Abdominal Bulge: (Ventral and Umbilical Hernia Repair; Laparoscopic Hernia Repair):  Sometimes, following an abdominal operation, the skin at the site of the scar can bulge out.  Learn more about this condition and its simple, minimally invasive laprascopic surgical treatment.

Advanced Hemorrhoid Surgery: An inflammation of blood vessels of the rectum (the end of the bowel) causes painful hemorrhoids.  Learn here, how not all hemorrhoids need to be surgically treated.  In addition, modern ways to definitively treat the hemorrhoids with little discomfort and early return to work, compared to standard techniques, are discussed.  PPH surgery is one of these modern methods of treatment.

Appendectomy: Inflammation of the appendix (a small finger-like organ in the right lower abdomen) or appendicitis can cause severe pain and if left untreated can produce grave sickness.  Read more about appendicitis and its surgical treatment. 

Bile: A yellow sour tasting fluid secreted by the liver and stored into the gallbladder which  releases the bile at mealtime.  It is composed of a delicate balance of cholesterol, bile salts, and pigment (bilirubin).  Their change initially causes the precipitation of cholesterol crystals and later the formation of cholesterol stones or gallstones.

Biopsy: Any specimen of tissue (skin, breast, bowel, etc.) obtained by the surgeon for examination under the microscope to identify its nature (malignant vs. benign). Visit this site to know more about this important topic.

Biopsy of Lesions & Tissues: When abnormal growths occur anywhere in the body, either be the skin, or the extremities, or the internal organs, a biopsy or removal of part or of the whole lesion should be done. 

BRCA1 and BRCA2: are two genes normally present in all women.  An abnormality (or mutation) of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes cause most cases of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome that involves various cancers, primarily breast and ovarian cancer.

Breast Disease & Surgery: Self-breast examination SBE is the most important screening tool women have to early self-diagnose breast cancer.  Learn on this site what to do when experiencing abnormal breast symptoms or findings. 

Breast MRI:  Painless and innocuous imaging technique which utilizes a magnetic field to identify the breast anatomy and lesions.  It is very accurate and could replace the current breast imaging techniques (mammogram and ultrasound).

Cancer Detection & Treatment:  There are several kinds of cancer which can affect any of us; however, even though this can be frightening for each of us, many of these cancers are benign and do not need extensive treatment.  Some of the most common ones (bowel, breast, lung, etc.) can be usually identified by simple screening tests and a routine physical exam.

Chest X-Ray: This is a simple two view picture of the lungs, excellent as a initial screening exam of a patient suspected of having lung cancer.

Colon & Rectal Surgery: Many diseases can affect the large bowel (the colon) and its distal segment (the rectum).  Only some of them require surgical therapy, while others can be treated conservatively.  They are diagnosed by colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy: Procedure done under intravenous sedation to examine the lower intestine or colon and rectum.

Computerized Tomography (CT): It is a sophisticated and reliable radiographic exam of any body cavity, organs, and contents.  All anatomical parts of the body can be virtually "sliced" at a 1/4" thickness or individually reconstructed on a 3-D view to clearly identify any abnormalities.

DCIS Marker: DCIS stands for ductal carcinoma in situ.  Patients with this breast tissue condition are at higher risk than the general population to develop breast cancer and require further surgical or radiation therapy.

Debridment: A surgical technique describing the removal of the bad or dead tissue to promote healing. 

Esophagagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) & Colonoscopy: This acronyms stands for Esophago-Gastro-Duodenoscopy.  It is a simple procedure to evaluate the upper portion of the intestine (esophagus, stomach, and duodenum) done under intravenous sedation. These are commonly done as tests.  At your Primary Care Physician's discretion, you may need to undergo an EGD. This is a test performed to identify abnormalities of the upper portion of the digestive tract (esophagus, stomach, and duodenum).  A colonoscopy is a procedure done to identify any abnormality in the lower portion of the digestive tract (colon and rectum).

Excisional Biopsy: Is used for evaluation of skin growths or tumors.  By applying local anesthetic, the skin is anesthetized, the growth is removed and the skin opening closed.  The growth is sent to the laboratory for evaluation.

Fine Needle Aspiration: This is one of the first line tests employed to diagnose any  palpable breast mass.  A small needle is inserted into the palpable mass after the breast skin has been anesthetized.

Gallstones (Cholelithiasis and Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy):   Stones can form inside the gallbladder and can cause severe abdominal pain.  Fortunately, this condition can be treated by minimally invasive laparascopic surgery.

Gastric Surgery: Peptic ulcer disease (or ulcers) and tumors were the most common surgical diseases of the stomach.  However, today powerful oral medications can treated the first one and maybe prevent the second one.  Only very few patients require surgery.  They are both diagnosed by a simple screening test (EGD).

Groin Bulge (Inguinal Hernia & Inguinal Hernia Repair):   Bulging out of the skin in the groin area is a potentially serious condition. Please, look at this hyperlink to know more about this condition and its simple, outpatient surgical treatment.

High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients: Group of women a high-risk dental breast cancer because of genetic, chemical, or immunologic causes.

Hypertronic Scar and Keloid: Any skin wound heals by scar formation.  Should the amount of scar tissue produced be more than normal or so exuberant to grow beyond the original wound edges, an hypertrophic scar or a keloid forms, respectively.

Laparoscopy: A novel technique available to the General Surgeon.  It allows to perform both common procedures (gallbladder, hernia, and appendix) and more challenging procedures (resection of tumors and  bowel surgery) with minimal skin wounds and results similar to the conventional open surgery. However, not all of the above surgeries can be done laparoscopically

Mammogram: It is a very safe radiografic exam of the breasts.  The amount of radiation utilized is minimal, and it should be done at age 40 and yearly or every two years afterward.

Needle Biopsy: When a deep tissue mass or tumor needs to be sampled, the insertion of a fine needle after administration of local anesthetic allows to obtain a piece of it.

Pain Pump: It is used for postoperative pain control in conjunction with painkillers and ice packs with exceptional results.  An external rubber reservoir filled with a long acting topical anesthetic (usually marcaine) is connected to the patient through plastic tubing inserted during anesthesia. The anesthetic is slowly released into the surgery field at a predetermined rate (usually from 24 to 36 hours).  Afterward, it is easily removed by the patient.

Self Breast Exam (SBE): It is the simplest, most effective way for women to identify a breast abnormality.  To best appreciate any breast abnormality, it should done monthly, under a warm shower, and after the menstrual cycle is over.

Sentinel Lymph Node Scanning and Biopsy: This technique allows identification of the lymph nodes that are draining breast tumors (Lymph Node Scanning) so that they can be removed (Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy) and tested for signs of cancer.

Skin Cancer Screening & Surgery: Out of the many skin lesions occurring everyday, only an handful of these is malignant.  Consult this hyperlink to get an answer to the mostly asked questions.

Skin Ulcers, Chronic Wounds & Surgery: Any loss of superficial or deep skin is called wound  or ulcer.  Learn the difference between the two terms and the different ways to surgically obtain skin healing by looking at this site.

Surgery of Burns & Scars:   Exposure to elevated or extremely low temperature as well as to chemicals will cause a burn which is followed by a scar.  In this hyperlink, the different types of burns and tailored treatments are discussed.

Ultrasound: It is the safest and probably most accurate test for many organ disease.  By means of waveform, benign and malignant lesions can be distinguished.

Vericose & Spider Veins ~ Non-Surgical Treatment:   Dilated thigh and leg veins causing evening ache do not always require surgery.  As a matter of fact, many times varicose veins and spider veins can be treated effectively with in-office or home therapy.  Look at this hyperlink to learn more about the different modalities of treatment for this common condition.