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Tang Da Wei
General Surgery
About me
Graduated from the Department of General Surgery at Anhui Medical University, with a master's degree, and has been working in the medical field for over 10 years. Previously received further training in basic surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing.
Proficient in diseases
Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery for general surgery, gallstones, common bile duct stones, inguinal hernia, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer, as well as comprehensive systemic treatment.
Voices
Can lipomas disappear?
Lipomas generally do not disappear on their own. They form due to abnormal or excessive growth in the subcutaneous fat, presenting as localized lumps with an outer membrane encapsulating them. Lipomas are typically soft with high mobility and well-defined borders. Small lipomas usually do not require surgical treatment; close monitoring to check for changes in size is sufficient. However, if a lipoma is large, causes local compression symptoms, or pain, surgical removal may be considered.
How long does a tetanus shot last?
Tetanus shot refers to the tetanus antitoxin, which is a form of passive immunity. This means that when a patient suffers from external injuries, such as wounds on the feet or hands, the drug injected to prevent infection by tetanus bacillus inside the wound is tetanus antitoxin. It generally maintains its effect in the patient's body for about a week. If the patient's wound inflammation is severe and there is a suspicion of tetanus infection, it is necessary to clean the wound. If required, another injection of tetanus antitoxin might be needed after a week. On the other hand, getting the tetanus vaccine, which is an active immunity, usually involves the DTP vaccine and generally lasts about ten years.
What are the chances of getting tetanus?
In clinical practice, the chances of tetanus are relatively low. Tetanus is mainly caused by infection with the tetanus bacillus. Since the tetanus bacillus is an anaerobic bacterium and is found almost everywhere in nature, patients with injuries, especially small and deep wounds, are prone to tetanus infection. Therefore, for wounds with injuries, especially deep ones, it is important to promptly administer a tetanus shot to prevent infection. At the same time, thorough debridement of the wound is necessary to completely eliminate the tetanus bacillus from the wound. If prevention or proper wound cleaning is not effectively carried out, there is a potential risk of tetanus infection.
Will a lacerated wound lead to tetanus?
Tetanus is usually caused by an infection with Clostridium tetani. As Clostridium tetani are anaerobic bacteria, they proliferate extensively in an oxygen-free environment. If a wound is small and shallow, and completely open to air, it is generally not susceptible to tetanus infection. However, if the wound is deep and the external opening is small, creating an anaerobic condition inside, it is easy to contract tetanus. Therefore, it is generally recommended to administer a tetanus antitoxin following an injury, as an internal infection with tetanus can lead to very serious conditions, potentially resulting in death.
Will a tetanus wound heal?
Tetanus wounds do not heal, and they contain a large amount of tetanus bacilli, which reproduce massively, leading to symptoms such as redness, pain, and even pus discharge in the affected area. Generally, these wounds cannot heal by themselves; even if the skin heals, the underlying and muscle tissues infected by tetanus can cause the skin to rupture and possibly accumulate pus. If a superficial wound is suspected to be infected with tetanus, it is necessary to promptly enlarge the wound, i.e., expand the surface wound, and rinse repeatedly with hydrogen peroxide and clean water to further kill the tetanus bacilli inside. At the same time, it is necessary to administer tetanus antitoxin, regularly observe the patient's clinical manifestations, and if necessary, administer tetanus antitoxin again after a period.
Do lipomas need to be treated?
Whether a lipoma needs treatment depends on its location, size, shape, and presence of symptoms. If the lipoma is small and symptom-free, it generally does not require treatment. Lipomas are benign lesions formed by abnormal growth of subcutaneous fat and rarely become cancerous. However, if the lipoma is large, causing compressive symptoms, or noticeably growing fast over a short period, along with local pain, it should be considered for complete excision under local anesthesia. After removal, it is generally necessary to send the specimen for pathological examination, and depending on the situation, decide whether to place a drainage tube at the wound site.
When to get a tetanus shot
A tetanus shot is generally recommended to be administered immediately after an injury for the best efficacy. If given within 12 or 24 hours, it still provides certain preventive effects. The tetanus shot mainly consists of tetanus antitoxin and represents passive immunization. It is usually advised in cases of deep wounds with small surface areas that can create anaerobic conditions inside. If tetanus bacillus is present in the wound and proliferates massively under anaerobic conditions, the patient may exhibit symptoms such as opisthotonos, asphyxiation, or even death. Therefore, it is necessary to administer tetanus antitoxin for prevention.
Where is the tetanus shot given?
Tetanus injections require administration into the muscle, typically in the deltoid or gluteus maximus, which is below the patient's shoulder or on the buttocks. Before administering a tetanus shot, a skin test is usually performed. The test takes place on the inner side of the forearm, where 0.1ml of the solution is injected. Patients might experience some pain during the tetanus shot, but most can tolerate it. The tetanus shot effectively prevents tetanus infections, especially in cases where the wound is deep with a small surface area that can create anaerobic conditions conducive to the colonization and proliferation of Clostridium tetani, leading to tetanus infection. Vaccination can effectively prevent some serious diseases.
"How to eliminate lipomas?"
If you want to eliminate a lipoma, it generally requires surgical removal of the lipoma in its entirety. Lipomas are more likely to occur in subcutaneous fat or within muscle tissue. For small, asymptomatic lipomas, surgery is usually not necessary; however, if the lipoma enlarges, causes local compression symptoms, local pain, or if there is a significant increase in size in a short period, surgical removal can be considered, and most can be removed under local anesthesia. If the lipoma is on the back, due to prolonged compression, the difficulty of the surgery may be slightly increased.
Is the risk of tetanus high?
Tetanus occurs infrequently, but once it appears, the condition can be very severe and may lead to death if not treated promptly. Tetanus infection is mainly caused by infection with the tetanus bacillus. The tetanus bacillus is an anaerobic bacterium that exists everywhere in nature. If the wound is very deep with a small surface area, and the conditions inside the wound become anaerobic, if the tetanus bacilli inside the wound are not thoroughly cleaned, it could lead to the rapid reproduction of the tetanus bacilli, releasing tetanus toxin and causing a tetanus infection in the patient.