13 Sep Laser surgery and medicine translation

The moment a patient learns he/she has an illness, and even more in case of laser surgery, trust in the healthcare team becomes essential and affects the relationship between patient and caretakers. Even in a world of specialist language, the trend is to create a common language that everybody can share. Nowadays, with ever-wider audiences, not only researchers, but also medicine translators have a great role to play.

Laser surgery and some examples

In laser surgery laser is used as a scalpel, in most cases a laser beam makes soft tissue disappear. It is used in eye surgery, plastic surgery, endovascular surgery, foot and ankle surgery, neurosurgery, thoracic surgery, spine surgery, gastrointestinal tract surgery, and in gynecology and genitourinary surgeries, among others.

Transparency is important, to dispense with uncertainty, create sustainability and benefit healthcare services. Healthcare translation is a widely-covered and debated field, as it makes available to real-life medical and healthcare findings as well as helps caretakers with to understand the views and experiences of patients.

Prostatic laser, an example of laser surgery, is an advanced technique developed in the United States (Mayo Clinic), which has been practiced since 1998 for the benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment. Results show that the method is safe, comfortable and effective.

The problem with the enlargement of the prostate gland -located around the urethra or canal between the outside and the bladder-, common in males between 45 and 55 years old, is the construction of the urethra by compression, obstructing the exit of urine. Some characteristic symptoms include involuntary loss, constant need to urinate, pain, discomfort, nicturnia, dribbling, retention of urine, hematuria or incontinence.

Medical translation, information dissemination and treatments

Medical translation also contributes to the dissemination of healthcare research findings whether researchers intend to present their work at academic conferences or as publications in peer-reviewed journals, and whether information will be shared with community organisations, doctors, patients or other interested parties.

In the prostatic laser treatment, a high-power laser applied through a small-thickness cystoscope is used. As the irrigation liquid is sterile water and the laser light has a high level of absorption of tissue, but very low water, vaporization takes place, eliminating tissues definitively with a continuous irrigation system. Complications that can arise are minimal, and, much less, than with other techniques.

For those who primarily speak a foreign language, to communicate the exact details of their needs and cares can be problematic.  Therefore, present or remote medical interpreters are required to facilitate communication between patients and health professionals, despite language barriers. Their service provides a relief to both staff and patients, as shared information in medical consultation is confidential, while offering employment for medical interpreters.

Prostatic laser surgery

The laser surgery is only considered in cases of severe obstruction that affects the normal life of the person. Or, in cases where there is drug intolerance. With the prostatic laser it is possible to clean the obstruction in the urination channel, without the need for an open intervention, which favors rapid recovery. However, before the doctor can advise an intervention a number of medical tests such as ultrasound, flowmetry or urine and blood analysis must be carried out. And it should also be verified that the treatment is the most appropriate for the patient.

Studies illustrate that lack of professional interpreters can rise hospital stay periods for patient, including readmission rates, there are still gaps between languages spoken by patients and physicians. It is true that healthcare establishments have relied on onsite interpreters, but with technology other interpreting ways have emerged. We are talking about remote communication facilitation using over-the-phone interpreting or video remote interpretation.

Diagnosis and intervention

Prostatic laser is a type of intervention performed in an operating room, generally with epidural anesthesia. Hospitalization usually does not exceed 24 hours, although duration may vary between patients. Recovery is very fast, being possible that no probe is needed, or that it is eliminated within a few hours. By the intervention in addition to eliminating the obstruction by selective vaporization of the prostatic tissue, driving light endoscopically through the special optical device, by selective photocoagulation, bleeding is avoided, without irritation or deep necrosis.

As it is well known professional medical translators and medical translation services strive for perfection. The need for accuracy is in this field unique, as the results of imperfect medical translation risk death in the worst scenario, or serious injuries or poor health in the best. On top of this, medical language is very specific and therefore its translation needs to be accurate as slight terminology differences can represent different things in medical practice.

For example talking about laser surgery, there are many types of lasers, as carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers, used to remove very thin layers of tissue from the skin surface or neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser which can penetrate deeper into tissues. Argon lasers can pass through superficial layers of tissue and laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT) uses lasers to heat specific areas of the body. Don’t you think medical translation is needed?