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Brisbane Surgeon News
The news articles featured here cover a broad range of topics, including news about the practice, news relating to advances in relevant surgical techniques or medical studies and commentary.
COVID-19 and the immune system
The current COVID-19 pandemic is showing that your ability to fight off the virus is very closely connected to the health of your immune system.
Jeep bottom
During the Second World War soldiers who drove Jeeps were particularly prone to pilonidal disease, so at the time it became known colloquially as 'Jeep bottom'.
What does the pancreas do?
The pancreas is around 22cm long and sits behind the upper section of the abdomen.
What is sacral nerve stimulation?
The sacrum is the large triangular bone at the base of the spine, composed of five fused vertebrae, connected to the L5 vertebra above and the coccyx (tailbone) below.
Lactose intolerance
It is estimated that around 4% of the Australian population is lactose intolerant, with the condition more prevalent in women than in men by a factor of three to one.
All you need to know about haemorrhoids
Human beings have been suffering collectively from haemorrhoids for a very long time – 3,500 years ago Egyptians were writing about how to cure them.
New study gives hope for simpler diagnosis of Coeliac Disease
Coeliac disease is a debilitating condition that can cause a range of symptoms from chronic diarrhoea to bloating of the abdomen and anaemia, fatigue and weight loss.
What are gallstones?
The gallbladder is a small 'sac' - a hollow organ - that is around 7-10cm long and sits under the right lobe of the liver.
Recent study shows exercise is good for you if you want to reduce your risk of colon cancer
As we point out on our page on colon (bowel) cancer, Australia is near the top of world rankings for incidence of bowel cancer.
How - and why – is obesity a risk factor for colorectal cancer?
In Australia today two thirds of adults and one in four children are either overweight or obese.
Do you need your appendix?
One of the medical names for the appendix is 'vermiform appendix' which is quite an accurate description – in Latin it means a 'worm-like appendage'.
Cancer diagnosis and lifestyle
One of the first questions that a patient asks upon receiving a diagnosis of cancer is: what caused my cancer and could I have done anything to stop it? The simple answer in most cases is that we don't know. It implies that we know the cause of cancer, wherever it arises and, whilst we have identified certain risk factors for most, it's often several factors acting in unison, many of which we have yet to identify. This would explain why some patients who perceive that they've done all the right things, are still unlucky enough to be affected.
Reducing your risk of colon cancer
Colon cancer, which is usually a preventable and highly curable disease, is the second cancer killer in the USA, say gastroenterologist Dr. Felice Schnoll-Sussman, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and Dr. Benjamin Lebwohl, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center.
What are the pros and cons of laparoscopic surgery and open surgery for hernia repair?
Laparoscopic surgery, also referred to as 'minimally invasive surgery' or simply 'keyhole surgery', describes a method of performing operations within the body without needing to make a large incision in the skin to access the internal organs.
A laparoscope is a long flexible tube equipped with a miniature video camera and light on the end that, along with a range of miniaturised surgical instruments, can be inserted into the abdominal cavity through a very small incision or set of incisions which are only 1 or 2cm in length.
Mediasite - World of Webcast Article
I was featured in Mediasite - World of Webcast Article. Here's a link to the original article
The Australian Newspaper Article
I was featured in The Australian Newspaper. Here's a link to the original article
New Brisbane Surgeon Website Launched
I am pleased to launch the new website for my practice. This new site offers a range of patient resources, from patient information on post-operative care to videos that give more detail about the various procedures and treatments we provide. Our practice locations, billing and health fund information are also available. Booking an appointment can now be done online or by phoning our office. We hope you find the information provided easy to understand and it answers any questions you may have in regard to your health condition. We look forward to serving you better.
Bowel Habit - what's normal, and what's not
Most of us open our bowels once a day on average but in reality normal bowel habit constitutes a range - from every third day through to three times a day. Anything outside this range suggests an abnormality in the bowel itself. The bowel is divided into the upstream portion known as the small bowel and this is where all the goodness is taken out of food into the body. The lower half is known as the large bowel and consists of the colon and rectum.
Faecal Incontinence
Many women, as they get older, experience urinary incontinence, to the extent that most women believe that it is an integral part of the ageing process and freely talk about it. In contrast faecal incontinence is something that is much less openly discussed.
As a consequence, the women who suffer from it tend to do so in silence.
Acute Pancreatitis
The season of goodwill is upon us and with it an increase in the consumption of alcohol. It is therefore timely to mention one of the significant side effects of an excessive intake - pancreatitis. Quite apart from the effects of chronic alcoholism on our bodies, such as liver disease, obesity, diabetes and certain cancers, a binge with the bottle - and sometimes it doesn't take very much - can cause severe acute pancreatitis which can prove fatal. I have personally looked after several young adults who, despite our best efforts, have succumbed to the condition.