Dr. Grant T Fankhauser M.D.

A fissure is the tearing of anal skin as a result of the overstretching of the anal opening by a big hard stool. Normally, sphincterotomy is related to constipation, chronic diarrhea (less often), inflammatory bowel disease or sexually transmitted infections that have anal and rectal effects. At...

Sleep apnea is a very common but serious sleeping disorder, wherein your breathing gets briefly interrupted while you sleep. Breathing might stop or become very shallow with pauses while you are sleeping. It can last from a few seconds to several minutes and usually recurs through the night. Since...

How is Liver Cancer Diagnosed?Liver cancer is a common type of cancer which begins in the liver cells, or hepatocytes. Liver cancer is a cancer which affects one of the largest and most important organs of the body. Liver cancer is type of cancer which, when diagnosed at early stages, can be...

Cholecystectomy is a surgical procedure performed to remove a damaged gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small pouch-like organ found in the upper right part of your belly. The main function of the gallbladder is to store bile, which is a digestive fluid used in the breakdown of fats. Specifically,...

What is a laminectomy?You may experience back pain that affects your day-to-day activities. Your doctor may recommend that you undergo a surgical procedure called laminectomy.Laminectomy is a surgical operation, in which the lamina is removed. This helps relieve pressure that is exerted on the nerve...

Appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix, which is a tube-like organ that extends from the large intestine. According to theories, the appendix is a specialized organ that is capable of producing antibodies. However, experts suggest that the appendix has no definite function in the human...