Do you notice a bulge or have dull pain below the belt? You may assume that you have a pulled muscle, but your symptoms could signal a more serious problem. Normally, the muscles and tissue of your abdominal wall keep your organs safely tucked inside. But sometimes, a weak spot or tear in the muscle […]
By Deanna Thompson After working as a healthcare consultant for years, Patty McBride said she is not an easy patient. Coming into a facility, she said, “My eyes are checking everything — the building, how staff interacts.” So, after making the decision to have surgery at Mission Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was on […]
Quinton Cancel, MD, a urologist with Mission Urology, talks about the different options available for men who have erectile dysfunction. (video transcript) The definition of erectile dysfunction is the difficulty in achieving and maintaining an erection sufficient for intercourse. Most men, unfortunately if you live long enough, will experience erectile dysfunction. And the good news […]
By Carolyn Comeau A common pediatric condition that Michelle Kiser, MD, a pediatric surgeon at Mission Children’s Specialists, saw plummet recently is pediatric appendicitis. Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes inflamed. According to Dr. Kiser, appendicitis is the most common disease that requires surgical treatment in children and adolescents, affecting up to 8 percent of […]
By Jennifer Sellers There’s something that happens to people after bariatric surgery. Garth Davis, MD, medical director of Mission Weight Management, has seen it many times. It’s a transformation of sorts. And it’s not just physical. These people become a new person. Or, depending on how you look at it, they become the person they […]
Charles Franks, a 69-year-old retired factory worker and auto body technician living in Pisgah Forest, tries to go fishing and bow hunting as often as he can. He had to limit these activities about a year ago, because his legs were giving him a lot of pain when he walked. Franks was referred to John […]
By Ronnie Musselwhite “Decades ago, treatment of strokes was ‘Take two aspirin and call me in the morning,’ and then it transitioned into acute treatment where we had options within the first few hours,” said Alexander Schneider, MD, a stroke neurologist and Chief of Neuroscience with Mission Hospital. “Now, we’re able to treat out to […]
By Robert A. Poarch Our heart works hard, beating more than 100,000 times and pumping about 2,000 gallons of blood each day. During the day, we don’t think much about our heart. Until it starts to give us problems, such as a “leaky heart.” What it means to have a leaky heart valve. “A ‘leaky’ […]
By Carolyn Comeau October’s pink ribbons signify Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but many aren’t aware that January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. It may get less press, but cervical cancer, which occurs when cells grow abnormally in the cervix, is a disease every woman should be mindful of. Prevention Is Key — and Easy Brian […]
By Deanna Thompson Peggy Burns had a nagging pain above her right knee that gradually got worse. She saw doctors and tried physical therapy, but nothing brought lasting relief. “It got so bad I could not lift my kids,” the former special education teacher said, referring to her students. “It was hard even to walk […]
