English General Questions
Absolutely! After discussing your treatment plan, we will offer you the option to complete your treatment during the same visit if feasible. Some conditions, however, may require multiple office visits or transfer to hospital or surgical center and that will be discussed with you before commencing therapy
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All our physicians undergo rigorous specialty fellowship training in Colorectal Surgery and maintain active certifications with The American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery.
If you have no health insurance or choose not to use your Health plan, we offer discounted prices that may sometimes be less than what you may have to pay if you used insurance.
Please note that we accept several commercial payer’s Health Plans and Medicare/Medicaid and as a courtesy we will bill your plan for services provided. We check your Health Plan benefits before or upon your arrival and for the sake of transparency will provide you with a best estimate of what your out of pocket cost would be BEFORE rendering any services. This way, you can be confident of your financial responsibility before incurring any expense. You will be responsible for your out of pocket portion which we will be due at the time of service.
Hemorrhoids
A hemorrhoid diagnosis involves a visit to the doctor, who will examine your anus and rectum. You now understand why that would be difficult if not impossible to accomplish over the phone or during a video telehealth visit. A rectal exam using a gloved finger may be conducted. If there is no pain, a procedure to look inside the anus (anoscopy) or sigmoidoscopy will be performed.
It depends. Office procedures, if feasible, can offer you instant relief with little or no discomfort. Surgical options, though not commonly adopted in our practice, may sometimes be necessary and can carry varying degrees of pain or discomfort. Rest assured that most hemorrhoid symptoms can be managed simply and safely in the office setting.
Rubber band ligation is the most common procedure for symptomatic internal hemorrhoids and is effective in most patients. A specially designed elastic band is placed on the internal hemorrhoid to cut off the blood supply, and in a few days the hemorrhoid dies and falls off.
This is our preferred method of hemorrhoid treatment when appropriate. It is effective, relatively painless, relatively safe, and serious complications are rare.
You can return to normal activities after office hemorrhoid treatment. We ask you to refrain from heavy lifting, straining, or strenuous physical activity for a few days after your procedure to minimize the chance of complication.
Colonoscopy
Cologuard is a noninvasive colon cancer screening test for those age 45 years or older older who are at average risk for colon cancer. It uses stool to detect the DNA and blood cells released from altered cells, and can detect both precancerous growths (polyps) and colon cancer.
Cologuard can only detect 42% of large polyps and 92% of colon cancer, while a colonoscopy can detect 95% of large polyps and 92-98% of colon cancer. When polyps are detected during a colonoscopy they are removed at the same time. If polyps are detected with Cologuard, a colonoscopy must be performed to remove them. Cologuard is not a replacement for colonoscopy in high risk individuals.
You typically receive anesthesia during the procedure so you do not feel any discomfort or pain. The procedure is safe and produces little discomfort even when completed without anesthesia. We use CO2 gas instead of air to inflate the colon during the procedure to reduce the symptoms of bloating often experienced afterwards.
The risk of colon caner has been rising significantly in the younger population in the United States. It is estimated that 1 in 10 colon cancers and 1 in 4 rectal cancers will be diagnosed in adults younger than 50 years.
Assuming you are at average risk (no symptoms, no personal of family history of colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease) your first screening colonoscopy should be completed at age 45 (40 if you are African American).
Regardless of your age, you should undergo diagnostic colonoscopy if you develop symptoms such as rectal bleeding, change in your bowel habits, unintentional weight loss, etc.