Keloid: Harmless tumour like mass of Excess Tissue forming in the Scar of an injury

Keratosis Actinict: Hard scaly, flat brown growth - which develops painlessly and suddenly on the skin of people in the 30-60 age group

Keyhole Surgery: Endoscopic Surgery / Minimum invasive surgery This is a technique that enables various surgical prodedures to be performed without making large incisions in the skin.An endoscope is a tube-like viewing instrument with a light source.Some endoscopes have a built-in miniature camera that relays pictures to a monitor.Endoscopes are inserted either through a natural body opening such as the anus or through a small incision,depending in the site to be accessed.Most endoscopic surgery through incisions is performed under general anaesthesia - endoscopic surgery through natural openings may require only a local anaesthetic

Endoscipic surgery performed through skin incisions is often called - minimally invasive or keyhole surgery.Tiny instruments,such as forceps are passed through small incisions in the skin or through side channels in the endoscope to reach the operating site.These instruments are operated by the surgeon,who is guided by the view through the endoscope or on the monitor Since endoscopic surgery may not involve any incisions or only require small ones, the length of stay in hospital and recovery time are shorter than for open sugery.However,there is a slightly greater risk of damage to an organ or blood vessel with endoscopic surgery than with open surgery because the surgeon has to work in as smaller area.As with all surgery there is a risk of an adverse reaction to a general anaesthetic,which depends on the person's pre-operative health,the specific anaesthetic used and the type of operation being done.During the operation,the surgeon may need to access a larger area and perform open surgery.You will be asked for your consent to open surgery before an endoscopic operation

Kneecap: Patella

Korsakoff"s Syndrome: A Brain disorder.Sufferer's inability to remember recent events.He fills in the blank spaces with plausible fantasies that he sincereley believes to be true

Kwashiorkor: Deprived Child.Deficiency of Proteins and often Vitamins.A disease of babies and young children in developing countries where food is scarce

Kyphosis: Uncommon condition.Excessive backward curvature of the spine producing a hump back or a round back.Caused by a numer of diseases e.g. Osteochondritis or Osteoporosis

info sources:

South African Family Medical Adviser

Family Health Guide & The Baby & Child Health Care Handbook - Dr.Miriam Stoppard