COLORECTAL SURGERY BLOG

Hereditary Colorectal Cancer. Five percent of colon or rectal cancers are hereditary.  This means that we can identify the genes responsible for causing normal colon and rectal tissue to become malignant.  These genes run in families and those patients and family members with the genes can pass them on to relatives. What can we do

The Painful Anal Fissure.  Cure It At Home? The high stress of Los Angeles life, or the stress of any big city living can lead to all kinds of ailments.  One of those ailments is the painful anal fissure. An anal fissure is a small tear, or crack in the lining of the anus.  As

Clean Your Colon?  Save Your Money.  Eat Healthy. If you do not want to read this entire blog, then read this: Forget colon cleansing.  Don’t waste your time or money.  Your colon can do the job without any outside help.  Your proctologist, also known as a colon and rectal surgeon, can further educate you in

Get the PDF version of this article Is this science fiction fodder or is it food for the working surgeon? Length Matters. Shorter is Better. Finishing a robotic colon resection recently, and admiring the 8 mm incisions on the abdomen, the following question was raised: “What could possibly be more elegant than this?” Of course,

Rectal Cancer.  Before Surgery.  Los Angeles Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates. With modern screening protocols,  and following years of patient education, the incidence of colon and rectal cancer seems to be declining.  By removing polyps before they can become malignant, colon and rectal surgeons (proctologists) in Los Angeles, and all cities across the country, have

The Painful Anal Fissure.  Diltiazim® Can Help Block The Pain. At Los Angeles Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates in Beverly Hills, California, one of the most commonly seen and treated painful maladies of the anal area is the anal fissure. A fissure is similar to a paper cut you might receive on your hand or

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, abbreviated IBS, is a “gray zone” problem.  Why “gray zone”?  IBS is not life threatening.  And IBS cannot be ignored as a trifling nuisance.  It falls in the gray zone of life’s problems.  It is one of those illnesses whose patients do best with support first and then with pharmaceutical intervention.  The

Hemorrhoids.  From Normal to Abnormal Hemorrhoids come in many shapes and sizes. They all begin life pretty much the same; as collection of connective tissue, veins, arteries and nerves.  During our youthful years, hemorrhoids serve a purpose.  Hemorrhoids facilitate the passage of stool through the rectum and anus.  Hemorrhoids act as cushions.  They are a

Get the PDF version of this article How a discovery and a father’s letter to his son opened the door to incisionless colorectal surgery. Finishing a robotic colon resection recently, and admiring the 5mm incisions on the abdomen, the following question was raised: “What could be more elegant than this?” The answer followed immediately: “No

A Proctologist?  At My Age? As we age, issues that never would have drawn a second thought, seem to become front and center in our thinking and in our daily habits.  Things like sore feet, difficulty seeing objects close up or far away and thinning hair readily come to mind.  But, who would have ever