Category: Ask the Doctors

Expert Department of Surgery faculty answer frequently asked questions to educate the public on a variety of conditions and procedures.

Demystifying the Circulatory System

Blood cells circulating through a vessel

The Department of Surgery explains terminology and components of the circulatory system. We use plain language to explain to describe what arteries, vessels, and related structures are, how they are different and some common conditions that affect them.

Ask the Research Director: Research During Residency with Ryan C. Fields, MD

Residency applicants need to know the fit of a program’s research education to their interests and needs. Ryan C. Fields, MD, the Director of Resident Research for the General Surgery Residency Program at Washington University, explains why WashU is an ideal location for research in surgery.

Ask the Doctor: Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy

The medical term for an enlarged prostate is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). An enlarged prostate is not a medical problem, but it is a condition patients should understand.

Ask the Doctor: Heart Failure with Dr. Moon

Heart failure is a chronic and progressive condition in which the muscle tissue of the heart cannot pump enough blood to supply oxygen and circulation throughout the body. It results in symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath but can cause other complications. Multiple types of HF exist and are treated differently depending on the stage.

Ask the Doctor: Colorectal Cancer with the Colorectal Team

Colorectal Cancer Team

Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the lower intestine, either the colon or rectum, and causes symptoms such as bowel movement changes, pain and weight loss as it progresses. It is a common cancer that is often detected through regular screening and requires physician diagnosis from specific tests. Colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable and curable through surgical and radiation treatments. Washington University School of Medicine and Siteman Cancer Center provide patients with screening, diagnoses and treatment options.

Ask the Doctor: Diverticulitis with Dr. Kerri Ohman

Diverticulitis is the inflammation or infection of diverticula, small pouches commonly occurring in the colon. The presence of diverticula is known as diverticulosis. If one or several diverticula become inflamed or infected, diverticulitis develops. Diverticulitis causes abdominal pain, fever, nausea and a changes in bowel habits. Mild diverticulitis can be treated with rest, changes in diet and use of antibiotics, but severe or persistent attacks of diverticulitis requires surgery.

Ask the Doctor: Hirschsprung Disease with Dr. Baddr Shakhsheer

Hirschsprung disease is a congenital condition that causes issues with the digestive system. The bowel or colon is not able to contract due to a cell deficiency, leading to constipation and other digestive problems. Treatment for this condition includes surgery to repair the colon.

Ask The Doctors: Critical Limb-Threatening Ischemia

Ask the Doctors Header Image, featuring Patrick Geraghty, MD shown to the right, with Critical Limb-Threatening Ischemia typed to the left.

Limb ischemia is a peripheral arterial disease that causes reduced blood supply to the limbs. Long-term limb ischemia can progress into chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CL-TI), which requires immediate medical attention and treatment. Dr. Geraghty and the limb preservation team at Washington University answer questions about this condition, risk factors and treatment options.

Ask the Doctors: Aortic Aneurysms and Repair

Vascular surgeon Brian Rubin, MD, answers frequently asked questions about aortic aneurysms. Dr. Rubin specializes in endovascular and open surgical treatment of vascular disease, including thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Ask the Doctors: Kidney Stones

Alana Desai, MD

Kidney stones are exceptionally common and affect nearly one in ten Americans. Those who have suffered from stones understand that kidney stones can be incredibly painful when they begin to pass. Washington University Urology offers advanced care for the treatment and prevention of kidney stones. In order to help the public know more about this […]

Ask the Doctors: Hiatal Hernias

Washington University cardiothoracic surgeon Shuddhadeb Ray, MD, MPHS, answers patient questions about hiatal hernias.

When to Get Screened for Prostate Cancer

Chief of Urology Gerald Andriole, MD, explains the importance of prostate cancer screening and how early detection can save lives.

Ask the Doctors: Kidney Transplant

Director of Kidney and Pancreatic Transplantation at the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Transplant Center Jason Wellen, MD, MBA, answers some of the most frequently asked questions about kidney transplant.

Ask the Doctors: WALANT Hand Surgery

Kelly Currie, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the WALANT technique for hand surgery.

Ask the Doctors: Crohn’s Disease

Matthew Mutch, MD, Chief of the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery and Professor of Surgery, and faculty from the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Crohn’s disease.