Four months ago, Northern Nevada Medical Center welcomed a physician whose roots in medicine go back well into the 1600s; it also granted the Sparks community a specialist it needed.

The institute is designed to treat the full spectrum of male and female urology ailments through traditional surgery, laser surgery, prostatitis, interstitial cystitis and procedures for prostate disorders and endourology.

A feast for the eye

While sitting in the waiting room of the Jacksonville Eye Center in Riverside, 21-year-old Richard London saw a side of his mother hed never seen before, specifically, the inside of her cornea.

The amazing images displayed on a 52-inch LCD monitor, while in a nearby room Dr. Robert Schnipper peered through microscopes and used computer-controlled lasers to restore Rhoda Londons sight through the most advanced lasik techniques available.

Its amazing how you can improve your vision like that, the son said with an intense gaze. You cant do that with anything else, like hearing.

But London wasnt the first person to watch Schnipper in action. In fact, Schnipper and his colleague, Dr. Senthil Krishnasamy, host monthly live surgeries where potential patients, family and friends or those who just want to see something extraordinary, can watch a lasik surgery and decide if its the right way to correct their vision.

LASIK eye surgery improving, doctor says

Barry Ohler, 48, Markleton, and Breiann Howsare, 26, Somerset, had something in common: Both have worn glasses or contacts for years.Now they have something else in common: They underwent LASIK eye surgery on Friday at Somerset Hospital. Dr. Daniel Vittone, who has offices in Somerset, Latrobe, Mount Pleasant and Johnstown, performed the procedures.

Vittone has been performing LASIK, which stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, surgery for 12 years. He is now using a second-generation surgical laser, the FEMTO LDV manufactured by Ziemer Ophthalmology in Switzerland. The femtosecond surgical laser is portable and is taken from hospital to hospital by technicians. (A femtosecond is one-millionth of a nanosecond, a measurement used by lasers.)Vittone has been using the laser for four months, he said, and was one of the first ophthalmologists in the nation to use it.

City woman believes to be suffering from electrical hypersensitivity

Joanne March-Laberge was supposed to be enjoying this phase of her life. A woman who loves people and the outdoors, March-Laberge, 48, was quite content to relax and enjoy all the things Corner Brook has to offer now that her daughter had moved on to university and she had no real direct commitments to speak of. Then suddenly, in November of last year, that carefree lifestyle she sought was abruptly taken away. March-Laberge believes she’s suffering from electrical hypersensitivity (EHS) — a chronic illness triggered by exposure to electromagnetic fields, which are waves of energy emitted by all electrical sources, power lines, appliances and radio/radar/microwave transmitters such as cellphones. Those who develop EHS have a physiological disorder characterized by neurological and idiopathic or allergy-type symptoms.

U.S. patients choosing Mexican hospitals for price, quality

When Carrollton resident Brian Woods needed laser eye surgery last year, he scrutinized options in North Texas for the best deal.

Three men in a boat (to say nothing of me and my nose)

In some far away time, around April, I was asked if I would be interested in sailing in the Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes Race. Unfortunately, like quite a few others in my line of work, I tend to express an interest in pretty much everything – well it would be rude not to. Then, later, if I am feeling particularly discerning, I manage to say: "No thanks, I don’t think I can manage to compete in an iron man charity triathlon this week."

With zero sailing experience, I imagined that the organisers would probably expect me to have some pictures taken with beefy sailors and then on the day I would be one of 20 or so people on a huge boat, wearing a lifebelt wandering around below deck making tea for people. I had never been to Cowes Week properly and thought it would be a great way to see what the fuss is about.

Gorrres cleared to fight

ALA Boy Z The Dream Gorres was given a clean health bill by the American eye specialist following a successful laser eye surgery that corrected the tear in his retina and Gorres will be able to fight in the World Cup of Boxing this Sunday (RP Time).

Gorres re-entry into the Philippine lineup boosted the campaign of the Filipino fighters who are seeking to dethrone Mexico in the World Cup at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California, USA.

Unfortunately, and in an ironic twist of events, Gorres will be facing a different opponent as his scheduled foe, Gerson Guerrero, will have to be replaced by former world champion Eric Ortiz, after Guerrero was found to have a detached retina.

Ortiz, who lost his WBC light flyweight title to Brian Viloria, was earlier scheduled to fight rising star AJ Bazooka Banal.

Business owners, leaders discuss health care reform

FORT COLLINS -- Nobody has a complete cure for Colorado's ailing health care system, but as state lawmakers prepare to tackle the issue next spring, they'll have a team of specialists ready to help.

Several business owners and community leaders filled a room at the Fort Collins Hilton Wednesday morning for the first of several planned meetings of the new Business Health Forum, which is intended to bring business into the discussion about health care reform.

Colorado lawmakers, members of the health care industry and many other groups are working on plans to bring affordable health insurance coverage to all Coloradans.

Whatever the final proposal looks like, business needs to be more involved, Amy Fletcher, associate director of the health forum, told the participants.