http://www.mvhnetwork.com//index.php/about/ en info@mvhnetwork.com Copyright 2009 2009-02-19T22:10:00-06:00 http://www.mvhnetwork.com/index.php/news/view/one-in-three-quad-citians-is-at-risk-for-colon-cancer/ http://www.mvhnetwork.com/index.php/news/view/one-in-three-quad-citians-is-at-risk-for-colon-cancer/#When:22:10:00Z Local Gastroenterologists Develop New Online Screening Test to Save Lives (February 2009) – March is colon cancer awareness month. According to 2000 U.S. Census data, nearly 90,000 people or about one third of Quad City metro area residents is 50 years or older – putting them at increased risk for the third largest cancer killer in America. The American Cancer Society recommends people over age 50 get screened for the disease. “I also see pre-cancerous polyps in just about one out of every three Quad City patients who actually undergo a colonoscopy,” says Bavikatte Shivakumar, M.D., Gastrointestinal Clinic of the Quad Cities. “This disease is a silent killer, and you don’t want to wait until you have symptoms to schedule a screening. However the good news is that it’s 90% survivable with early detection.” Log on. Live on. To combat the both the fear and common procrastination of scheduling a colonoscopy, both the Gastrointestinal Clinic of the Quad Cities and Eastern Iowa Gastroenterology are launching a full-scale awareness campaign to educate local residents and save lives. The clinics have developed one of the nation’s first online colon cancer risk assessment tools at becoloncancerfree.com. Web visitors can take the assessment test, learn about the disease, read about Quad City area colon cancer survivors, or send an e-postcard to remind family and friends to take the risk assessment. “We know it’s easy to find excuses not to schedule a colonoscopy, so we developed this online assessment so people could privately learn about risk factors on their own time and in comfortable surroundings,” explains Gastroenterologist Lauri Harsh, D.O., Eastern Iowa Gastroenterology. “My worry is that not only the people over aged 50 are at risk, but so are the adult children or siblings of those with colon cancer. Those first-degree relatives need to get screened also.” Colon Cancer Survivor Davenport residents Rosane and Elba Turner are advocates of colonoscopies after Rosane waited until she was 71 to get her first screening. “I had always put off the colonoscopy because I was so busy” she recalls. Her husband had two colonoscopies and polyps removed both times, but she never found the time to get one scheduled. Dr. Harsh performed Rosane’s colonoscopy and discovered colon cancer. The tumor was surgically removed before it spread. “I tell everyone ‘Go get that colonoscopy,’” says Rosane. “I feel very blessed we caught it early. My daughter just turned 50. She has already had the colonoscopy. My son is 54 and needs to have one, too. He keeps putting it off, but he says he’s going to have it done.” 2009-02-19T22:10:00-06:00 http://www.mvhnetwork.com/index.php/news/view/new-strides-in-total-joint-replacement/ http://www.mvhnetwork.com/index.php/news/view/new-strides-in-total-joint-replacement/#When:21:49:01Z Eastern Iowa and western Illinois patients can now undergo total joint surgery that gets them walking within hours of surgery and back home for recovery within 24 hours without a hospital stay — a cost-effective alternative addressing the future of health care as current debate over rising health care costs continues. Eastern Iowa and western Illinois patients can now undergo total joint surgery that gets them walking within hours of surgery and back home for recovery within 24 hours without a hospital stay — a cost-effective alternative addressing the future of health care as current debate over rising health care costs continues. “Joint replacements five years ago required a major incision (8-12 inches vs. 4 inches today), long-acting anesthetic and extended convalescence. Medical innovation now allows doctors to perform them safely and effectively so that patients recover at home and get back to life quicker,” explains Dr. Hoffman. Better techniques lead to faster recovery and less need for hospitalization. “We employ new surgical techniques that spare patients’ muscle tissue,” explains Dr. Hoffman. “We have also fine-tuned regional anesthetic and pain management protocols. These factors allow most patients to be walking within hours of the procedure and home for recovery,” he adds. Dr. Hoffman has fined tuned his technique under the guidance of Richard Berger, M.D., a pioneer of minimally invasive hip and knee replacements practicing at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago. Quad Citian and soccer referee Tom Wells recently underwent replacement of both hips and was back to work within days. “I had been putting off this surgery because I didn’t want to take time away from my work, family and soccer,” he says. “But after the procedure, I was home and walking within 24 hours and even went into work part time four days after the operation.” “This is the future of healthcare, says Dr. John Dooley, Mississippi Valley Surgery Center (MVSC). “Any time we can improve surgeries so that patients can recover safely at home is a step forward. Patients do not have to put off the surgery because they fear a costly, invasive surgery and a lengthy recovery. Our community is fortunate to have access to this level of care.” Additionally, most major insurers cover this procedure in the outpatient setting. Ambulatory Surgery Centers traditionally are more cost effective than hospitals. Based on Iowa Hospital Association data, charges at local Quad City hospitals for knee replacement surgeries range from $26,000 to $38,000. The average charge for knee replacement surgery at Mississippi Valley Surgery Center is $19,000, which is significantly lower than the hospitals. “Insurers are beginning to see the benefit of performing this procedure in the outpatient setting from both a quality and cost perspective,” adds Dr. Dooley. “The cost of health care is on the forefront of everyone’s mind as the election draws near. This is just one example of how Quad Cities healthcare providers are making quality healthcare more convenient and cost effective.” 2008-09-29T21:49:01-06:00 http://www.mvhnetwork.com/index.php/news/view/mp3-players-can-accelerate-teen-hearing-loss/ http://www.mvhnetwork.com/index.php/news/view/mp3-players-can-accelerate-teen-hearing-loss/#When:19:46:00Z Think your teenager doesn’t hear you? It may be more than old-fashioned rebellion, but a degenerative hearing loss called tinnitus due to loud MP3’s…Davenport, IA, March 10, 2008 – Technology is creating a health threat that may go unnoticed until the damage is done. “I saw a 12 year old recently who had the hearing loss of many 60 year-olds,” says Molly Parker, Au.D., Audiologist with the ENT Professional Services, Davenport. “He was a marginal candidate for hearing aids from noise exposure and his hearing loss was entirely preventable. In general, we are seeing younger people with hearing problems long before we should.” Loud music can set the mood and get the blood pumping, but it can also cause tinnitus, a condition marked by ringing in the ears. It affects millions of Americans. According to the American Tinnitus Association, a recent survey of college students by West Virginia University found that nearly 66 percent of the students surveyed experienced signs of tinnitus, but that of those exposed, 58 percent weren’t concerned about it. Experts say the volume from your MP3 today will cause bits of damage in your ears over time. “Hearing loss is insidious because there is no pain associated with it and it occurs gradually over years,” warns Parker “By the time you notice hearing loss, it is too late to do anything about it. Noise exposure is cumulative and depending on how long and how loud the exposure was, you would notice the effects over a period of time, even if the noise occurred when you were a child. Tinnitus becoming prevalent “I am seeing more younger people with tinnitus than I did 10 years ago,” she adds. Parker advises that when wearing earphones or ear buds, it is important to keep the level of sound at a reasonable level. What does that mean? “Excessive noise exposure can be caused by a single loud blast such as a gun blast, or longer exposure from a lower level sound. For example, music from an IPOD over several hours can be just as damaging as a single blast from a gun. The damage from noise exposure is cumulative over a lifetime,” she explains. So how do you know whether you have had too much sound exposure? “The biggest warning is usually ringing in your ears (tinnitus),” says Parker. “Often the tinnitus goes away after a day or two, but eventually remains as more and more damage occurs. Tinnitus is a sign that the nerve endings in your inner ear have been damaged.” Parker says that while the most common age she see for this problem are men and women in their 40’s (who are beginning to notice the effects of hearing loss) it’s the younger ages she worries about. “Unlike their parents, kids are not usually as sensitive to their hearing or their health. Parents need to be aware of the signs of damaging noise and discuss their concerns with an audiologist.” Signs of Hearing Damage Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Auditory fatigue (your ears feel tired) Sensitivity to loud noises after exposure Muffled or a feeling of pressure in the ears Speech is not clear; conversation is heard but not understood. Tips for Safe MP3 Use Limit MP3 exposure to no more than 30 minutes if you are cranking up the volume. (Longer MP3 use is OK if the volume is kept to a reasonable level.) Listen to your ears-they will warn you of over-exposure. The MP3 is too loud if you can hear the words to the songs that your kids listen to. Turn the volume down or limit their exposure to 30 minutes. If someone has to raise their voice so you can hear them, the volume is too loud. If you already have hearing loss, you are at greater risk for more noise induced hearing loss; be more conservative about your noise exposure. Source: ENT Professional Services, Davenport, Iowa ENT Professional Services is a Davenport, Iowa based Otolaryngology medical practice specializing in the ear, nose and throat. ENT Professional Services is also a member of the Mississippi Valley Health Network (MVHN). MVHN is Davenport-based physician organization comprising of medical practices and physicians specializing in Anesthesia and Pain Management, Gastroenterology, General and Outpatient Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Physical Therapy and Plastic Surgery. 2008-03-10T19:46:00-06:00