New Hepatitis C Drug Close to Gaining FDA Approval

Boceprevir, a new medication from Merck & Co. that changes the way hepatitis C is treated, won unanimous support Wednesday from a panel of experts convened by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The drug is one of two new medications against hepatitis C that are up for agency approval. Many experts believe that, if approved, boceprevir and the second medicine, telaprevir, could revolutionize treatment of hepatitis C-linked disease.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 17,000 new hepatitis C virus infections in the United States in 2007. Many people with the disease have no symptoms until it has caused liver damage, sometimes so severe that a liver transplant is needed.

The Truth About Recovering from Liposuction

One of the most frightening aspects of any cosmetic procedure is the inevitable recovery period. Liposuction is certainly no different. Before making the decision to do under the knife, potential patients need to know what to expect from the recovery period in order to make an informed decision.

Immediately After Surgery

Liposuction is an outpatient procedure that usually takes anywhere from half an hour to four hours to complete. During the procedure, patients will be put under either general or local anesthesia. If a surgeon performs the procedure using local anesthesia, patients will be able to return home within 30 minutes. Patients that are put under general anesthesia will be able to leave the facility within one to three hours after waking.