Medical services

DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE

Procedure that involves a thin flexible tube with a camera used to examine the colon. The test is used to diagnose abnormalities of the colon (large intestine) and remove certain types of polyps to prevent cancer. It can be done as an outpatient, so you will not have to stay overnight at the hospital.

to del colon y recto, por medio de un instrumento tubular largo y flexible. El estudio permite diagnosticar problemas del colon y el recto, al igual que realizar biopsias y extirpar pólipos de colon. Se realiza de manera ambulatoria, lo cual permite al paciente regresar el mismo día a casa.

Imaging of the pelvic structures, including the anus, rectal wall, and control muscles (sphincters). It is used to diagnose rectocele, rectal prolapse, or enterocele (prolapse of the small intestine).

SURGERY

Can be used to treat common benign and malignant colon and rectal conditions. Incisions are much smaller than those in a tradicional surgery and there is less post-surgery discomfort.

At each port (incision) a tubular instrument known as a trochar is inserted. Specialized instruments and a special camera known as a laparoscope are passed through the trochars during the procedure. This system allows the surgeon to perform the same operations as traditional surgery but with smaller incisions.

An ostomy, or stoma, is a surgically-created opening between the intestines and abdominal wall. The most common types of ostomy connect either the small intestines (ileostomy or jejunostomy or the large intestine (colostomy) to the abdominal wall. Ostomies can be temporary or permanent.

For those patients with a stoma that may be eligible for bowel restoration.

A colectomy procedure to remove one side of the colon is called hemicolectomy. It involves removing the right or left side of the colon and attaching the small intestine to the remaining portion of the colon.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS

CANCER

Nearly all cases of colorectal cancer develop from polyps. They start in the inner lining of the colon and most often affect the left side of the colon. Detection and removal of polyps through colonoscopy reduces the risk of colorectal cancer. Cancer screening recommendations are based on medical and family history.

Nearly all cases of rectal cancer develop from polyps. These polyps are benign growths on the inner lining of the rectum. Detection and removal of polyps through colonoscopy reduces the risk of rectal cancer. Rectal cancer screening recommendations are based on medical and family history.

Cancer begins when some of the body’s cells divide without stopping. As the cancer grows, it may stay in the nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body, a process called metastasis.

PELVIC FLOOR DYSFUNCTION

Pelvic floor dysfunction is a group of disorders that change the way people have bowel movements and sometimes cause pelvic pain.

Rectal prolapse is a condition in which the rectum (the last part of the large intestine) loses the normal attachments that keep it fixed inside the body, allowing it to slide out through the anal opening, turning it “inside out.”

A rectocele is a bulging of the front wall of the rectum into the back wall of the vagina. The rectum is the bottom section of your colon (large intestine). This is a very common problem that often does not produce symptoms.

SEXUAL TRANSMITTED DISEASE

Anal warts (condyloma acuminata) are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD). The warts affect the area around and inside the anus, but may also develop on the skin of the genital area. They first appear as tiny spots or growths, often as small as a pin head. They can grow quite large and cover the entire anal area.

ANORECTAL DISEASE

In general, bowel movements should occur at least every 1-3 days and no more than three times per day. Stools should pass easily and not require excessive straining. Lastly, one should experience a sense of completeness of elimination. Seek a medical appointment if constipation becomes progressive either in frequency or severity and not manageable; if one has worsening nausea and repeated vomiting or if abdominal pain becomes severe and constant; if constipation is associated with a change in stool size — narrow like a pencil or ribbon — change in stool frequency; or if any blood is seen.

Crohn’s disease is an incurable inflammatory disorder that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. The gastrointestinal tract is a system of body organs responsible for carrying and digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and getting rid of waste. Inflammation (red, swollen, and tender areas) always affects the innermost lining of the gastrointestinal tract, called the mucosa. However, the disease can affect the deeper layers of the gastrointestinal wall and even extend through the entire bowel wall.

Hemorrhoids are enlarged, bulging blood vessels in and around the anus and lower rectum. The rectum is the bottom section of your colon (large intestine). The tissues supporting the vessels stretch. As a result, the vessels expand, the walls thin and bleeding occurs. When the stretching and pressure continue, the weakened vessels protrude. The two types of hemorrhoids, external and internal, refer to their location.

An anal abscess is an infected cavity filled with pus near the anus or rectum. An anal fistula (also called fistula-in-ano) is a small tunnel that tracks from an opening inside the anal canal to an outside opening in the skin near the anus. An anal fistula often results from a previous or current anal abscess. As many as 50% of people with an abscess get a fistula. However, a fistula can also occur without an abscess.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder, it is one of the several conditions known as functional gastrointestinal disorders. This means the bowel may function abnormally, but tests are normal and there are no detectable structural problems.

Diverticular disease is the general name for a common condition that involves small bulges or sacs called diverticula that form from the wall of the large intestine (colon). Although these sacs can form throughout the colon, they are most commonly found in the sigmoid colon, the portion of the large intestine closest to the rectum.

Fecal incontinence (also called anal or bowel incontinence) is the impaired ability to control the passage of gas or stool.

Pilonidal disease is a chronic skin infection in the crease of the buttocks near the coccyx (tailbone). Most often it occurs between puberty and age 40 and is more common in men than women. People who are overweight and who have thick, stiff body hair are more likely to develop pilonidal disease.