There are many benefits and often better outcomes for smokers who stop smoking in the weeks leading up to and after a surgical procedure. MUSC Health’s Tobacco Cessation Program supports smokers preparing to undergo hernia surgery. Dr. Hatem Abdallah, a general surgeon and Medical Director for Robotic Surgery MUSC Florence, and Demetress Adams-Luddd, a MUSC Tobacco Treatment Specialist discuss efforts to help patients become smoke-free before surgery.

Many chronic diseases can be prevented and even reversed by making healthy changes to your diet, exercise routine, sleep habits, and stress levels. In this episode, Dr. Erika Blank, an MUSC Health physician, talks about how evidence-based, lifestyle medicine, is changing the lives of MUSC Health patients.

There are millions of Americans living with some form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), typically Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. While there’s no cure, treatment for IBD often includes dietary adjustments and medication. However, some patients do require surgery. Dr. Thomas Curran, a colorectal surgeon at MUSC Health, discusses IBD surgery and possible treatment plans for this chronic condition.

In this episode, Dr. Rami Zebian, a pulmonary and critical care specialist and Chief Medical Officer of MUSC Health Florence and Marion Medical Centers talks about lung cancer screening and the shape-sensing robotic-assisted bronchoscope tool that is helping them detect and stage lung cancer sooner.

Heart disease is South Carolina’s second leading cause of death. MUSC Health is known for taking care of patients with high risk or complex heart conditions using the latest innovations and technologies. In this episode, Dr. Arman Kilic, a cardiac surgeon and Director of the Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Program, talks about how MUSC Health is helping more people across the state survive life threatening heart conditions such as heart failure and more.

A lingering cough, fatigue and fever that does not improve with antibiotics can all be symptoms of a rare lung disease caused by a common bacteria called mycobacteria. Dr. Patrick Flume, a pulmonologist and director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center at MUSC Health, is an expert on this condition called nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease, or NTM disease. In this episode, he explains why some people are at risk of developing it and the specialized care offered to these patients at MUSC Health.

MUSC Health is a leader in treating chest wall injuries, including rib fracture care. People come to the MUSC Chest Wall Injury and Reconstruction Center from all over the Southeast and beyond for innovative treatments after traumatic accidents, falls and other cases involving rib and chest wall injuries. Dr. Evert Eriksson is a general surgeon who specializes in injuries to the chest wall. He explains what sets MUSC apart in this area and the hope he offers to so many patients.

Robots are assisting MUSC Health surgeons to offer more personalized and precise procedures that can lead to a quicker recovery. Erik Hansen, MD, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstructive surgery, talks about how robotic-assisted joint replacement surgery is being used at MUSC Health and the benefits of this technology.

Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide. For some who live with this clinical disorder, traditional drug or talk therapy treatments may not be effective in relieving their symptoms. Today's guest, Dr. Baron Short, Medical Director of MUSC Health's Brain Stimulation Service, looks to provide alternative treatments for patients suffering from depression, including brain stimulation techniques that are providing life-changing relief for some patients.

MUSC Health patients who call the Lancaster and Chester county areas of South Carolina home don’t have to go far from where they live and work to receive higher levels of care. There are excellent MUSC Health primary care physicians and specialists across these two counties and about 400 nurses between the Lancaster and Chester hospitals. 

Camille Filoromo is the chief nursing officer at MUSC Health’s Lancaster and Chester hospitals. In this episode of Advance with MUSC Health, she talks about this special community of talented nurses and how patients benefit from receiving nursing close to home.