Page 8 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 5, 1986
'U' hospital wins
appeal for lithotripter
By ELLEN FIEDELHOLTZ
The University Hospital won its
appeal Aug. 28 against the
Michigan Department of Public
Health (MDPH) and was granted
the right to use a special kidney
stone machine for research and
patient care.
The lithotripter uses shock
waves to break down kidney
stones, which then pass through
the patient's system. A lithotripsy,
as the procedure is commonly
called, is easier, more cost-
effecient, and safer than
conventional surgery in
removing kidney stones.
During treatment, patients are
placed in a vat of water while
shock waves hit the stones. The
procedure costs $3,000 to $6,000 if
there are no medical
complications. Conventional
surgery costs between $9,000 and
$12,000.
According to Dr. Edward
Mcguire, professor of surgery and
head of the University's urology
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department the whole court
process was "capricious". The
public health department had
delayed granting the hospital a
certificate of need, which gives a
hospital legal permission to use
the machine, he said. The
hospital acquired the machine in
1984.
"It took the committee almost
two - years to decide on
revolutionary technology which
makes it possible to avoid open
stone surgery," Mcguire said.
Open surgery is usually risky
and the lithotripter is much more
effective, he said, because the
stones often reappear and have to
be removed again.
According to Mcguire, many
patients are awaiting treatment
with the lithotripter, but beds are
unavailable to those who need to
stay overnight because the
hospital is full. Eighty percent of
all lithotripsies are done at the
outpatient level and Mcquire said
that as 'beds become available the
hospital will be able to treat five to
six patients a day.
Michigan researchers have
discovered that uses of the
German-made lithotripter is not
limited to kidney stones; in
conjunction with another kind of
surgery, it can destroy any stones
in the urinary tract. In addition,
Michigan researchers have
modified the equipment so that
very small children can recieve
Increased
acid level
threatens-,,.
bald eagle
(AP)-Michigan's bald eagle
population has increased more
than 50 percent since the 1970s,'btX,
high mercury levels threaten 6
derail the birds' com'ebacX,
scientists say.
The mercury contaminatiofr 4
suspected of preventing eaglgi*
eggs from hatching apparen
has originated in lakes anri
streams that are becoming acidi-
said Elwin Evans, an aquati
biologist and eagle specialist wik
the Michigan Department ;
Natural Resources.*:
"Those lakes are pushin
mercury levels to where the
eagles won't have goc j
reproductive success," Eva
said. "I'm a little bit on th-
skeptical side as the the (eagle ;
future."
Acidity in lakes, 4,
phenomenon discovered recent
in the eastern Upper Peninsur
causes elemental mercury
change into the highly toxic
compound methyl mercury I
Evans said.
The mercury accumulates 4
eagles after they eat fish from thao
acidic lakes, he said.
Mercury levels in eagles found
in the northern Lower Peninsula
and the western Upper Peninsula
also have exceeded researchers
expectations, Evans said.
"We're con'cerned that down
the road this could be a real
problem for us," DNR wildlife-
biologist Jim Hammill said from
the agency's Crystal Falls office.
"We're really sort of in the early
stages of identifying what's
happening and why it'
happening."-
Daily Photo by JAE KIM
Plant benefit
Heather Lange (left) LSA junior and co-worker Sara Dziepak, LSA senior, sell plants in the Union. The sale is
a benefot for the Endometriosis Association which supports those with eating disorders..
Judge dismisses kidnapp
treatment from it.
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INFORMATION & REGISTRATION
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YPSILANTI (AP)- A man
who said he took his children on a
trip to visit relatives has been
cleared in a court test of a
Michigan law designed to make
child snatching by former
spouses a crime, officials said
yesterday.
James Suttles appeared Wed-
nesday before 14B District Judge
John Collins to face charges filed
under a 1983 law that makes it a
felony for a parent without custody
of a child to keep him out of state
illegally for more than 24 hours.
Collins dismissed the case,
saying there was no proof Suttles
intended to deprive his wife of
their children's custody. But the
judge said he stood behind the
spirit of the law.
'THE PURPOSE and intent of
the law is perfectly acceptable,"
Collins said in a telephone
interview yesterday. "I think it's
valid.
"But I don't think the
Legislature wanted to make this a
crime of strict liability, like if
you're gone for two or four days
you're automatically guilty,"
Collins said. "They said you
have to prove the intent."
Dan Loepp, spokesman for the
state attorney general's office,
said the state knew of no other
challenge involving the law,
which carries a maximum
penalty of one year and one day in
jail and a $2,000 fine.
SUTTLES, a 33-year-old auto
mechanic now living in Decatur,
ing charge,
Ill., was arrested in February
after his estranged wife, Patricia,
filed a criminal complaint
against him.
Suttles said he took his
children, ages three, six and 11, to
visit relatives in Indiana and
Oklahoma because he feared they
might never see them again. He
said his car broke down on the
road,
Defense attorney Craig.
Pollard challenged the law's
constitutionality, claiming it is
too vague to be fairly and
uniformly enforced.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 11
7 P.M.
AUDITORIUM B
ANGELL HALL
'U workers agree to wage contract:
NPRE-PROFESSIQjNAI. SERVICES
" CAREER PLANNING AND PLACEMENT
4 A UNIT OF STUDENT SERVICES
By NAOMI WAX
University service and main-
tenance workers agreed to a new
contract on Aug. 29 after four
months of negotiations and
opposition to the pact from some
workers.
Negotiations had stalled In
mid-July primarily over Uni-
versity demands that workers
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10-5
Fri. & Sat.
Ground Floor
Michigan Union
A~Ua~
Great
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ANN ARBOR CANTATA SINGERS
Dr. Bradley Bloom, Music Director and Conductor
* AUDITIONS
FOR NEW MEMBERS *
1986-87 Concert Season
*-X*
Thursday, Sept. 4: 7-10 pm *
*Sunday, Sept. 7: 1-5, 7-10 pm
*X *
St. Andrews Epsicopal Church
306 N. Division
- Ann Arbor, Michigan *
*-X*
For audition appointments and further information *
call Jeffrey Donner, 453-6200, 10 am - 9 pm. *
Dance Theatre Studio
begin paying health insurance,
for their families. Many workers
in union local 1583. of th,
American Federation of State ,-
County, and Municipal En-
ployees (AFSCME) had said they
would refuse to sign the news'
contract.
Acccrding to Judy Levy, head,
of the Membership Action Coma,
mittee- a group of union workers.-
organized to make the union
more democratic- many wor-
kers ultimately signed they
agreement because they had n,
alternative.'
LEVY and other workers said
union management lacks the-
strength to organize a successful
strike. Some workers also_
accused union leaders ocq
sympathizing with managemenfa
and failing to support a strik, :
"They want to ignore all dissentl
from union members," Levy
said.
Kevin 'Jones, a cook a:
Couzens, said he was "not com/r
pletely happy," with the.
settlement.
He speculated that uniwri
workers would have supporteda
strike, but added, "Because wk ,
don't have a strike fund and thg
University has a very strong
temporary worker's pool, a strik
wouldn't benefit anyone. Mostg
workers can't afford to go without-
wages."
IE SAIDhe is satisfied that thej
University gave as. much of a
wage increase as it could afford,
though he would have liked to see'
a
additional medical benefits, such'
as optical and dental coverage. ,
The new contract give!j
workers a 4.7 percent wage,
increase. For employees witlj
dependants, however, most of this.
increase will be eaten up by,
increased health insurance costs,.'
The University previously;
paid up to $153 per month in Blue
Cross and Blue Shield for workers
plus any additional cost fore
worker's dependants. As a
compromise, the University:
agreed to increase its payment to;
$172 per month, but this fails t®
i"
VII
w
& rra1gS 5
tSt
MANY POSTERS
$5 and under
also fine gallery posters - most under $20
Classes in ballet,
modern, jazz, tap,
and ballroom.
New Classes
beginning September 8
For current class
schedule and
more information
call 995-4242.
i i