Dr. Jerald Miller, a member of Benrus Surgical Associates, has addressed some common concerns around diverticulitis. A non-fatal illness is an inflammation of pockets in the colon, called diverticulosis. As people advance in age, they begin developing these pockets that sometimes become infected. 

“We’re not sure how someone gets infected or diverticulitis. What happens inside the body is food or stool gets trapped in these pockets, causes infection, and that infection then leads to symptoms”, says Dr. Miller, an expert on diverticulitis.

The main symptom of diverticulitis is pain. It generally starts in the left lower quadrant of the body. Some people develop cramping, constipation or diarrhea others have trouble urinating. Occasionally it can progress to fevers and chills, nausea, and emesis. 

“The first-line treatment for diverticulitis is with bowel rest, so stopping eating or going back to a clear liquid diet, and antibiotics. Occasionally, if your symptoms are more severe, then you end up being hospitalized with IV antibiotics. And very rarely, it could lead to the potential of needing surgical intervention”, says Dr. Miller. 

My name is Dr. Jennifer Etling. I am with Benrus Surgical Associates at Barnes Jewish Saint Peter's Hospital and Progress West Hospital.

 

WHAT IS YOUR SPECIALITY AND WHO DO YOU SEE?

I am a board certified general surgeon and I see patients with a variety of surgical problems including hernias, gallbladder issues, various kinds of cancer and skin conditions.

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Dear Patients:

We are excited to announce da Vinci robot surgery is available at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital. This is the first da Vinci robot in St. Charles County. Together, we have performed over 50 procedures over the past six months. Although we have been performing laparoscopic surgery for over two decades, this newest minimally invasive approach has added additional benefits for our patients.

During a da Vinci procedure, the surgeon is 100% in control of the system, which offers high definition 3D views and our patients experience less pain. Less pain translates into less narcotic use and faster recovery. Types of patients we offer da Vinci surgery include:

Colorectal Disease

Finding a lump in your breast can be a scary experience. However, studies show that over half of all women will develop lumps in one or both breasts. This condition is known as fibrocystic breast disease, also known as fibrocystic breast condition and fibrocystic changes. It is most commonly found in women between 30 and 50 years old, and is not malignant (non-cancerous). Symptoms can be uncomfortable and sometimes painful, but there are many treatments that can help with these side-effects. The problem with diagnosing fibrocystic disease is that symptoms can vary from person to person and may require a biopsy to make sure it is not breast cancer.

What Causes Fibrocystic Disease?

Hormones produced by the ovaries can fluctuate greatly during your menstrual cycle, which leads to discomfort, increased sensitivity, and lumpy breast tissue that feel swollen and sore. Symptoms of fibrocystic disease tends to increase before you start your menstrual cycle and decreases after your period begins. You can also experience symptoms throughout the month as well. The lumps are caused by swollen breast lobules and cysts.

Symptoms of Fibrocystic Disease

Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms of this condition:

 

Research has shown that early treatment can greatly improve treatment outcomes and survival rates for colon cancer and colon disease. Yet, many Americans suffer from these diseases and never get treatment because they either don't understand its symptoms, or because they are embarrassed to see a doctor. That's why it's important to find a specialist who is experienced and knows how to deal with personal and sensitive matters such as this. The Colorectal Surgery team at Benrus Surgery Center St. Charles has been providing the community with excellent health care for over 50 years and continues to stay on the forefront of treating cancer and other diseases of the rectum, colon, and anus.

 

Symptoms of Colon Cancer

 

 

When tissues bulge through a weak opening in your abdomen, that’s referred to as a ventral hernia.  Any point on your abdominal wall can be a candidate for this to happen.

You are at risk of a hernia any time you lift a heavy object, but increased risk comes from pregnancy, obesity, prior hernias, abdominal surgeries, bowel injuries, and a family hernia history.  Many people are also born with a congenital defect that will cause the abdominal wall to be thin from birth.

Symptoms of a ventral hernia can take time to occur and may in fact never show.  Symptoms that do present include mild abdominal discomfort, full-on abdominal pain, skin and tissue bulging outward in the abdominal area, vomiting and nausea.

These may increase when standing or lifting heavy objects and you may see a bulging growth in the abdomen that feels painful to touch.

Benrus Surgical performs gallbladder surgery on patients. The gallbladder stores bile, which is a fluid in your body that helps you to digest food. If there are problems with the gallbladder, you can get hard fragments called gallstones built up in the organ that can be anywhere from the size of a grain of rice to a golf ball. These hard formations...