Most people are familiar with terms like “General Practice” or “Pediatrics” and they have a pretty good idea of what this says about a doctor. He or she is a general physician for the whole family, or a specialist who cares for children. The term “General Surgery” may not be as well understood. The American …
Monthly Archive: September 2017
Sep 13
Laparoscopic Versus Open Incision Surgery
The rapid acceptance of laparoscopy procedures has revolutionized the practice of surgery. This revolution has brought better outcomes to surgical patients, reduced hospital stays, lowered infection rates, and resulted in less pain, quicker recovery times and fewer complications. For many surgical procedures, including common weight loss surgeries like the gastric sleeve and gastric bypass, laparoscopic …
Sep 12
Evidence-Based Medicine
As in all areas of human activity, medicine has trends that come and go. For example, HRT (hormone replacement therapy) was once routinely used to treat menopausal symptoms and protect women’s long-term health. However, when large studies demonstrated that hormone replacement therapy posed greater risks than benefits for most women, doctors changed their prescribing habits. …
Sep 11
Remembering 9-11
As with most businesses and professional practices, 9-11 will be a regular work day in our office. Still, we will take a moment to remember the terrible events that occurred on this day 16 years ago. Let us not forget those who lost their lives through no fault of their own, or the brave police …
Sep 04
Happy Labor Day from Dr. Birkedal and Staff
September 4 is Labor Day. This holiday has never been officially recognized as ‘the end of summer,’ but to many of us it, is just that. Summer is ending, the kids are back to school, and it is time to refocus on our personal and professional goals. Now may be a good time to stop …
Sep 04
What is the cost of weight loss surgery?
Most doctors get to be pretty good at answering medical questions, at least about their own specialty. Questions like, “What are my weight loss options?” or “What does ‘gastric sleeve’ mean?” should be easy for a bariatric clinic surgeon to answer. Often, explaining safe weight loss, surgery for weight loss and other weight loss options …
