleaning if more difficult.
Scrub these areas frequently with
soap and hot water. Be sure to clean
these areas before treating them
with pesticides. Do not scrub newly
pesticide-treated surfaces;
-promptly dispose of food,
crumbs, garbage, fabric scraps, lint
and other waste materials where
pests may eat or breed;
-store all goods in tightly closed
containers. Keep the containers
clean inside and out so that the pests
will not be attracted;
-before purchasing dry foods,
check the packages for breaks where
pests might enter and contaminate;
-dispose of cardboard cartons
and paperbags used to carry gro
ceries and other materials. Some
pests "hitchhike" into your home in
this manner, and they could cause an
infestation if the containers are
stored in the kitchen or basement;
-seal up places where pests may
enter. Caulk the openings and cracks
around wash basins, toilet bowls, wa
ter pipes, drain pipes, and radiator
pipes.
HERTFORD
MOTOR CO.
SALES ? SERVICE
U.S. 17, HERTFORD 426-5688