Signs and symptoms of ulcerative colitis

What is ulcerative colitis?

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a long-standing disease that is also known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is a group of diseases that affects your large intestine. It occurs when the colon of your large intestine, rectum, or both gets inflamed.

Usually, it starts from the rectum and leads to upward direction. The inflammation occurs in the colon causes your bowel to move rapidly and empty frequently. The ulcer causes the bleeding and discharge of pus and mucus.

 Symptoms

The signs and symptoms may vary, depending on the seriousness of inflammation of infected area such as:   

• Mouth ulcers
• Red and swollen skin
• Irritated red eyes
• Shortness of breath
• Irregular heart beat
• Loss of weight
• Diarrhea with the discharge of blood, mucus or pus
• Abdominal pain and cramping   
• Fatigue
• High Fever
• Urgency to defecate

Types

There are five types of ulcerative colitis:

1. Ulcerative proctitis - Inflammation occurs to the rectum of the large intestine, and small amount of bleeding passing in your stool is the only sign of the disease. 

2. Proctosigmoiditis - Inflammation occurs in sigmoid colon and rectum. Signs and symptoms are abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, and an inability to move the bowels instead of having urge. 

3. Left-sided colitis. Inflammation starts from rectum and go up to the sigmoid and descending colon causes abdominal cramping, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss.

4. Pancolitis - Often affects the colon entirely and causes intense bloody diarrhea, fatigue and notable weight loss.

5. Acute severe ulcerative colitis - This form of colitis found rarely in patients that infect the entire colon causes profuse diarrhea, severe pain, fever, bleeding and inability to eat.

When to see a doctor

Get in touch with your doctor if you observe a constant change in your bowel habit:

• Long-standing diarrhea that doesn't cured by the medications
• Abdominal pain
• Blood in your stool
• Long lasting fever 

Causes

Till this day, the cause of the ulcerative colitis remains unknown. 

Organizations such as the SIMS hospital can provide resources and support to help you live a full and healthy life with ulcerative colitis.

Blog Reviewed By: Dr Patta Radhakrishna

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What can I expect after Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Obesity, "the state of being grossy fat or overweight", is extremely prevalent in the developed countries of the West, especially among the young. The developing countries are not very far behind;, particularly in the sprawling metro cities. Lack of exercise and bad diet are among the many reasons attributed to its spread.

Sometimes, among the extreme cases, surgical measures have to be adopted. It is in this scenario that Gastric Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery is advised.

What exactly Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

The simplest explanation is: it reduces the physical size of the patient's stomach. Here, surgeons surgically remove part of the stomach and stitch together the remaining portion in a tubular sleeve like a sack, and hence the name "Gastric Sleeve Surgery." It takes two to three days and is permanent.

What can one expect after the surgery?

• After the surgery, you will be able to drink only clear fluid for 2-3 days and, then move on to mashed food products and protein mixes for a month. You will then be able to take normal diet but in very small quantity.
• Expect to lose a lot of weight and medical conditions related to weight will improve. How much that will be will vary from person to person..
• Avoid eating high sugar foods like soda and fruit juice.
• Tiredness may be present for a month and will soon disappear. 

Blog Reviewed By: Dr Patta Radhakrishna

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What To Know About Chronic Pancreatitis?

The pancreas is the most hardworking organ in the human body. It plays a significant role in your digestion process. It makes enzymes that help your digestive process and insulin to keep your blood sugar levels under control. Any inflammation, fibrosis, or scarring of the pancreas will develop a condition called pancreatitis. 

What is pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis is a disease in which the pancreas becomes inflamed or damaged. This is when the digestive enzymes are activated before they are released into the small intestine and begin attacking the pancreas. Pancreatitis can become a chronic problem. Treatment for this condition varies depending on whether your pancreatitis is acute or chronic. 

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of your pancreas, which can be very painful. You may have nausea, vomiting, and fever. If acute pancreatitis slowly gets worse,It may lead to chronic pancreatitis.

What is chronic pancreatitis?

Chronic pancreatitis is an irreversible and progressive disorder of the pancreas caused by an inflammation that constantly occurs over the long haul. Chronic pancreatitis can create permanent damage to the pancreas. Scar tissue develops from this long-term inflammation.

What causes chronic pancreatitis?

If you have chronic pancreatitis, the digestive enzymes that would normally travel by tubes inside your pancreas and empty into your upper intestine, become trapped inside your pancreas, this causes pain and scarring. The trapped enzymes slowly destroy your pancreas.

The most common cause of chronic pancreatitis is drinking too much alcohol over many years. 

 Other causes include:

• An attack of acute pancreatitis that damages your pancreatic ducts
• A blockage of the main pancreatic duct caused by cancer 
• Certain autoimmune disorders
• Cystic fibrosis
• Hereditary diseases of the pancreas
• Smoking
• Unknown cause in some cases 

How to diagnose?

If pancreatitis is suspected, It is best diagnosed with tests that can evaluate the structure of the pancreas via radiography. Your doctor will likely use a combination of blood tests and imaging studies to make a diagnosis. 

Computed tomography is the best imaging modality for diagnosis. Your doctor may recommend a variety of diagnostic tests such as; Transabdominal ultrasound, Endoscopic ultrasound, and Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP).

How is chronic pancreatitis treated?

Day-to-day treatment includes: 

• Pain medicine
• Pancreatic enzyme supplements with every meal
• Insulin, if you develop diabetes
• Vitamin supplements, if needed

For acute pancreatitis or a flare-up, you may need to stay in the hospital for treatment. Your exact treatment will depend on the cause of your chronic pancreatitis, how severe the symptoms are, and your physical condition. 

Acute treatments may include:

• Feeding through a tube through the nose into the stomach
• Diet
• IV fluids
• Pain medicines
• Surgery 

You can control pancreatitis with a healthy lifestyle and medical treatment when necessary. Organizations such as the SIMS hospital can provide resources and support to help you live a full and healthy life with pancreatitis.

However, if any of your symptoms reappear, speak with your doctor as soon as possible.

Blog Reviewed By: Dr Patta Radhakrishna

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Post-Surgery Care After Hernia Surgery

Hernia repair surgery is commonly performed either through a laparoscope or through traditional open surgery techniques. Modern hernia surgery repair techniques are less invasive. The recovery rates are faster than the conventional methods with the least discomfort, making less recurrence rate. The patient can expect a faster discharge from the hospital.

The recovery period after hernia surgery:

After hernia repair surgery, the patient is kept in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) for close monitoring. They will remain there until they are stable. The amount of time spent in the PACU depends on the patient's progress and on the type of anesthesia they had received.

Post-Operative Care And Recovery

• Immediately after surgery: After leaving the post-anesthesia unit, the patient is shifted to the daycare department. The patient is discharged after a few hours.
• There will be negligible pain at the operated site because of pre-emptive analgesia and TAP block.

First Week Do’s And Don’ts

Following are some of the tips that can help to prevent infection, promote healing, and avoid weight gain.

• Depending on wound healing, you can take the patient to shower within a day or two.
• Make sure the patient does not strain abdominal muscles while walking. However, an ideal level of strain can improve circulation.
• Plan a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fiber along with a lot of fluids. This keeps constipation at bay. If the patient is straining that results due to inactivity seek immediate doctor's help. Physicians may prescribe laxatives or stool softeners to avoid
• Depending on the recovery you will need to consult your physician before resuming driving.
• Some people resume work within a week; however, it allows the patient to take adequate rest. Depending on the type of surgery, a physician can suggest when a patient should resume work.
• It may take a few weeks for the patients to get back to playing sports. Always remember to seek physician advice before resuming playing any kind of sports.

Tips For A Speedy Recovery

• Ensure that a relative or family stays with the patient after surgery. This will help the patient as he/she is physically restricted to do many things.
• Keep a pillow next to the patient so that in case he/she needs to cough, sneeze, or vomit, he/she can press it against the abdomen. This helps to prevent excessive strain on abdominal muscles.
• Reduce using stairs as it may be physically exhausting to climb up and down.
• Be aware of all the potential complications post-surgery. This enables you to call your doctor immediately if you notice any.
• Be consistent in all your follow-ups with your doctor for your safety and the success of your surgery.

Most doctors ask their patients to return in about a week for a follow-up visit. At this time, all stitches will be removed.

Blog Reviewed By: Dr Patta Radhakrishna
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Why Esophageal Surgery Is Done?

An esophagectomy is a surgical procedure that is commonly used to treat esophageal cancer. Depending on the size and extent of a patient’s tumor, the surgery can be adjusted to remove a part or all of the esophagus, then rebuild a way from a section of the patient’s stomach or large intestine for the food to pass.

There are two ways that an esophagectomy can be performed: as a traditional (open) surgery and minimally invasive (laparoscopic) procedure. The specific approach that a surgeon selects for a patient will depend on several factors, such as:

•    The size of a tumor
•    The location and accessibility of a tumor
•    The patient’s overall health

Compared to a traditional esophagectomy, a minimally invasive esophagectomy can result in a shorter hospital stay and a shorter overall recovery period, as well as less scarring and a reduced likelihood of complications. However, each patient needs to discuss the potential advantages and outcomes of each approach with an experienced surgical oncologist.

Why is it done?

 

Esophagectomy is done as a treatment for esophageal cancer; Barrett’s esophagus with high-grade dysplasia (pre-cancerous cells); or for end-stage achalasia (failure of the muscles of the esophagus to relax making it hard to swallow).

How is it done?

 

There are a few ways to do an esophagectomy. You may have an incision in your neck, abdomen, and/or chest. If it can be done in a minimally invasive fashion with a laparoscope (a small camera) you will have five to seven tiny incisions in your chest and/or abdomen. Your surgeon will discuss with you how the operation will be done and where the incisions will most likely be made.

Most patients can be discharged from the hospital within 7 days of the surgery.

Blog Reviewed By: Dr Patta Radhakrishna

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Abdominal pain and Appendicitis

Apendicitis is a sudden swelling up of a small tubular organ the size of the little finger found at the junction of small and large intestine. It presents as sudden shooting pain in the right lower abdomen and does not go away. If ignored or self-medicated for the same it may lead to serious consequences.

It is not still clear what role the appendix plays in the body. It is said to be a vestigial organ  without any useful role. However, some researches confirm that it has some amount of immune function that helps our system to rebalance after any gastrointestinal disease.

Inflammation of this abdominal organ can serious if not treated on time. Sometimes appendix may burst due to high infection and spreads the infection throughout the body.

Though people can experience appendicitis at any age, most of the teenagers among twenties are suffering a lot.

What are the causes of appendicitis?

The exact cause of appendicitis is unknown. However this condition often develops from 2 reasons i.e. gastrointestinal infection that spreads to the appendix and an obstacle that blocks the appendix opening mostly in the form of a small pellet of stool called ‘faecolith’.

How is appendix diagnosed?

• Generally, physical and abdominal examination is done to know the exact site of pain 
• A Blood test will be taken to find out the white blood cells count to assess the infection level
• A Urine test will determine the presence of any kidney stones/UTI
• The Pelvic examination will be performed in women
• If the above tests do not provide the necessary information, CT/MRI will be done

The treatment varies depends on the severity of appendicitis. Most acute cases can be cured with antibiotics whereas some need surgical intervention in the form of laparoscopic surgery.

Dr. Patta Radhakrishna is well known senior Surgical Gastroenterologist and laparoscopic surgeon who has a vast experience in treating appendicitis treatment in India. He is the most sought-after surgeon for appendix removal surgery in Chennai.

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More About Emergency Abdominal Surgery In Chennai

More patients are admitted to emergency units worldwide with symptoms pertaining to the abdomen than any other part of the body. Most of those symptoms are temporary and can be tackled easily with some medications while some require advanced investigations and surgical treatment. The abdomen has many independent organs and each of them can be involved in different disease processes. Surgical treatment is also varied according to the organ involved and the disease process. Notable organs in the abdomen include liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, stomach, duodenum, small intestine, appendix and large intestine. And one or a combination of these organs can get affected all of a sudden need surgical treatment to set them right.

Candidate for Emergency Abdominal Surgery?

There are many surgical conditions which will require emergency abdominal surgery. This will include acute appendicitis, acute cholecystitis, acute intestinal obstruction, Intestinal perforation and a host of other conditions. Most of these are diagnosed by clinical examination and some require a CAT scan or an ultrasound. If not operated immediately, they may lead to some serious abdominal problems. Presently laparoscopy is the usual method to enter the abdomen and in rare cases like an abdominal injury, a laparotomy (opening the abdomen)is required.

Emergency Abdominal Surgery On Time

Most senior surgeons can easily detect the need for emergency surgery and make arrangements to tackle them right away before it is too late. Any unnecessary delay in diagnosing and treating will cause morbidity and sometimes mortality. Based on symptoms, a patient needs to be seen by someone from the surgical team as soon as the patient is brought to the emergency, a quick resuscitation is done and investigations ordered. Based on the results of those investigations an urgent need for surgery is decided and the patient is wheeled into the operation room.

Dr. Patta Radhakrishna, gastro surgeon in Chennai, and his team have immense experience of over 25 years in dealing with emergency abdominal surgery with excellent results. He keeps himself UpToDate with the latest technology and surgical techniques.

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