COLORECTAL SURGERY BLOG

Soap? No Soap! A famous British proctologist, when referring to anal hygiene, once remarked that “People do more harm to their anal opening by trying to polish it clean, than if they would have simply left it alone.” And therein is the rub (so to speak). Colon and rectal surgeons have long known that with

The Painful Anal Fissure. An anal fissure is a small (or large) tear in the lining of the anal canal.  It is most often located in the posterior (back) of the anal canal.  Less commonly, it may be found in the anterior (front) portion. Rarely, the fissure, or fissures if they are multiple, may be

The Best. A hemorrhoid is just a hemorrhoid and a surgeon is just a surgeon.  They are all alike.  Are both of these statements true? Simply put, No and No.  Hemorrhoids present in many different forms and variations.  And hemorrhoid surgeons have different levels of training and skill. There are many forms of hemorrhoids, and

Diverticulitis.  When Surgery Is Needed. Diverticulitis is a potentially serious infection of the wall of the colon.  It may first present as a mild episode of left sided abdominal pain, or it may present with a life threatening infection known as sepsis.  When an emergency operation to remove the infected segment of colon is needed,

STD’s.  Less Stigma.  Same Risks. It is not uncommon for the proctologist, also known as a colon and rectal surgeon or coloproctologist, to see many patients with HIV and AIDS.  These diseases no longer carry the social stigma as in the early days shortly after their discovery. Indeed, these diseases in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills

What Is A Lipoma? Lipomas are fairly common, and in fact are the most common non-cancerous tumor diagnosed. The growth is a pocket of fat cells just under the skin. While these tumors are most common on the skin of the chest, back and shoulders, they may also grow in the gastrointestinal tract. The colon

IBD.  What Is It? Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, affects children, adolescents and adults.  Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (U.C.) are the most common members of this family of disorders, although there are other forms of this autoimmune disease.  (An autoimmune disease is one in which the body’s immune system attacks itself).  IBD is an

A hemorrhoidectomy can keep you from your normal routine for several weeks, and getting back to the gym may not go as smoothly as you’d hoped. Still, this procedure offers the best results paired with the lowest chance at a recurrence of hemorrhoids. By starting slowly and listening to your body, you can return to

Hemorrhoids typically aren’t life threatening, but they can be rather uncomfortable. They’re also very common, affecting about half of all adults before they reach age 50. This is, in part, due to the fact that many people spend long hours sitting both on the job and at home.  Hemorrhoids are one of the most common

Hemorrhoidal tissue is a normal part of everyone’s anatomy; everyone has these veins. In some people, though, they become enlarged. This leads to pain, irritation and sometimes bleeding. Reports indicate that about 40 percent of adults in the United States suffer from this condition. Many people fear not only the pain and itching associated with