An anal fistula (also called fistula-in-ano) is frequently the result of a previous or current anal abscess, occurring in up to 50% of patients with abscesses. Normal anatomy includes small...
General Surgery
Cancer describes a set of diseases in which normal cells in the body, through a series of genetic changes, become abnormal and lose the ability to control their growth. As cancers ...
An anal fissure (fissure-in-ano) is a small, oval shaped tear in skin that lines the opening of the anus. Fissures typically cause severe pain and bleeding with bowel movements. Fissures are quite...
Anal warts (also called “condyloma acuminata”) are a condition that affects the area around and inside the anus. They may also affect the skin of the genital area. They first appear as tiny spots...
Colonoscopy is a safe, effective method of examining the full lining of the colon and rectum, using a long, flexible, tubular instrument. It is used to diagnose colon and rectum problems and to...
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States, striking 140,000 people annually and causing 60,000 deaths. That’s a staggering figure when you consider the...
Constipation is a symptom that has different meanings to different individuals. Most commonly, it refers to infrequent bowel movements, but it may also refer to a decrease in the volume...
Diverticulosis of the colon is a common condition that afflicts about 50 percent of Americans by age 60 and nearly all by age 80. Only a small percentage of those with diverticulosis have...
Severe abdominal pain can sometimes warrant an urgent admission to hospital, so that the cause of the pain can be diagnosed and urgent treatment performed to stop progression of the...
Approximately 8% percent of the adult population or more than 5.5 million people in the United Kingdom have gallstones. About 50,000 of these patients undergoing gallbladder surgery each year...
Everyone has experienced the uncomfortable feeling of heartburn when acid refluxes from the stomach into the oesophagus (gullet). To experience this occasionally is normal and is associated...
You may see or feel a bulge under the skin at the previous surgery site. It can make pain at the original place or can make back pain as well. Majority of the incisional hernias will get...
Groin hernias are the most common hernia (about 75% of all hernias are inguinal hernias). They occur through the inguinal canal, mostly seen in the males. Women also have the inguinal canal...
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that may affect over 15 percent of the general population. It is sometimes referred to as spastic colon, spastic colitis, mucous colitis...
Pilonidal disease is a chronic infection of the skin in the region of the buttock crease (Figure 1). The condition results from a reaction to hairs embedded in the skin, commonly occurring...
Several factors may be at fault. A common cause is excessive moisture in the anal area. Moisture may be due to perspiration or a small amount of residual stool around the anal area...
Hemorrhoids are a bothersome and often embarrassing problem. In most cases, surgical treatment is not required to solve the problem. However, for individuals with advanced hemorrhoid disease, surgical treatment may be needed.
Most patients with umbilical hernias first notice a belly button bulge or discomfort. These hernias can get larger and more uncomfortable over time. Like other hernias, an umbilical hernia...