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This list of childhood vaccines and when to give them is based on CDC recommendations.

Getting quality health care doesn’t always mean going into the hospital or emergency room. Depending on your needs, other medical facilities may serve you just as well—or even better.

Most kidney stones are about the size of a grape seed. Stones of this size are small enough to pass naturally. Once it is passed, a stone can be analyzed. This wait-and-see approach is called expectant therapy.

In some cases, your doctor may prescribe medications to dissolve or prevent kidney stones. Or medications may be prescribed to stop an infection. Once the infection is controlled, your stone can be removed.

Ureteroscopic stone removal may be done before, after, or instead of other treatments. If you need this procedure, your doctor will discuss its risks and possible complications. You will be told how to prepare. And you will be told about anesthesia.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a procedure that is done when one is not able to pass larger stones on their own. It may be done before, after, or instead of other treatments.

Open surgery may be done before, after, or instead of other treatments. This is usually done if the stone is very large, if you have a serious infection, or the kidney has blockage even after waiting for a while.

To fuse the spine, very small pieces of extra bone are needed. Called bone graft, this bone acts as the “cement” that fuses the vertebrae together. This eliminates motion between the two fused vertebrae with a slight loss in flexibility. This surgery can help treat many different back conditions.

Fusing vertebrae in the cervical spine (the top seven vertebrae of your spine) may help ease neck and arm pain. It may also help relieve progressive paralysis caused by compression of your nerve roots or spinal cord.