Your physician will be happy to provide your further information regarding any of the following conditions.
LAPAROSCOPIC HERNIA REPAIR
When a hernia happens
Men and women of all ages can have hernias. A hernia is a weakness or tear in the wall of the abdomen. It is sometimes called a “rupture.” How does it happen? Acquired hernias are caused by wear and tear over the years. Congenital hernias result from a weakness in the abdominal wall that is present at birth. Both types of hernias may get worse or grow larger with time or physical stress.
Noticing a Bulge
It’s often easy to tell if you have a hernia. You may notice a bulge under your skin. Or, you may feel pain when you lift, cough, or strain. The pain may be sharp or sudden—or both. In some cases, it may be a dull ache. The pain may get worse near the end of the day or after you stand for a long time.
Seeing your Doctor
Do you think you have a hernia? If so, see you doctor right away. A medical evaluation is the only way to diagnose your problem. You and your doctor can then schedule the best time for hernia repair.
Your Evaluation
Your evaluation includes a medical history and exam. Then your doctor will decide how soon your hernia needs to be treated. Nonsurgical treatment is only for the short term. It’s better to repair your hernia before problems arise.
Laparoscopic Repair
Your doctor may recommend laparoscopic surgery to repair your hernia. The laparoscope is a tiny “telescope.” It lets your doctor see inside your body during surgery. Laparoscopy has been used with success for years in other types of surgery. With hernia repair, the results also have been quite good. Laparoscopic surgery offers many benefits over open surgery. There is less pain, a faster recovery, and tiny scars instead of a long scar.
Back to an active life
The tiny incisions from laparoscopic surgery will heal quickly. It’s likely that you’ll be back to normal in a few days.
LAPAROSCOPY GALLBLADDER SUGERY
Relieving your pain
Gallbladder problems can cause severe stomach pain and other distressing symptoms. To relieve your pain, you may need to have your gallbladder removed. It could be removed through a single standard incision in your abdomen (open surgery), or we may recommend that you have a newer type of surgery called laparoscopic cholecystectomy. People who have this procedure usually recover more quickly and have less pain than with open surgery.
A gallbladder that no longer works
It may have started after a meal: a steady, severe pain in your abdomen. You might have had bloating, nausea, or vomiting. This may have been your first attack or one of many. Your doctor has told you the likely cause of your pain is gallstones. This means your gallbladder is no longer working properly. And your symptoms may worsen if it isn’t removed. So now you’re thinking about surgery.
Treated through tiny incisions
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy uses several small incisions instead of one large one. A laparoscope (a thin telescope-like tube) is inserted through one incision. It allows your doctor to view your gallbladder on a monitor. Your gallbladder is then removed through another small incision. The benefits of laparoscopy over open surgery include:
• less discomfort after surgery
• a shorter hospital stay
• a faster recovery (days instead of weeks)
• tiny scars instead of a long scar
GASTRO-ESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE
GERD: A Common Problem
Repeated bouts of heartburn, sour-tasting fluid in your throat, difficulty swallowing—all are classic symptoms of a common health problem called gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or GERD (also known as reflux disease). The heartburn caused by GERD may strike after you eat a large meal or when you bend over or lie down. GERD can sometimes be controlled with simple lifestyle changes and medication. If your symptoms persist, surgery may offer more lasting relief from GERD.
Relief Through Surgery
If other attempts to control your GERD don’t offer relief, you may be a candidate for laparoscopic fundoplication. This surgery combines today’s technology with a surgical procedure that has been used safely for more than 40 years. The surgery is done using a laparoscope, a small telescope that allows the doctor to see clearly into your abdomen. During surgery, the doctor re-creates the one-way valve where the esophagus (the tube that food travel through) meets the stomach.
Your Medical Evaluation
Heartburn that occurs over and over may be a symptom of more than one medical problem. To confirm a diagnosis of GERD, your doctor may perform thorough physical exam and request diagnostic tests. These tests may be performed by a gastroenterologist, a doctor who specializes in treating digestive problems, or by a specially trained technician. Based on the results of these tests, your doctor will recommend the treatment that best suits your needs.
Ruling out Gallbladder Problems
People with a hiatal hernia often have gallstones as well. To rule out gallstones, a painless ultrasound test may be performed. Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create images on a screen as your abdomen is scanned for gallstones.
Your Surgery
During this procedure, the doctor re-creates your LES by wrapping the very top of your stomach around the esophagus. The surgery usually lasts from 1-2 hours. Laparoscopic surgery is performed through several small incisions instead of a single long one, as in the traditional open procedure. As a result, there is less pain, a quicker recovery time, a shorter hospital stay, and lower risk of infection.
Your Recovery
Most people go home 1 to 2 days after laparoscopic surgery and return to work in 1 to 2 weeks. Because no muscles are cut and only small incisions are made, you are likely to experience less postoperative pain than from open surgery. You may be able to start on a liquid diet soon after surgery. When your small incisions heal, the scars may be nearly invisible. Best of all, you’ll be able to eat without the pain and discomfort that GERD can cause.
BREAST SURGERY
When you find a lump
Every year, thousands of women find a breast lump. For them, and you, fear is an understandable emotion. Most breast lumps, however, aren’t serious medical problems—they’re simply noncancerous lumps. And, thanks to breast self-examination and today’s sophisticated technology, lumps that are cancerous are often diagnosed earlier, when they’re smaller and more successfully treated.
Concerns about cancer
Whether you or your doctor found your breast lump, through breast self-examination or a mammogram (breast x-ray), you may be overwhelmed by worries about cancer. A thousand questions may be running through your mind: Do I have cancer? Will I lose my breast? Your doctor refers you to a surgeon for further diagnosis and treatment to address these concerns. Rest assured that if your lump is cancerous, treating it early would give you the best chance for a healthy future.
Put time on your side
Although you may be concerned about what lies ahead, you’ve improved your chances for a healthy future by seeking early treatment. You’ve put time on your side. Now you have time to talk with friends or family members about treatment options or any concerns you may have. And talking with others may help you see how common breast lumps really are.
Understand breast lumps
Although all lumps must be evaluated, most are noncancerous (benign) and are little cause for worry. Others are cancerous (malignant) and need prompt treatment. Understanding breast lumps will help you make an informed decision about any treatment you may need.
Have an early evaluation
Mammography and other techniques help diagnose whether your lump is benign or malignant. An evaluation also helps indicated which type of treatment, if any is most suitable for you.
Know your treatment options
If you need treatment, talking with your surgeon will help you understand your options and made a decision. You’ll find that more treatment options are available today than ever before.
MINIMALLY INVASIVE BREAST BIOPSY
ABBI (Advanced Breast Biopsy Instrumentation)
What is a Breast Biopsy?
If a suspicious lesion (tissue abnormality) is found in your breast, your doctor will typically request that a biopsy be performed. A biopsy is the removal and examination of tissue to determine if a lesion is benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). While as many as 1 million American women undergo breast biopsies each year, approximately 80% are benign. In general, biopsies may be performed with local anesthesia and patients enjoy a quick return to normal activities. However, the type and amount of anesthesia required and recovery time will vary depending on the patient and the biopsy technique used.
The ABBI Biopsy Procedure
The patient lies on a biopsy table, which incorporates advanced stereotactic, x-ray technology to help the physician locate the lesion. The breast is numbed with local anesthesia and a needle is placed to identify the precise location of the lesion to within 1 mm of accuracy. The state of the art ABBI biopsy devise is gently guided into the breast and automatically retrieves a tissue specimen that allows physicians to make a precise diagnosis. The ABBI procedure offers patients a fast cost-effective procedure that results in minimal pain and scarring without surgery.
Core Needle Biopsy
A procedure that uses a needle with a cutting edge to remove multiple samples of tissue from the breast. Because the needle is not large enough to obtain a sufficient sample in one pass, it must be inserted several times to help ensure an accurate biopsy.
Advantages of the ABBI Procedure
• Performed with local anesthesia.
• One-step minimally invasive procedure.
• 100-99.7% accuracy rate.
• Quick return to normal activity
• Enhanced physician control
Am I a Candidate for the ABBI Procedure?
Only a thorough medical evaluation by your surgeon in consultation with a physician qualified in minimally invasive breast biopsy can determine if the ABBI procedure is appropriate for you.
LUMPECTOMY
Having a lumpectomy
Finding out you have breast cancer can be frightening. Having breast cancer means that some cells in your breast tissue are growing abnormally. You and your doctor are considering lumpectomy as a treatment option for you. This breast-conserving surgery removes the cancer but leaves most of the breast. Your doctor will give your information that will help you understand lumpectomy and why it may be right for you.
Facing Cancer
Put yourself first. Facing cancer is hard. You may need time to yourself. Or you may need to share how you feel with loved ones. Focus on the active role you can take in treatment. Learn as much as you can about breast cancer. Following your treatment plan is a good start.
Your treatment
A lumpectomy is recommended, in part, because of the results of your biopsy (a tissue sample removed from the tumor and examined under a microscope). Another factor is the size of the tumor compared to your breast size. Following surgery, you may also need radiation therapy. This involves using waves of energy to destroy any cancer cells that may remain in the breast. Other forms of treatment may also be recommended. If you have questions about your treatment options, ask your doctor. And seek out a second opinion if you feel you need one.
MASTECTOMY
Facing a Mastectomy
Finding out that you have breast cancer can be frightening. You may feel unsure about what it means for you. You may know that mastectomy (surgery to remove the breast) is a common treatment for breast cancer. Now, you and your surgeon are considering it as a treatment option for you. This booklet will help you learn what to expect and the role you can take in your treatment.
Your Diagnosis
First a lump was found in your breast. Maybe you felt the lump. Maybe it showed up on the mammogram (breast x-ray) or ultrasound (painless sound waves that produce an image of your breast tissue). Your doctor next ordered a biopsy (a sample of tissue removed from the lump to be examined under a microscope). The results came back positive for cancer.
Surgery and Treatment
When your biopsy results returned, you discussed your treatment options with a surgeon. Together, you may decide that mastectomy is the best choice for you. You will work with your surgeon to make decisions, such as whether to have reconstruction (surgery to re-form the shape of a removed breast). In addition to mastectomy, you may learn that other types of treatment are needed.
Taking an active role
Taking an active role in your treatment can help you maintain a sense of control:
• Take comfort in knowing that breast cancer can be treated. Mastectomy is a step toward a cure.
• Learn as much as you can about breast cancer and your treatment.
• Talk to others who have been treated for breast cancer.
• Find out about reconstruction options.
• Stay as active as you can. Don’t put your life on hold.
LAPAROSCOPIC COLON SURGERY
Laparoscopic treatment for your colon problem
Have you learned that you need surgery to treat a colon problem? If so, you may feel anxious. But a type of surgery called laparoscopy can help you heal faster than you would after traditional surgery.
Understanding your colon problem
Your colon is part of the digestive system. A healthy colon helps form the solid stool that is later expelled by our body. But growths or inflammation (irritation and swelling) within the colon can cause a colon problem. Many illnesses also can prevent the colon from working correctly.
Signs and symptoms
You may not always have symptoms with a colon problem. Instead, your doctor may detect signs of trouble during a routine checkup. Symptoms may include the following:
• bleeding through the rectum
• abdominal and rectal pain
• persistent changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea or constipation
• unexplained weight loss
• blood or pus in the stool or stool that is black
• fatigue (feeling tired often) Understanding laparoscopy With laparoscopy, your doctor makes a few small incisions rather than a single large one. A laparoscope (a thin, telescope-like tube) is then placed into one of the small incisions. This allows your doctor to view the colon on a video monitor. Surgical tools are placed into the other incisions. (A larger incision may be made later to remove a part of the colon.) Here are some possible benefits of a laparoscopic approach:
• less scarring
• less pain
• faster recovery
• shorter hospital stays
• quicker return to normal activity
Office Hours and Appointments
Regular office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments can be made by calling the office at (813) 788-5569. During these hours each physician is scheduled in the office at certain times during the week. The receptionist will advise you of these times in order to make the most convenient appointment for you. Urgent problems and emergencies can be as necessary by calling the office. Our physicians make every effort, consistent with providing emergency care, to be on time for your appointment.
Arrangements for Operations
If your medical condition required an operation, our staff will assist you in all arrangements. The necessary x-rays, blood tests, and other preoperative evaluations will be scheduled for you. Our staff will arrange scheduling with the hospital and provide necessary preoperative instructions. Every attempt will be made to meet the medical needs and desires of each patient in this regard.
Payment Policies
Our professional fees are based upon the skill and expertise required, as well as the difficulty of the individual operation. Pasco Surgical Associates participates in the Medicare Program. This means we will accept Medicare’s allowable payment and the patient will only be billed for the twenty- percent coinsurance and any unpaid deductible. We participate in most health insurance and HMO programs. As a service, we will file a maximum of two claims for benefits payable under your policy. We ask that co-payments and deductibles be paid at the time of service. Payment is expected at the time of service for office visits not covered by a government program. Workers’ Compensation claims will be filed with your company’s carrier for your convenience. We accept cash, person checks, Mastercard and Visa.
Our staff will assist you in all aspects of the financial planning for your care. Financial pre-arrangements will relieves you of those concerns so you and your physician can concentrate on improving your health.
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