Minimally invasive spine surgery is an intimidating prospect no matter how old you are or how many surgeries you’ve undergone in the past. This is especially true considering the spine was once a difficult part of the body to operate on; the surrounding muscles, nerves, and ligaments made patients vulnerable to infection and other complications.

Fortunately, the practice has advanced – allowing patients to get up and walk a few hours after surgery. This is remarkable if you think about it, especially since operating on the spine once required weeks of bed rest and other post-op recovery methods. Now, spine surgeons actually encourage safe, supervised movement after surgery to promote the post-surgical healing process.

Just because spine surgery has advanced significantly over the years, does not mean you still don’t have your doubts or fears about it – we totally understand! Nevertheless, we are here to explain why it may be time for you to undergo minimally invasive spine surgery for your aging back.

1.     Your Degeneration May Worsen

Spinal vertebrae are made of bone, tissue, and cartilage – all things that will, unfortunately, degenerate as we get older. If you already suffer from a spinal condition caused by degeneration, there is little you can do to prevent it from worsening. Of course, you can receive steroid injections to relieve your pain and reduce your inflammation, but over time, your degeneration will likely worsen, requiring spine surgery down the road. To prevent extensive damage to your spine, it may be worth your while to undergo a minimally invasive spine surgery to restore vertebral height and stability.

2.    You’ll Experience Long-Term Pain Relief

If you’re receiving treatment for your spine pain in the form of medications, nerve blocks, steroid injections, or radiofrequency ablation, you are probably already aware of the fact that these methods, while effective, can only provide short-term pain relief. It’s true, you may experience pain relief for several months or years with interventional pain therapy, but your pain will likely return once the steroid medication wears off or the nerves from your ablation procedure have returned. Spine surgery, on the other hand, has the potential to provide pain relief that lasts the rest of your adult life because it corrects the problem at the source instead of masking your pain symptoms.

3.    It’s More Cost Effective in the Long Run

You heard that right – your spine surgery may be a more cost-effective option for you, especially if you suffer from chronic, debilitating pain. Over time, your pain treatments, doctor’s appointments, physical therapy sessions, and other treatment modalities will add up, resulting in more money out of your pocket. The benefit of undergoing spine surgery is that you only do so once, which means after your procedure you’ll be on your way to long-lasting pain relief.

If you’re considering spine surgery, talk to your Specialty Surgical Center physician about your options. Our team would be more than happy to walk through the process with you!

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey, and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

The advice and information contained in this article are for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.

A runny nose, watery eyes, and pressure near/around the sinuses are tell-tale signs you have allergies, right? Perhaps. These symptoms could also indicate the common cold, or in severe cases, a sinus infection. If you haven’t experienced a sinus infection before, you may not know what to expect from this ailment. This is usually because a sinus infection often mimics the signs and symptoms of a cold or seasonal allergies. Fortunately, the team at Specialty Surgical Center is here to help you determine the differences among sinus infections, colds, and allergies.

The ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors at Specialty Surgical Center specialize in a number of surgical and non-surgical procedures. For example, the team can administer simple allergy and hearing tests, as well as complex surgical interventions, such as rhinoplasties, tonsillectomies, and tracheotomies. Our physicians’ educational backgrounds, surgical skills, and clinical expertise allow them to determine whether or not you’re suffering from chronic ailments or serious diseases that require immediate medical attention.

As such, our specialists want to educate patients on the differences among sinus infections, colds, and allergies. Continue reading to learn more!

Colds vs. Allergies

Seasonal allergies and the common cold often share similar symptoms, such as:

• Congestion
• Coughing
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Watery eyes

These symptoms can arise at any point during the year depending on the cause, and it’s important for patients to understand that “colds” don’t just occur in the wintertime. While these two ailments share similar symptoms, there are two symptoms that put the kibosh on this whole argument: fever and body aches. These two symptoms do not develop in patients with allergies. So, if you can’t quite figure out what’s causing your symptoms, check to see if your body temperature has risen or if your muscles are beginning to ache – if both occur, you’re probably experiencing a cold!

Sinus Infections

Sinus infections can be tricky to diagnose because they produce similar symptoms to both allergies and colds. Moreover, allergies, colds, and asthma can all trigger sinus infections, making it even harder to identify. Fortunately, sinus infections do produce symptoms that differ from the common cold and allergies. See below:

• An aching, pressure-like feeling in the middle of the face
• Nasal discharge
• Aching around the jaw
• Bad breath
• A headache that worsens when leaning forward or backward

These symptoms, in addition to a sore throat, watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, and congestion can all indicate a sinus infection. If your symptoms don’t go away after a week, schedule an appointment with one of our ENTs. He or she will be able to evaluate your symptoms and prescribe antibiotics to help with your infection.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey, and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

The advice and information contained in this article are for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.

Sinus infections, allergic rhinitis, and other ear, nose, and throat (ENT) conditions affect millions of Americans each year, and it’s up to the team at Specialty Surgical Center to determine what’s causing these ailments. Fortunately, our otolaryngologists have several tools and tests at their disposal to get to the bottom of our patients ENT-related issues.

For patients who suffer from chronic allergies, sinusitis, or rhinitis, allergy testing may be an appropriate diagnostic tool to discover and alleviate symptoms. Continue reading to learn more about allergy testing, what to expect during an allergy test, and what treatment options are available for patients with allergies.

What is Allergy Testing?

Allergy testing is a medical exam that determines what a patient is allergic to using blood or skin tests. Blood tests are much less common than skin tests, but they can be used to find out what may be causing a patient’s allergic reaction. Skin tests are generally preferred when investigating skin and nasal allergies because they are fast, reliable, and often less expensive than blood tests. If you develop the following symptoms frequently, you may be a candidate for allergy testing:

• Stuffy or runny nose
• Sinus pressure behind the forehead, cheeks, and eyes
• Uncontrollable sneezing
• Watery, itchy eyes
• Postnasal drip

It’s normal to experience these symptoms during certain times of the year, especially during the spring when pollen season starts and ends. However, if you’re experiencing these symptoms year-round, it’s likely you suffer from chronic allergies caused by singular or various pollutants and allergens. The team at Specialty Surgical Center will perform an allergy test to rule out and/or identify possible allergens.

What to Expect During an Allergy Test

During a skin test, a small amount of a suspected allergen is placed on or below the skin to test possible skin reactions. There are different kinds of skin tests, but the three most common include skin prick tests, intradermal tests, and skin patch tests. No matter the test, a drop of various suspected allergens are placed under the skin and monitored. Over time, the skin will either react to the allergens or not, and your otolaryngologist will be able to determine what is causing your allergies.

Treatment Options for Allergies

Based on your test results, a Specialty Surgical Center physician will determine the best course of action for treatment. Treatment may include one or several therapies, such as prescription-strength medications, nasal sprays, eye drops, and injections. Unfortunately, these treatments will not cure your allergies, but they will significantly reduce your symptoms. Talk to your Specialty Surgical Center physician about appropriate treatment options for your allergy symptoms.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.

The holiday season is upon us, and while you may be ready to spend time with family and ring in the New Year, try not to say goodbye to 2017 too quickly. Why? Because you’ve got your health to think about! That’s right, it’s time to schedule medical procedures and lab tests before the end of this year. Doing so will not only benefit you financially, but it’ll give you peace of mind!

We know what you’re thinking – it’s the end of the year and you already have a million and one things to do. Yes, it’s true – your time is limited during the holiday season. Nevertheless, it’s imperative you make your health a priority because there are certain advantages to scheduling your medical procedure before the end of the year. In this blog, we’ll outline some of the key advantages:

Meet Your Annual Deductible

If you’re close to meeting your annual deductible or you’ve already met it, there are huge cost-savings to scheduling some of your much-needed appointments now! Before your deductible resets to zero, consider scheduling the following procedures or appointments: colonoscopy, diagnostic testing, primary care appointment for prescription refills, outpatient surgery, and blood or lab work.

FSA: Use It or Lose It

Do you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) through your employer? If you do, remember that the funds from this account typically do not roll over year-to-year, so if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it! Check with your insurance provider to see what’s left of your funds so you can put your FSA to good use.

Receive Peace of Mind

In addition to some of the health insurance benefits you will receive by scheduling your procedure before the end of the year, you will also experience total peace of mind. What do we mean by this? Well, there’s nothing better than entering the New Year as a better, healthier version of yourself. At Specialty Surgical Center, we aim to provide patients with complete confidence in their care and well-being. When you feel good, you live even better, and it’s our mission to make your health the best its ever been.

If you need to schedule a procedure with our team, call the phone number listed below or visit our contact page. Once you fill out the form, an SSC representative will be with you shortly!

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey, and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

The advice and information contained in this article are for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.

Your doctor may recommend a hysterectomy for any number of conditions, ranging from uterine fibroid growths to endometriosis to cancer, that haven’t responded to other treatments.

You probably have many questions about what to expect, so we’ve put together a list of FAQs for our patients who will be having a minimally invasive hysterectomy.

Q. How long will it take to recover?

A. Fortunately, with minimally invasive surgical techniques, the recovery is shorter—usually two weeks or less—compared with the more traditional open abdominal surgery, which requires a hospital stay and six weeks of recovery.

After surgery, we encourage you to get up and move around right away, and you can probably return to work within a week or two if your job isn’t physically demanding. You can start exercising again within a few weeks.

Q. Will I be able to get pregnant?

A. Because a hysterectomy removes the uterus, which holds the fetus until birth, you will not be able to give birth after a hysterectomy. If you hope to have children, there may be other options short of a hysterectomy to deal with your symptoms.

Q. Will I still have periods after a hysterectomy?

A. No, that’s the good news! Menstrual periods happen when the lining of the uterus is shed each month, so you will not have periods once your uterus has been removed.

Q. Will I go through menopause?

A. That depends on the type of surgery you had. Some women have their ovaries removed at the same time they have a hysterectomy. If that’s the case, they go into menopause immediately. If they don’t have their ovaries removed, they will continue to produce estrogen. However, even if they still have their ovaries, women who’ve had hysterectomies do tend to go into menopause a little earlier than those who haven’t had the surgery.

Q. Will I enjoy sex after a hysterectomy?

A. You will need to avoid having sex for a few weeks after your operation, but once you have recovered, you should be fine. If you enjoyed sex before, chances are you will enjoy it afterward. In fact, some women find they are more interested in sex once the painful condition that led to hysterectomy is taken care of.

However, if you were premenopausal and had your ovaries removed, you will go into menopause, and that may affect your sex life. Some women find their desire flagging during menopause because levels of the hormone estrogen drop. If that happens to you, your gynecologist can help you find ways to manage that and other issues related to menopause.

For more information about hysterectomy or other surgical procedures, please contact Specialty Surgical Center. We would be happy to schedule a consultation with one of our physicians. You can call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page. Once you fill out the contact form, an SSC representative will be with you shortly.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey, and our staff consists of board-certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in orthopedics, sports medicine, spinal care, podiatry, urology, pain management, ENT, hand surgery, lithotripsy, brachytherapy, gynecology, and laser surgery.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.

Surgery can correct health problems and sometimes even save your life. Unfortunately, it also sometimes leaves you with a scar or two.

Surgical techniques have improved tremendously in the last few decades so that more and more procedures can be done with small incisions that don’t leave big scars. Whenever possible, surgeons try to make those incisions in the least noticeable places.

Still, any injury to the skin, whether it’s accidental or carefully done with a scalpel, can leave a scar. If the scar is visible, you may be wondering if there’s an easy way to make it go away. Do over-the-counter (OTC) or home remedies work?

The short answer is some of them may help, although nothing can make the scar invisible.  Here’s a look at what’s out there:

Common OTC and home remedies

• Silicone scar sheets or gels. These products have the most evidence to back them up. Studies have shown they can improve the appearance of some scars, although it may take a few months of regular use to see a difference. Silicone treatment seems to be especially good at improving the appearance of thick scars.
• Onion extract. Some studies have shown products containing onion extract helped improve the appearance of scars, although another study failed to find evidence that they helped. If you want to do a study on yourself, you can try a product called Mederma, which contains onion extract and allantoin. It may take several weeks to see a difference.
• Vitamin E, cocoa butter, aloe vera, or similar lotions: If you use products containing these substances right after your surgery, they may help keep your skin in good shape so you have less of a scar. But there’s no evidence that they make an existing scar less visible.
• Chemical exfoliants. These are often found in anti-aging creams and serums intended to remove outer layers of skin to smooth fine lines. They can help diminish dark marks and acne scarring, although it’s not clear whether they would make a difference with surgical scars.
• Sunscreen. While sunscreen won’t remove scars, it can help keep them from getting darker, so it’s a good idea to always apply it to any exposed scars before going outside.

Prescriptions and surgical treatment

If you’re not satisfied with OTC treatments and home remedies, talk to your medical team. They may prescribe tretinoin or steroids or recommend collagen injections.

Cosmetic surgery is also an option for some scars, although your insurance probably won’t cover it unless your scar is causing a non-cosmetic problem, such as interfering with movement.

Preventing scars

Your best bet is to minimize scarring to begin with by doing what you can to help your incision heal well. Your doctor will give you specific wound care instructions when you leave surgery, but in general, here are some recommendations for reducing scar formation:

• Keep the wound and bandages clean to help promote fast healing.
• Use petroleum jelly or a similar ointment on the wound to keep the skin from drying out.
• Remove stitches at the right time. Taking them out too early or leaving them in too long can increase the chances of scarring.
• After the wound has healed, use sun protection. Covering up or using sunscreen can prevent a scar from darkening and becoming more obvious.

At Specialty Surgical Center, we are sensitive to your desire to avoid scarring and use techniques designed to minimize the problem. Please don’t hesitate to talk to your surgeon about any concerns you have.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey, and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in orthopedics, sports medicine, spinal care, podiatry, urology, pain management, ENT, hand surgery, lithotripsy, brachytherapy, GYN, and laser surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.

For most surgical procedures being performed at Specialty Surgical Center, we may ask you to avoid alcoholic beverages a few days before and after the operation. Your surgeon or nurse will tell you exactly how long you’ll need to stay away from alcohol during your pre-operative appointment. Some patients may want to let loose a few days before surgery or have a post-surgery celebratory drink, but our physicians warn that doing so is very dangerous!

Alcohol interferes with your blood’s ability to clot, which could make incisions and controlling blood loss during surgery particularly difficult. Bleeding out is a serious surgical complication that can result from thinned blood after consuming alcohol. Alcohol is also an anesthesiologist’s nightmare! We ask you not to have any alcohol after your surgery for the same reason: thin blood may make it difficult for your body to heal, which prolongs the recovery stage.

Alcohol disrupts how your body absorbs anesthesia, and as a result, may make some sedatives ineffective. Because of this, your anesthesiologist could give you additional doses of anesthetic without understanding your current state. This could be extremely dangerous. Fortunately, our team runs various tests before surgery to evaluate your pre-surgery condition. If you’ve had any booze, your surgeon will cancel the surgery indefinitely to avoid these complications. Here are other ways alcohol can affect the body: Healthline.com.

As previously mentioned, we strongly ask patients do not consume alcohol post-operatively because it may affect the length of your recovery. One of the most important reasons why we encourage patients to avoid alcohol consumption is because of the danger presented when alcohol is mixed with any pain medications we prescribe. Additionally, alcohol weakens the immune system and can increase the patient’s risk of infection.

Alcohol widens the blood vessels causing the body to swell up. The surgical area may already be swollen following your surgery, so additional swelling can be dangerous and tamper with the healing process.

Depending on your surgery, your physician may okay very mild alcohol consumption, and only after a certain period of time. However, you should never mix your pain medication with alcohol and wait until your physician gives the okay. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always call our office and we would be happy to tell you when it’s safe to consume alcohol again.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey, and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN, and Laser Surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

The following are four frequently-asked questions (FAQs) by patients preparing for most types of outpatient surgery. At Specialty Surgical Center, we provide outpatient surgeries to treat diverse medical conditions requiring surgical correction. While the instructions for surgery preparation are mainly specific to that type of surgery, there are some general commonalities to any outpatient surgery preparation (as addressed below).

Question 1 – Why Can’t I Eat or Drink Right Before Surgery?

Surgeries usually involve the provision of anesthesia to lessen pain, and anesthetization enables the surgeons to perform the surgery without unplanned patient movement during the operation. The chief reason that patients are advised not to eat or drink anything for a specified period of time prior to surgery is so that regurgitation and aspiration of food particles in the digestive system will not occur.

Under anesthesia, the ability to “cough up” anything in the throat and esophagus is typically rendered impossible due to temporary muscle paralysis. Consequently, undigested food particles can end up in the windpipe traveling to the lungs – and thereby lead to aspiration pneumonia.

However, patients are often able to take medication with sips of water prior to arriving for surgery – so it is important to follow the specific pre-surgery instructions provided to you.

Question 2 – What are Three Different Administration Routes for Local Anesthesia?

Some standard ways that local anesthetic administration occurs are as follows (per RadiologyInfo.org):

1. Topical anesthesia (placed on the skin surface); often used in the cosmetic removal of skin moles.
2. Subcutaneous anesthesia (injected below the skin surface); often used for minor skin procedures.
3. Regional anesthesia (including intravenous [IV], epidural, spinal, and peripheral nerve block anesthesia).

Anesthesia drugs provided via an intravenous route often have a more rapid impact as compared to administration by other routes. For this reason, intravenous anesthesia administration is often utilized in outpatient surgeries.

Question 3 – What Does an IV Do (and is This Necessary)?

Besides enabling administration of anesthesia directly into the bloodstream, an intravenous tube (IV tube) can also be used for administration of normal saline. An isotonic saline infusion is typically used to treat dehydration and maintain a normal electrolyte balance. Another reason for insertion of an IV prior to surgery is for the provision of painkillers after the operation.

Question 4 – Can I Drive Myself Home after Surgery?

Outpatient surgeries that require any form of anesthesia can decrease your reaction reflex time,which can make driving hazardous. Therefore, patients are typically not allowed to drive themselves home following surgery. Depending upon the type of anesthesia-involved procedure conducted as day-surgery, you may be able to take a taxi to your home (as long as someone accompanies you).

However, it is preferable for you to have a family member or friend drive you to surgery and then home following a surgical procedure, since you probably will not be functioning at your customary level of alertness (and may also be experiencing some pain).

Prior to the day of your surgery at Specialty Surgical Center(and any outpatient surgical center), the patient registration process involves providing a detailed list of experienced health disorders and current medications. Completing this pre-surgical form is essential in order to prevent a negative complication during your surgery. Your written informed consent is also required for a surgery to be performed – whether in an outpatient (ambulatory) setting or in a hospital setting.

Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey, and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in orthopedics, sports medicine, spinal care, podiatry, urology, pain management, ENT, hand surgery, lithotripsy, brachytherapy, GYN, and laser surgery.

For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.