Medical Intel

Colorectal cancer is expected to affect about 146,000 Americans in 2019. Dr. Jennifer Ayscue discusses the advanced techniques we use to diagnose and treat this disease.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: We’re speaking with Dr. Jennifer Ayscue, section director of colorectal surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Asycue. Dr. Ayscue: Thank you so much for having me. Host: We’re discussing colorectal cancer and the minimally invasive techniques now used for the procedure. Dr. Asycue, could you start by discussing what colorectal cancer is? Dr. Ayscue: So, colorectal cancer is a cancer of the large bowel or large intestine, which includes the colon, whose job is mainly to absorb water, among other things, and the rectum, which holds stool until it’s ready to be expelled. Cancer occurs when the inner lini

From 2017 to 2018, vaping increased by nearly 80 percent among high schoolers and 50 percent among middle schoolers. Dr. Jonathan Giurintano discusses the short-term effects vaping can have on dental health and the lungs.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: We’re speaking with Dr. Jonathan Giurintano, a head and neck cancer surgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Thank you for joining us, Dr. Giurintano. Dr. Giurintano: Thank you so much for having me. Host: Today we’re discussing how vaping affects oral health. Typically, when doctors talk about the effects of vaping, the concern is for patients’ lungs. Dr. Giurintano, what are some of the more common oral health side effects of vaping? Dr. Giurintano: So, of the more common health side effects, simple general irritation of the oral mucosa is probably the most common side effect that we s

Multiple ankle sprains can lead to chronic ankle pain for some patients. Dr. Ali Rahnama explains how minimally invasive surgery can help these patients avoid much larger procedures in the future.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: We’re speaking with Dr. Ali Rahnama, a foot and ankle surgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Thank you for joining us, Dr. Rahnama. Dr. Rahnama: Thank you for having me. Host: Today we’re discussing chronic ankle pain after a sprain and what could be going on inside the foot and ankle. Dr. Rahnama, many of us have experienced an ankle sprain. How many would you say you treat in a year? Dr. Rahnama: I would say it really depends on the time of year, especially as we get closer to the winter months. Sometimes I may see as many as 4 to 5 of these a week, sometimes even more. Host: Student athletes and leisure ath

One way to protect your heart is to choose the right diet. Discover why Dr. Allen J. Taylor believes the Mediterranean Diet—which relies on foods such as fruits, vegetables and white meat—is the best for preventing heart disease.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re speaking with Dr. Allen J. Taylor, Chair of Cardiology at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute. Welcome, Dr. Taylor. Dr. Allen J. Taylor: Thank you. Host: Today we’re discussing diet choices for heart health, specifically the Mediterranean Diet. With so many ideas online and from well-meaning friends and family, it can be tough to make the best food and beverage choices for on-going heart health. Dr. Taylor, patients hear the recommendation to eat a healthy diet all the time. What does that really mean? Dr. Taylor: Yeah, everyone’s an expert on their

In the past, the only way to treat aortic stenosis was to perform open-heart surgery—a very invasive procedure. Discover how TAVR, a new minimally invasive surgery, can replace a heart valve without surgery, allowing patients to recover faster.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: We’re speaking with Dr. Toby Rogers, an interventional cardiologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Thanks for joining us, Dr. Rogers. Dr. Rogers: It’s great to be here. Host: Today we’re discussing high, medium and low risk transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR. Dr. Rogers, could you start by discussing what TAVR is? Dr. Rogers: That’s a great question, and a lot of patients are quite confused by this terminology. So, aortic stenosis is a condition that is very common, particularly in older patients. And, it’s caused by a narrowing or blockage of the ma

Relaxing is important an important part of life—especially for the heart. In fact, when the heart has difficulty relaxing between beats, people can develop diastolic heart failure, a serious functional condition. Discover which treatment options can help.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re speaking with Dr. Valeriani Bead, a board-certified cardiologist at the MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, with extensive experience in nuclear cardiology and echocardiography. Welcome, Dr. Bead. Dr. Valeriani Bead: Thank you for having me. I’m really happy to be here. Host: Today we’re discussing diastolic heart failure which occurs when the left ventricle or the lower left chamber of the heart can’t properly fill with blood. Dr. Bead, is diastolic heart failure a common heart condition? Dr. Bead: Yes. But first we need t

Artery buildups serve as silent danger signs of a heart attack. Discover how a coronary calcium score calculates patients’ risk by measuring the amount of calcium in their arteries through the use of a computed tomography (CT) scan.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re speaking with Dr. Allen J. Taylor, Chair of Cardiology at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute. Welcome, Dr. Taylor. Dr. Allen J. Taylor: Thank you. Host: Today we’re discussing coronary calcium scoring, which is a non-invasive heart scan that a cardiologist can use to help calculate a patient’s risk for coronary artery disease or atherosclerosis. Dr. Taylor, what are you looking for in a patient’s heart when you perform coronary calcium scoring? Dr. Taylor: Great question. This is a very simple test that very accurately and easily detects the begi

People who are concerned about their thyroid health may turn to supplements. But thyroid supplements can cause the very problems they’re supposed to correct.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. In today’s episode, we talk to Dr. Kenneth Burman, Director of Endocrinology at MedStar Washington Hospital Center about thyroid supplements. The thyroid is a tiny organ that’s involved in regulating several major bodily functions including breathing, heart rate and body temperature. Over-the-counter thyroid supplements may seem like a good idea to someone who believes they may have a thyroid condition. But thyroid supplements actually can cause problems with the thyroid and we may not know exactly what’s in them. Host: Dr. Burman, thanks for joining us. Dr. Kenneth Burman: Sure. Thank you for the invitation. Host: You bet. So, over-the-counter thyroid supplemen

Why are more people younger than 50 developing colorectal cancer? Dr. Brian Bello discusses the disturbing trend.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thank you for joining us today. We’re talking with Dr. Brian Bello, a colorectal surgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Welcome, Dr. Bello. Dr Bello: Thank you. Host: Today we’re talking about why more younger patients are dying of colorectal cancer. Once considered an older person’s disease, patients in their 30s and even 20s are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, which is baffling the medical community. A 2017 study found that, after years of decreasing mortality rates, colorectal cancer deaths in adults age 20 to 55 increased 1 percent per year from 2004 to 2014. Dr. Bello, what do you think caused this seemingly sudden spike in colorectal cancer deaths? Dr Bello: That’s a tough ques

Thoracic surgery has come a long way in the last century. Dr. John Lazar discusses how patients in Washington, D.C., can benefit from safer, more precise surgeries with faster recovery through minimally invasive robotic technology.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re speaking with Dr. John Lazar, Director of Thoracic Robotics at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. We’re discussing robotic surgery, a minimally invasive technique, which increasingly is being used for esophageal, lung, and other thoracic conditions. Dr. Lazar, what do you mean when you say robotic thoracic surgery? Dr. John Lazar: So, basically, we mean we’re doing minimally invasive surgery and it’s robotically assisted, meaning the surgeon is in total control of the robot. Nothing is automated, and yet we’re taking advantage of robotic technology

Due to advances in imaging scans, kidney cancer often is detected by chance and early in the disease process. Dr. Ross Krasnow discusses minimally invasive robotic surgery and other treatment options for localized kidney cancer.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re talking to Dr. Ross Krasnow, a urologist who specializes in urologic oncology at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Welcome, Dr. Krasnow. Dr. Krasnow: It’s great to be here. Host: Today we’re talking about management options for localized kidney cancer and, in particular, the minimally invasive surgery options available to some patients. Dr. Krasnow, what do you mean when you say localized kidney cancer? Dr. Krasnow: So, localized kidney cancer is cancer that originates from the kidney but is confined to within the kidney or the fat surrounding the ki

Birth control can come in many forms—but men’s options can be more limited. Dr. Krishnan Venkatesan discusses how a vasectomy can be a solution for men who want effective birth control while maintaining sexual function and the ability to orgasm.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re speaking with Dr. Krishnan Venkatesan, Director of Urologic Reconstruction at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Welcome, Dr. Venkatesan. Dr. Krishnan Venkatesan: Hi. Thank you for having me. Host: Today we’re discussing vasectomy, a birth control procedure for men that prevents their partners from becoming pregnant without affecting natural sexual function. Dr. Venkatesan, is vasectomy a popular birth control option for men and their partners? Dr. Venkatesan: Yeah, I would say so. Vasectomy is effective for birth control because it r

New technology and guidelines allow us to use PET-CT scans to locate cancer earlier than ever before, with faster scans and less radiation. Dr. Carlos Garcia explains what this means for patients and how we continue to stay ahead of the curve in this area of testing.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re talking to Dr. Carlos Garcia, Medical Director of Nuclear Medicine at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Welcome, Dr. Garcia. Dr. Carlos Garcia: Hi. Thank you for having me. Host: Today we’re talking about advances in PET CT technology. Dr. Garcia, what is PET CT technology and when is it used? Dr. Garcia: So, PET CT technology is a combination of anatomic and functional imaging. We use the anatomy from the CT portion of the exam and the self-function or the live cell portion of the exam from the PET CT exam. We

Missing teeth is never easy. It can cause some people to feel uncomfortable smiling for pictures, while others experience difficulty eating. Discover why Dr. Ravi Agarwal says dental implants can be the perfect solution.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re speaking with Dr. Ravi Agarwal, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and the residency program director for the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Welcome, Dr. Agarwal. Dr. Ravi Agarwal: Thanks for having me here today. Host: Today we’re discussing dental implants which help support dental prosthetics such as bridges, crowns and dentures. Dr. Agarwal, could you explain what a dental implant is? Dr. Agarwal: Sure. The dental implant is essentially an artificial tooth root in the shape of a metal screw. These screws

From pelvic pain to fertility problems, endometriosis can affect women’s quality of life and relationships. Discover which treatment options Dr. Vadim Morozov says can reduce symptoms, and what to expect during recovery.   TRANSCRIPT Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re speaking with Dr. Vadim Morozov, a gynecologic surgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Today we’re discussing endometriosis, a gynecologic condition that affects more than 11 percent of women between 15 and 44 in the U.S. Welcome, Dr. Morozov. Dr. Vadim Morozov: Thank you for having me. Host: Could you start by telling us what is endometriosis? Dr. Morozov: Endometriosis is a disease where endometrium, which is normally growing on the wall of the uterus and inside the uterus, starts growing outside of the uterus on the surface of your intestines and the surface of your bladder, all around the pelvic organs in the areas. And, as a result of that problematic growth, you start having pain and symptoms associated with it. Host: What are

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, has skyrocketed over the past 35 years. Dr. Matthew Schreiber discusses what it means for D.C., and how you can be as healthy as possible if you have the disease.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re talking to Dr. Matthew Schreiber, associate director of the Medical ICU and an attending physician in Pulmonary Disease/Critical Care Medicine at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Welcome, Dr. Schreiber. Dr. Schreiber: Well, thank you for having me. Host: Today we’re talking about a September 2017 report that showed that the number of Americans who died from chronic respiratory diseases, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease known as COPD, skyrocketed over the past 35 years. In 2014, 53 people out of every 100,000 died of a chronic respiratory illness, up

ICU delirium is a state of agitation or confusion that can affect as many as 80 percent of patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit. Dr. Matthew Schreiber explains this condition and how we reduce the risk for our patients.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re talking to Dr. Matthew Schreiber, associate director of the Medical ICU and an attending physician in Pulmonary Disease/Critical Care Medicine at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.  Welcome, Dr. Schreiber. Dr. Matthew Schreiber: Thank you for having me. Host: Today we’re talking about ICU delirium, a sudden and intense confusion that can include hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. So, Dr. Schreiber, what can cause ICU delirium? Dr. Schreiber: What can cause it is really the focus of a lot of research right now and the list of things is ver

Some pituitary tumors need immediate treatment, while others may benefit from a wait-and-see approach. Dr. Susmeeta Sharma discusses the different types of pituitary tumors and how we care for them.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thank you for joining us today. We’re talking with Dr. Susmeeta T. Sharma, director of pituitary endocrinology at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Welcome, Dr. Sharma. Dr. Susmeeta T. Sharma: Thank you for having me. Host: Pituitary tumors often cause no symptoms, but when they do, the symptoms typically are vague and easily can be mistaken for other less serious conditions. Pituitary tumors may be functional, which means they secrete excess hormones, or non-functional, which means they do not secrete excess hormones. Dr. Sharma, when symptoms occur, what do patients typically experience? Dr. Sharma: The symptoms

Lifestyle modifications are key to treating hypertension, especially for people at high risk. Dr. Valeriani Bead discusses who is at risk and which treatments are most effective.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. Host: Thanks for joining us today. We’re speaking with Dr. Valeriani Bead, a board-certified cardiologist at the MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, with extensive expertise in nuclear cardiology and echocardiography. Welcome, Dr. Bead. Dr. Valeriani Bead: Thank you for having me. Host: Today we’re discussing how the 2018 hypertension or high blood pressure guidelines apply to African Americans, the elderly and other at-risk populations. The guidelines lower the target rate of a healthy blood pressure for average risk individuals, thereby increasing the number of U.S. adults who are considered to have hypertension. Dr. Bead, what is the op

The effects of traumatic injury can linger long after initial recovery. Dr. Jack Sava explains why trauma is a disease and should be treated as such.   TRANSCRIPT Intro: MedStar Washington Hospital Center presents Medical Intel where our healthcare team shares health and wellness insights and gives you the inside story on advances in medicine. In today’s episode we talk to Dr. Jack Sava, chief of trauma at Medstar Washington Hospital Center about visualizing trauma as a disease in itself. Host: Thanks for joining us. We’re talking to Dr. Jack Sava, chief of trauma at Medstar Washington Hospital Center. Welcome, Dr. Sava. Dr. Jack Sava: Well thank you, I’m happy to be here. Host: Thinking about trauma as a disease in itself, could you explain what you mean by that? Dr. Sava: Well, it’s interesting to think about injury and how is injury similar or different to something like a heart attack or cancer or stroke or asthma and so forth, and many people today I had somebody tell me a week ago that injury is not a d