Commissurotomy: What is It?

Terms

The medical profession tens to use terms that can be intimidating to the average person. People are often afraid of what they don’t understand. Such is the case with a commisurrotomy. To define the term is really quite simple. It is a surgical incision where a commisure is found. It is often used in patients to treat both medical and psychological conditions. A commisure is simply a place where two items are joined. This can take place in various areas of the body including the brain.

Uses

This procedure is often preformed in order to relieve stress on the heart or to treat conditions such as epilepsy. The patient with epilepsy will undergo this treatment which will prevent the two sides of the brain from working together, otherwise known as split brain syndrome. This relieves some of the symptoms of epilepsy. While any procedure has its complications, commisurrotomy is a fairly simple concept to follow.

Concerns

The side effects of this procedure vary by location. One of the biggest concerns is infection, as is the primary concern when it comes to any type of incision. This can be managed by keeping the affected area clean and taking any prescribed antibiotics.

Depending on where the incision is and why it was done, the patient may need to take some type of postoperative pain killers to ease the discomfort caused by the procedure. Patients should inform their physician of any allergies they have to any type of pain killers or antibiotics before the procedure is done.

As with any type of medical procedure or prescription, patients would make sure their doctor is aware of any health conditions they have or medications they are currently taking. Some health conditions and medications may cause excessive bleeding and your doctor should be aware of this before making any type of incision.

The patient should also inform their physician if they are allergic to any type of anesthetic before going through a procedure where one is used. Patients should speak with their doctor before the procedure so that they are aware of what to expect after the commisurrotomy is done. Quite often there is some type of scarring that will need to be dealt with and monitored. Patients should feel free to express their concerns to their surgeon and/or primary physician. A full medical history may be necessary to prevent unnecessary health risks from being taken.

Reference:ctsnetjournals.org