Surgery

Twenty-six years ago, Dr. Benjamin Carson operated on my son. He was a fabulously compassionate man and a gifted surgeon. I think Dr. Carson should stick to his day job. Joy Mandel, Baltimore Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

A bill to give health regulators more oversight of facilities like the now-closed Monarch Medspa in Timonium is making a late surge in the General Assembly after weeks of discussions among state and industry officials. The House of Delegates unanimously passed the legislation Monday afternoon. It needs to clear the Senate, including an extra procedural step, within the next week. The legislative session draws to a close April 8. If passed, the law would close a regulatory gap that does not allow state health officials to proactively inspect and oversee plastic surgery centers.

The new general of the Ravens defense had been quiet ever since the team won the Super Bowl in early February. Terrell Suggs was silent as top young linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Paul Kruger signed lucrative contracts elsewhere, and the older players like Anquan Boldin, Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard were shown the door. With those departures, Suggs had become the team's defensive leader by deed and default. But on Sunday night, minutes before he agreed to an interview, the Ravens Pro Bowl outside linebacker/defensive end learned that the Ravens had agreed in principle with another Pro Bowl player, former Denver Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Orioles left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada has overcome a significant hurdle in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Manager Buck Showalter said Thursday that Wada has completed the rehab portion of his return and will now work toward getting game ready. “Now he's going to progress to baseball function ability,” Showalter said after watching Wada throw a bullpen session on Thursday morning. “The breaking ball is going to start. It's exciting watching him throw.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Just before Wednesday's workout began at the Ed Smith Stadium Complex, Orioles manager Buck Showalter called for 10-year-old Johnny Oates II and his younger brother Jackson to hop the fence and join the team on the field. The siblings quickly sprinted to Showalter, who introduced them to the players circling around, most of them starters. That's when Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts spoke up. “Let's show them what we have in common,” Roberts said with a smile before both he and Johnny lifted their shirts to reveal large vertical scars along the middle of their chests.

Ace, a youthful Labrador, bounds across his lawn, fielding tennis balls and hurrying them back to his owner. His tail wags. His coat is thick and shiny. He barks with enthusiasm. To the naked eye, Ace is a strapping example of dogdom. Who would guess that he's had work done? An eye job, in fact. Ace is one of thousands of dogs who've had plastic surgery. A little nip. A little tuck. Eye lifts. Nose jobs. Exactly the sorts of procedures people get. But unlike cosmetic surgery for humans, dogs and cats aren't doing it to look better at their high school reunion.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Nick Markakis, who has not played since March 1 because of neck spasms and stiffness, will undergo a precautionary MRI on Monday, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Saturday. Showalter said he didn't want to “downplay” the significance of the injury, and instead would just wait to see what the tests showed. “When you get something that kind of crops up twice, you know, information is a good thing. Until you get all the information ... we'll see. I haven't been told anything to make me think there's a sense of urgency with that,” Showalter said.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Orioles minor leaguer Matt Hobgood, the fifth-overall pick in the 2009 draft, threw his first bullpen session of the spring and just his second since season-ending rotator-cuff surgery 11 months ago on Sunday morning at the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twins Lakes Park. He threw a brief pen session in instructional league in October. Hobgood, who has been limited to 42 games in his minor league career because of inconsistency and injury, said he's pitching pain free for the first time in nearly four years.

Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis was scratched from the starting lineup for Sunday afternoon's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies after he woke up with neck spasms. “We're just going to be careful with him,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “He never had it before. He got better as the day went on. He's got some muscle relaxers and all that stuff, and we'll see where we are in a couple of days.” With Monday's off day and Tuesday's road game in Dunedin against the Blue Jays - veteran starters don't often make road trips this early in camp - Markakis will get an additional two days off. But Showalter said the injury was not a spring training precaution, and that Markakis would have missed the game had it occurred during the regular season.

Under Armour founder Kevin Plank tried to think of his perfect dinner party. There'd have to be a Beatle, he said, along with Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth and Mother Teresa. But the No. 1 guest, he said, would be Muhammad Ali. Plank and Ali were among those honored by the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation at a downtown gala and fundraiser at the Waterfront Marriott on Friday evening. But Plank was not able to have his dinner with "The Greatest. " Ali was unable to travel from his home in Arizona because he is recovering from a recent surgery.