Blog
Practical, physician-reviewed guides to surgical decisions, symptoms, medicines, and medical research. Explore the evidence, treatment tradeoffs, warning signs, and questions to discuss with your own care team.
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Your Leg Artery Is Blocked. Do You Really Need Angioplasty Right Away?
A scan can show a severely narrowed leg artery without answering the question that matters most: will opening it now improve your walking and quality of life enough to justify the procedure? By M.J. Kim, MD Evidence reviewed through: September 9, 2026 Updated: October 1, 2026 At a Glance A blocked leg artery does not…
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Diverticulitis Again? Do You Really Need Antibiotics – or Is It Time for Surgery?
Another flare does not automatically mean another course of antibiotics – or that you are one attack away from colon surgery. The more useful questions are how severe this episode is, whether you have higher-risk features, and how much recurrent diverticulitis is actually disrupting your life. By J.Y. Jeong, MD Evidence reviewed through: September 9,…
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Gallstones but No Pain: Do You Really Need Surgery Before Something Goes Wrong?
An ultrasound found gallstones you did not know you had. The next question is not simply whether stones are there – but whether they have ever caused trouble, and whether there is any reason to treat them now. By J.Y. Jeong, MD Evidence reviewed through: September 9, 2026 Updated: October 1, 2026 At a Glance…
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One Leg Suddenly Swollen: When Is It a Blood Clot – and When Is It Something Else?
Sudden swelling in one leg can come from a pulled muscle, infection, a ruptured knee cyst – or a deep vein thrombosis. The safest way to tell them apart is not pain intensity. It is a structured assessment of your risk followed, when needed, by the right blood test or ultrasound. By M.J. Kim, MD…
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Your Mammogram Is Normal – But Your Breasts Are Dense. Is Another Scan Worth the False Alarms?
Your mammogram was normal. So why does the dense-breast letter say cancer could still be missed? The answer is not automatically another scan. By M.J. Kim, MD Evidence reviewed through: September 8, 2026 Updated: October 1, 2026 At a Glance A dense-breast notice does not mean cancer was found, and it does not automatically mean…
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The Colon Cancer Blood Test Is FDA-Approved. Can It Replace Your Colonoscopy?
The new blood tests make colorectal cancer screening easier. But detecting cancer and preventing cancer are not the same job. By J.Y. Jeong, MD Evidence reviewed through: September 3, 2026 Updated: October 1, 2026 At a Glance FDA-approved blood tests can now be used to screen some average-risk adults for colorectal cancer. In the pivotal…
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Appendicitis: Antibiotics or Surgery? The CT Finding That Can Change the Decision
Antibiotics can help some patients with uncomplicated appendicitis avoid an operation. But “better without surgery” and “cured forever” are not the same thing – and one finding on your CT scan can substantially change the odds. By J.Y. Jeong, MD Evidence reviewed through: September 3, 2026 Updated: October 1, 2026 At a Glance Antibiotics are…
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Berberine Before Surgery: Why Your Anesthesia Team Needs to Know About “Nature’s Ozempic”
Berberine is promoted online as “Nature’s Ozempic.” The evidence tells a more complicated—and more useful—story about weight loss, liver safety, and drug interactions before anesthesia. By J.Y. Jeong, MD Evidence reviewed through: September 3, 2026 Updated: October 1, 2026 At a Glance Berberine is not a natural version of Ozempic. Its weight-loss effect in clinical…
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Rectal Bleeding Under 45: Hemorrhoids, Warning Signs, and When to Get a Colonoscopy
Bright red blood is often caused by hemorrhoids or an anal fissure. But your age and the color of the blood cannot prove where it came from. The important question is whether the source has actually been identified—and whether the bleeding behaves the way a benign problem should. By J.Y. Jeong, MD Evidence reviewed through:…