In this procedure, a small incision is made in the abdomen, near or in the navel.

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The study compared a relatively small number of women who had undergone the procedure - called oopherectomy - with those who had not.

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Phillip Sommerich had an ileostomy operation 18 months ago - a surgical procedure which links the end of the small intestine to an opening in the abdomen, and began to receive calls from suppliers who asked him whether it was time for him to order more equipment.

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He survived the procedure once already, making him one of just a small handful of players in history to recover from it.

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Researchers said the negative vertebroplasty findings raise questions about the effectiveness of a related procedure called kyphoplasty, in which the cement is injected after a small balloon is inflated to restore the shape of the broken vertebra.

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In my research on the Internet, I discovered another option that had not been well publicized, and certainly wasn't an option discussed by my doctors at that time ---- LRPS. Laproscopic radical prostatectomy surgery is a procedure using micro surgical instruments inserted in the body via a few small incisions.

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Another procedure performed within the eye removes a targeted strip of the trabecular meshwork with a small tool.

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But it can be hard to grow outside of a relatively small niche, as most potential customers may consider it to be an expensive elective cosmetic procedure that, given other uses for their money, they can do without.

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The civic groups can also take the credit for another, admittedly small, step: party leaders will now probably make the selection procedure for parliamentary candidates a little more open.

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