Importance to Follow Post Vasectomy Instructions in Minnesota

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Vasectomy is a minimally invasive sterilization procedure for male patients in Minnesota, in which the vas deferens tube leading from each testicle is cut and sealed, preventing sperm from becoming part of the seminal fluid that leaves the body at sexual climax. Without sperm in the semen after the vasectomy is done, a man impregnate his female partner.

No scalpel vasectomy is the preferred method in male sterilization. The procedure is usually done in an office setting under the local anesthesia, and the procedure takes about 20 minutes. The semen analysis will confirm the effectiveness of a vasectomy in 3 months.

The immediate risks of vasectomy are bleeding and infection, but these risks are generally very low for vasectomies. The risks are even lower in our no scalpel vasectomy.  We have performed almost 200 no scalpel vasectomies in Minneapolis/St Paul area in the past years, and there have been no cases of infection or large hematoma (bleeding).

It is important to follow the post vasectomy instructions.

  • Discomfort should be mild, may take Tylenol or Ibuprofen as needed, normally strong pain relievers are not necessary. Get plenty of rest and stay off your feet. May use ice packs in the first few days.
  • You should wear a new scrotal support immediately after the vasectomy and for a few days afterward.
  • Contact your doctor immediately if you experience severe swelling or a growing mass related to bleeding, any sudden fever, chills, increasing pain, swelling or drainage, and lasting pain.
  • You should be able to take showers after a day or two. Do not take baths or submerge your body in water for a few days after surgery.
  • You should be able to return to work after three days. No strenuous activities or heavy lifting for 1-2 weeks.
  • It is recommended that you abstain from sex 1-2 weeks after the surgery. Keep in mind that until your doctor confirms that you are sterile, use an alternate form of birth control.

Higher Risk of Varicose Veins in Women | Minneapolis & St Paul

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Sorry women in Minnesota but you are more at risk for varicose veins due to hormonal conditions, hormone replacement therapy, birth control and pregnancy. When a woman is pregnant there is 50% more blood circulating which puts more stress on the veins. Also the uterus puts pressure on the large vein that brings blood back to the heart. Many times, women in Minnesota feel that they need to wait until they are done having children to have their veins treated. During that time the varicose veins are only getting worse. If you are wondering if you will get varicose veins just look to your parents or grandparents. If they had varicose veins, chances are that you will also.

The job that a woman in Minnesota has can also affect her veins. Occupations in which a person is standing on their feet for long periods of time can add pressure to the veins. Gravity is causing blood to go to the lower legs and stay there. The top 4 professions that can lead to varicose veins are: teachers, medical professionals, restaurant and retail professionals and hair stylists. Taking breaks and moving around and elevating the feet can help the veins not to become worse. If you are starting to have symptoms such as; swelling or throbbing, tenderness around the vein, burning or tingling or itchiness you will want to get your veins checked to see if you need treatment. You don’t have to see the varicose veins to have them. Get treated before they become visible.

In the Minneapolis/St. Paul area there are many vein clinics you can go to. One Stop Medical in the Twin Cities area treats both varicose veins and hemorrhoids which are varicose veins found in the rectal area. Dr. Steven Shu has built up his successful practice performing in office procedures on these veins. Left untreated the veins not only become unsightly but can also become discomfort and painful. Many times that is what finally drives people in to have their varicose veins and hemorrhoids treated. Dr. Shu says, “Don’t wait. Get them treated right away and have a better quality of life now instead of later.”

Most Important Question to ask before Vasectomy in Minnesota

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The practice of vasectomy was pioneered in 1900s, but for many years the vasectomy procedure was used sparingly, especially after oral contraceptives were invented for women in the 1950s; many men were uncomfortable with the idea of elective surgery on their sexual organs. But today, vasectomy is becoming more frequent among men in Minnesota and the US, and men are more comfortable with the vasectomy procedure as education about vasectomies becomes more widely available online. Men realize that the idea that vasectomies will lower sex drive or libido is a myth; two vas deferens are cut in the vasectomy, preventing any sperm from exiting the body through the penis. All other functions of the testes are still intact. Even sperm is still produced, but it is absorbed by the body.

The most popular vasectomy technique in the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas is no scalpel vasectomy, it requires work off for only 2- 3 days compared that of 1-2 weeks with traditional vasectomy, and it is also much less invasive and more affordable than tubal litigation on women.

No scalpel vasectomy is an affordable, reliable form of male contraception that is more practical than other permanent alternatives in Minnesota. But men must know that sterilization is not immediate after vasectomy. Even after the vas deferens are cut, there is still sperm lingering in your system that can be present in semen. It will take several months before sterility is complete. You should use birth control until your physician determines you are completely sterile.

Still, vasectomies are permanent, so it is important to be informed before you decide to get one. There is the most important question one must consider:

Do I want any more children in the future? Vasectomies are more or less permanent. Once the procedure is done, it’s done. It is possible to have vasectomies reversed in Minnesota, but to do so is prohibitively expensive, unreliable, not to mention that sperm production will never be the same as it was before. Do not getting vasectomies if you are not absolutely sure that you want it, and do not assume you can reverse it.

How to Manage Varicose Veins in Pregnancy | Minneapolis

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Varicose veins often occur during pregnancy as a result of extra blood that’s produced, which adds a lot of pressure on blood vessels inside the leg veins. Also, the size of a woman’s uterus keeps increasing during pregnancy, adding further pressure to the pelvic blood vessels. Some hormones like progesterone produced during pregnancy have the vessel dilation effect.

Although varicose veins during pregnancy can show up almost anywhere in the lower half of your body, the bulging venous vessels are found primarily in the legs. They swell above the surface of the skin with those distinctive bluish and purplish bulges women in Minnesota love to hate.

Varicose veins are the common reason for the office visit in the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas. Varicose veins may cause discomfort like itching and aching, and they’re certainly not nice to look at — but the good news is they’re unlikely to pose any major risk. Most Varicose veins typically shrink or completely disappear within a few months following birth. However, in the case that a woman becomes pregnant again, these same veins might reappear. Like many other pregnancy symptoms, varicose veins tend to be hereditary.

The best thing for women in Minnesota to do for their Varicose veins during pregnancy is keep the blood circulating by exercising and keep the legs elevated when sitting. It is also important not to wear tight clothing to cause added pressure on the veins. Wearing support hose can support veins and improve the symptoms such as heaviness or leg swelling. Keeping weight gain to a minimum during pregnancy and sleeping on your left side to avoid pressure on your main blood vessels will also help. Lastly, getting your daily dose of vitamin C from a balanced diet will keep the veins healthy. If the Varicose veins don’t go away after the baby has arrived, there are options to have them medically treated or surgically removed, the newest treatment for varicose veins in Minneapolis is endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), other options include sclerotherapy and mini phlebectomy. Small spider veins can be removed in the noninvasive way with the external laser.

At What Age Should We Have a Colonoscopy in Minnesota?

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After years public education from the family physicians, health insurance companies, and media exposure, more people in Minnesota know that average risk patients should have their first colonoscopy at 50 year old. Actually, the age at which we should have our first colonoscopy varies according to the level of risk for developing colon cancer. Recommended ages for a colonoscopy are based on risk levels from the national professional organizations. Our risk of colon cancer helps determine when to get a colonoscopy.

You are at average risk if you have no other risk factors besides age. Most people in Minnesota belong to this group. This group of people should have colonoscopy at age 50.

You have an increased risk if you have the immediate family members who have had colon cancer. This group of people should have a colonoscopy at age 40 or 10 years earlier than the age of that family member when diagnosed.

You are at high risk if you have a family history of certain colorectal cancer syndromes such as Familial adenomatous polyposis or if you have an inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis. The recommended age for a colonoscopy for people in this category could be very young, as young as 20s years.

The above recommended ages for a colonoscopy are the general guideline for discussions with your doctor about your particular situation. Each case is different, and there is no set of recommendations right for every individual in the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas.

Biological implications After Vasectomy|Minneapolis & St Paul

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The patients who had the vasectomy in Minnesota often ask where the sperms go after vasectomy. Here is the explanation for biological implication after vasectomy.

After a vasectomy, the path that sperm travels is interrupted because the vas tube running from testes to the penis is no longer connected. Sperm that is produced is broken down by the body. The epididymis’s membranes absorb the liquid created, while solids substances are further broken down by macrophages and absorbed into the bloodstream. With the increase of stagnant sperm, the membranes of the epididymis increase in size to absorb more liquid. The immune system increases the amount of macrophages to handle an increase of solid waste.

The testes are still very much alive and functioning; a group of cells with the special function, called Leydig cells, continue to produce a class of androgen hormones, including testosterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which continue to be absorbed into blood. These functional cells in the testes are not affected by vasectomy. Leydig cells are named after the German anatomist Franz Leydig, who discovered them in 1850.

Vasectomies are, for all intents and purposes, permanent. Reversal vasectomy in the Minneapolis and St Paul areas are costly, have a considerably lower success rate, and often do not restore the sperm count and/or motility to pre-vasectomy levels.

Confirmed, properly performed vasectomies ensure life-long sterility with almost no chance of making a woman pregnant. No scalpel vasectomy in Minnesota is a simple, safe office procedure done under the local anesthesia. It does not, however, prevent the transmission of STDs.

Eliminating Varicose Veins with Laser | Minneapolis

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If you have varicose veins then you are familiar with the discomfort they can cause and the feeling that you don’t want anyone to see your legs. Many men and women in Minnesota will not even wear shorts due to how unsightly the veins can be. You probably have varicose veins if you suffer from these symptoms: Dark red, purple or blue veins close to the surface of the skin, veins in the legs with a bulging, ropy or knotty appearance, trouble walking more than a short distance without fatigue, restless leg syndrome, legs that throb, itch or burn, roadmap or cobweb like veins on the skin or your head, neck, chest or arms, discoloration of skin or edema in the ankles. The symptoms you see are from the veins not working properly.

In healthy veins, the blood will flow smoothly from the heart to the limbs through arteries and then the deoxygenated blood is pumped back out through veins. With varicose veins the valves are not working properly and the blood is pooling or is going in the reverse direction that it is supposed to. Causes could be from age, pregnancy, weight gain, physical stress, it could also be hereditary. Sometimes the valves can just weaken or fail working all together. Don’t worry, if you have varicose veins they can easily be treated today.

In the past treatment for varicose veins in the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas required ligation and stripping in hospital. It was uncomfortable, expensive and had much more downtime associated with it. Today a minimally invasive treatment called endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) is much faster and more comfortable to the patient with minimal downtime. EVLA is thermal ablation using a thin laser fiber in a targeted segment of the varicose vein. It will permanently collapse and shrink the vein without having to surgically remove it. A local anesthesia is used to keep the patient comfortable during the procedure. EVLA takes about an hour and is done right in our procedure clinic in Edina, MN. The patient is able to walk out after the procedure is done. The cosmetic results are amazing and the patient’s self-esteem is restored as well.

Easy Bowel Preparation for Colonoscopy in Minnesota

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Colorectal cancer is the most preventable major cancer in Minnesota. Colonoscopy is the most effective way to exam the lining of the rectum and colon and removes small polyps before they turn cancerous. It is recommended for the average risk people starting at age 50 and every 10 years after that.

Although more and more people had the colonoscopy in the past decade, many people in the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas are still behind their schedule based the guideline. The bowel preparation is still the No. 1 barrier to getting a colonoscopy. If patients don’t properly do the bowel preparation, doctors will easily miss the precancerous growth in their colon. An easier prep could improve the colonoscopy screening rates and potentially save lives.

Golytely was the original bowel prep solution which contained MiraLAX (polyethlene glycol or PEG). It requires drinking a full gallon of plain-tasting liquid to induce diarrhea. The GoLytely solution also can have side effects, such as abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

Now Gatorade emerged as part of new patient friendly formula for the bowel prep in Minnesota, as it significantly improves the solution taste. Moreover, people who drank a mixture of 64 ounces of Gatorade with MiraLAX experienced less bloating and cramping compared to those who prepped using Golytely. Gatorade helps maintain electrolyte balance.

We have used the Gatorade based formula in Procedure Clinic over the past 5 years, our patients were able to finish it at the rate of almost 100%, and the quality of bowel preparation is much better. Please call us at 952-922-2151 if you have any questions on the colonoscopy bowel prep.

Vasectomy in Minneapolis

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With so many options available in terms of birth control for women, many men in Minnesota inquire regarding the availability of other options for male birth control excluding the usual abstinence, condoms, withdrawal before ejaculation, and vasectomy. We would predict that with the fast development of modern medical science in 21th century, just as women do, men will soon be able to simply take a pill to control the release of their sperm.

There are actually much medical research being done in this field; such a market has a high demand. A number of research groups across the globe have tried different alternatives to male birth control. These include injected plugs, heat methods, pharmaceuticals, hormonal therapy, and obstruction of the vas deferens. Despite promising developments, these treatments are experimental , and not approved by FDA. Reversible inhibition of sperm under guidance (RISUG) got more attention recently; phase III clinical trials are underway in India. RISUG works by injecting the polymer into the vas deferens, the polymer prevents the sperm from fertilizing an egg.

Many people in Minneapolis and St Paul areas are still misinformed about vasectomy; it is not as painful and inconveniencing as one may believe. Modern developments in vasectomy have reached a point where a vasectomy can be done in a doctor’s office in less than 20 minutes, using only local anesthesia. The procedure is incredibly simple and pain free- it involves making a small incision in the scrotum, where the vas deferens are severed and prevented from joining back together. Discomfort afterwards is minimal and patients can quickly return to their everyday lives. The patient who gets a “no-scalpel” vasectomy typically feel no change in libido, as vasectomies cause no physical change in sensation, testosterone levels, blood flow to the penis, amount of semen, or satisfaction of an orgasm. The only difference is that the semen has no sperm in it.

Simply put, no scalpel vasectomy is a safe, simple, and convenient method of male birth control with few drawbacks.

History of Varicose Vein Surgery Part 2 | Minnesota

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The University of Cordoba in the Arabs produced one of the most famous surgeons. He was known to the western culture as Albucasis (930 AD to 1313 AD). He became a prominent surgeon during that era. He was appointed as the Court-Physician of King Abdel-Rahman III. Besides his practice of medicine he also did a lot of medical and surgical writings.

He wrote thirty volumes of a digest of vast medical knowledge called Tasrif. He is also known for writing the best medieval surgical encyclopedia on record. It dealt with all aspects of surgery and was the first textbook of surgery to include illustrations of instruments to be used in surgery. It became very famous as it was the standard textbook of surgery used up to the 17th century in prestigious western universities. His medical and surgical expertise was evident in his writings of exact details of clinical and surgical procedures. His writings described the binding of the arteries long before any other physicians. His descriptions of varicose vein stripping are almost like our modern day surgeries for the veins.

The progress of medical science and surgery stalled for about 350 years after 13th century when barber surgeons routinely performed surgeries. In 16th century, the ligation at the site of the varix became the preferred varicose vein surgery. A century later, the combination of bleeding, diet and application of bandages to the legs was recommended by a German surgeon, Lorenz Heister, to avoid varicose vein surgery.

In the mid 1600’s intravenous drugs were first introduced. Opium was put into the vein of a dog using a metal tube and was successful. The hypodermic syringe did not appear until 1851. The introduction of anesthesia and antiseptics, delivered by the hypodermic syringe, brought about great changes in the treatment of varicose veins. In the 1850’s injections really took off and the treatment of veins by injection was becoming popular. The injections were either perchloride of iron or iodine. The perchloride of iron seemed to cause inflammation and swelling. In order to help correct this, the use of compression was advised in order to prevent dilation of the veins. In 1894, due to the high numbers of complications from this treatment, treating varicose veins by injection was abandoned.

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