McLaren Health Care’s In Good Health

Michael Kia, DO, FACOS, FACS, discusses bariatric surgery, including which individuals are good candidates for the procedure, how the procedure works, and what recovery entails.

In the episode, Dr. Kia answers the following questions:

1) For most people, bariatric surgery becomes an option after years of failed attempts at weight loss. Can you tell us what may indicate that someone may be a candidate for bariatric surgery?
2) Can you describe the process, from the first appointment to the surgery? Is there anything patients need to do prior to the surgery? What types of diagnostic (or other) testing is typically required?
3) What are the various procedures? What is recovery like for these procedures?
4) As a potential bariatric surgery patient, how can you determine which procedure may be right for you?
5) What lifestyle changes need to be considered after bariatric surgery?
6) What complications may arise, and what can patients do to minimize the likelihood of complications?
7) Is it possible for patients to regain weight after the procedure?
8) What advice do you have for listeners who are considering bariatric surgery?

Anthony Cuchhi, DO, discusses common causes of back pain, treatment options, and when surgery may need to be considered. In the episode, Dr. Cucchi addresses the following:1) What are some of the primary causes of back pain? What are the most common conditions you see in your practice?2) For our listeners, how can they tell when back pain is just a temporary issue like a muscle strain, or something more serious?3) Most people don’t want surgery, especially on their back. What options should people consider prior to turning to surgery?4) Historically, back surgery has been a pretty scary thought for most folks. But with newer technology and advanced procedures, recovery can be very different than is was even a decade ago. Describe some typical differences in recovery and outcomes over the years, as a result of newer technology and procedures.5) As an experienced orthopedic spine surgeon, there’s a wide range of procedures you may perform on any given day. Are there procedures that you tend to perform more often? Can you describe a few of those procedures and what conditions they’re used to treat?6) What advice can you share with listeners who may be experiencing back pain, but are unsure if it’s serious?

Shivajee Nallamothu, DO discusses the field of sports medicine, including common injuries, ways to minimize risk of injury, treatment options, and tips for parents of student athletes who are heavily inovlved in sports programs.

In the episode, Dr. Nallamothu addresses the following:

1) Given the popularity of professional sports in America, there’s increased awareness of the efforts athletes put forth to maintain maximal performance and reduce the impact of sports injuries. As a result, we often hear the term “sports medicine” as an overarching term. Can you define sports medicine for our listeners?

2) You’ve been providing sports medicine care for years. In your experience, what type of patients do you typically treat? Student athletes? Adults?

3) What type of injuries or conditions are most often treated through sports medicine? Is treatment always surgical, or are there non-surgical sports medicine options?

4) Of course, the goal for athletes is to avoid injuries so they don’t need sports medicine. What advice do you have for athletes, or parents of athletes, to minimize the risk of injury?

5) Is there anything athletes should be doing on the off-season to help avoid injuries during the season? What about diversifying the types of sports the athlete participates in? Does this help reduce the likelihood of injuries?

6) What advice can you share with parents of student athletes who are heavily involved in sports program?

Victor Gordon, MD, discusses why lung screenings are important, who represents a good candidate for screening, and what treatment options are considered should the screening detect something concerning.

In the interview, Dr. Gordon answers the following:

1) As a pulmonologist, you see a wide range of lung diseases and conditions. What are some of the conditions you see most often in your practice?
2) One of the most frightening diagnoses for patients is cancer. Obviously, smoking is a key risk factor. Is a lung cancer diagnosis always a result of cigarette smoking, or could there be other causes for the disease?
3) Thirty years ago, a diagnosis of lung cancer was often considered a death sentence. However, that’s not always the case any longer. Can you tell our listeners how evolving technology in detection and treatment of the disease has improved outcomes for those diagnosed with lung cancer?
4) Lung screening in its current form may be new to some of our listeners. Can you describe the process?
5) Who’s the best candidate for lung screening? Are there specific criteria or risk factors that make some individuals a more likely screening candidate?
6) What about individuals who have already quit smoking, maybe for several years? Should they consider lung screening?
7) If the screening is positive, what are the treatment options?

Lauryn Przeslawski, DO, discusses what couples should expect on their pregnancy journey, including tips for planning, morning sickness and other symptoms, and fertility concerns. In the episode, Dr. Przeslawski answers the following: 1) We all know it's important to plan for pregnancy even before you're actually pregnant. For listeners who may be planning to start a family soon, what advice can you share?2) Before taking a pregnancy test for confirmation, what are early symptoms of pregnancy?3) We've heard stories about terrible morning sickness during the first trimester of pregnancy. What are some of the changes pregnant women may experience during the first trimester, and how can they minimize any discomfort?4) What foods or activities should be avoided in early pregnancy?5) What about couples who are struggling to get pregnant? Is there anything they should be doing, or not doing, to help increase the likelihood of pregnancy? How do you know when it's time to see a doctor?6) Tell us about the first prenatal visit. What's included in the examination and what questions should women ask during the first prenatal visit?

Elisabeth Heath, MD, FACP, discusses genitourinary cancers, including which cancers are included under this umbrella, symptoms of the disease, risk factors, and advancements in treatment.

In the episode, Dr. Heath covers the following questions:

1) Your area of expertise is genitourinary cancer. What does that mean? Is your expertise specific to men or women, or do you treat all patients?
2) As an oncologist focusing in genitourinary cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer and bladder cancer are probably among the most frequent types of cancer you treat. Is that true?
3) Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. What causes prostate cancer? Who’s most at risk for prostate cancer and what signs and symptoms should men be aware of?
4) According to the American Cancer Society, there are about 80,000 cases of bladder cancer diagnosed each year. What causes the disease and what are the symptoms? Are certain people more likely to be diagnosed with the disease?
5) Kidney cancer is less common than bladder cancer. Talk about the causes and symptoms of this disease, as well as the risk factors.
6) There have been many advancements in cancer treatment in recent years. Can you talk about these advancements, especially those treatments that are the most promising in the treatment of prostate cancer and bladder cancer?
7) What advice do you have for listeners who have a family history of these types of cancers?

Nikesh Ardeshna, MD, discusses epilepsy, including causes, signs and symptoms, and treatment options.

In the interview, Dr. Ardeshna covers these questions:

1) What is epilepsy and what causes it?
2) What are the signs and symptoms?
3) Who is most at risk for epilepsy?
4) Is there a cure? If not, what is the treatment?
5) Can people live normal, full lives with epilepsy?

Anthony Ognjan, DO, discusses what the public needs to know about the coronavirus, including risk of infection for Michigan residents.In the episode, Dr. Ognjan addresses the following: 1) What is coronavirus?2) We hear the term “novel coronavirus”. What is meant by “novel”?3) As a new virus, the news regarding illness and death from the disease can be pretty alarming. In terms of deaths, how does coronavirus compare to other diseases like influenza?4) How is the disease spread?5) Who is most at risk?6) How can we reduce the likelihood of contracting this disease, or others that are spread in a similar manner?7) As of today, have there been any suspected cases in Michigan?

Dr. Michael Basha discusses the differences between asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who is most at risk, and typical signs and symptoms of each condition. He also shares some treatment options.

In the interview, Dr. Basha answers the following:

1) Asthma and COPD are fairly common in our society. Can you describe these conditions and their causes? (What does COPD stand for?)
2) What are the most common signs of asthma and COPD? Are the symptoms different, and do they typically present in people of different age groups?
3) Regarding asthma, who’s most at risk, and what are some of the signs and symptoms of the condition?
4) What causes an asthma attack? Can these attacks be stopped once they’re in progress?
5) Compared to asthma, does COPD trigger similar “attacks”?
6) What are the most effective treatments for asthma and COPD?
7) What advice can you share for our listeners who are living with asthma or COPD?