An oral and maxillofacial surgeon or your dentist can remove (extract) a wisdom tooth. The procedure often can be done in the dentist's or surgeon's office. You may have the surgery in the hospital, especially if you are having all your wisdom teeth pulled at once or if you are at high risk for complications. If you have any infections, surgery will usually be delayed until the infection has cl

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Vitrectomy is the surgical removal of the vitreous gel from the middle of the eye. It may be done when there is a retinal detachment, since removing the vitreous gel gives your eye doctor (ophthalmologist) better access to the back of the eye. The vitreous gel may also be removed if blood in the vitreous gel (vitreous hemorrhage) does not clear on its own. During a vitrectomy, the surgeon inser

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A vitamin B12 blood test measures the amount of vitamin B12 in the body. The body needs this B vitamin to make blood cells and to maintain a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B12 is found in animal products such as meat, shellfish, milk, cheese, and eggs. Most people who eat animal products are not likely to develop vitamin B12 deficiency anemia unless their bodies cannot absorb it from food. Vit

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During a visual exam for head lice, the hair on the head is parted with the fingers so that the scalp can be seen. The health professional or child's parent looks for tiny live lice [about 3 mm to 4 mm long, or the size of a sesame seed]. If you are checking your child or someone else for lice, it may be helpful to use a handheld magnifying glass or have another person help you. The doctor may use

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A viral test is done to find infection-causing viruses. Viruses are one of the smallest organisms and, unlike bacteria, they multiply only within living cells. They can cause disease by destroying or disabling most of the cells they infect, by damaging the body's immune system, changing the genetic material (DNA) of the cells they infect, or causing inflammation that can damage an organ. Viruses c

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A viral load test measures how much human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is in the blood. Viral load is first measured when you are diagnosed with HIV infection. This initial measurement serves as the baseline, and future viral load measurements will be compared with the baseline. If your viral load increases, it means the infection is getting worse. If the viral load drops, it means that the infect

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A venogram is an X-ray test that takes pictures of the blood flow through the veins in a certain area of the body. During a venogram, a dye is put into your veins so they can be seen clearly on an X-ray picture. A venogram looks at the condition of your veins and the valves with your veins. A venogram can look at the veins in your legs, pelvis, arm, or the veins leading to the heart, or the

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A vein scan is a nuclear scanning test to detect blood clots in the deep veins of the legs (called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT). Blood clots in certain large veins of the body can break loose and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, blocking blood flow to a lung (pulmonary embolism). See an illustration of deep vein thrombosis. During a vein scan, a radioactive tracer substance is inje

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Vein ligation and stripping is a minor surgery. It is used to prevent complications of vein damage. If several valves in a vein and the vein itself are heavily damaged, the vein (or the diseased part of the vein) is usually removed (stripped). An incision is made below the vein, a flexible instrument is threaded up the vein to the first incision, and the vein is grasped and removed. During this

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A vasectomy is considered a permanent method of birth control. Vasectomy reversal (vasovasostomy) reconnects the tubes (vas deferens) that were cut during a vasectomy. Vasectomy reversal is usually an outpatient procedure without an overnight stay in the hospital. Spinal or general anesthesia is commonly used to ensure that you remain completely still during the surgery. The chances of vasec

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