Dr. Karen Ann Filkins M.D.

October is referred to in the United States as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of the annual campaign dedicated to raising awareness of the disease, Sandra Lee’s documentary short - “RX Early Detection: A Cancer Journey with Sandra Lee” - is filled with wry humor, tears, and...

What is the serum herpes simplex antibodies test?This test is used to diagnose the herpes simplex virus. It is an examination of the blood and it identifies the antibodies that fight against HSV. This herpes simplex virus is the leading cause of herpes. There are two different kinds of herpes: HSV-1...

People who are seriously obese and are unable to lose weight through diet and exercise may benefit from a gastric bypass surgery. Gastric bypass surgery is a procedure performed to people with high body mass index (BMI) including those with obesity-related health problems. Having a gastric bypass...

When a patient is diagnosed with breast cancer one of the first treatment options is to remove the affected tissue, typically through a mastectomy. In addition to a mastectomy, a patient may also undergo chemotherapy in order to eradicate traces of the disease that may remain or have spread beyond...

What is Bariatric Surgery?Bariatric surgery is also referred as weight loss surgery. It is mainly done on obese people or those with a BMI (body mass index) greater than forty. The main aim of this kind of surgery is to achieve weight loss. What are the Risks of Being Overweight?Being obese poses...

What is an STD?Sexually transmitted disease, or commonly known as STD, is a type of disease that gets transmitted through sexual contact. AIDS caused by the HIV virus is a primary example of a sexually transmitted disease. Most STDs do not have any obvious symptoms at the beginning, aside from the...