Dr. Derek Thomas Dirks MD

Recommended Articles

• Where Exactly Does the Pain Occur During Appendicitis?

  Appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix, a disease that is mostly known as the rupture of the appendix. The human appendix is considered to be a vestigial structure. Vestigial means lacking meaningful work, or the evolving of a part of the body to take on a new shape, or an organ that has...

• Everything You Need to Know About Anal Fissures

  An anal fissure is a linear tear in the skin of the distal anal canal below the dentate line. Millions of people suffer from painful bowel movements due to anal fissures.This condition is commonly experienced by young people, but it can also be found in grown men and women. The most common symptom...

• What Is An Anal Fissurectomy?

  An anal fissurectomy is a surgery that may be used for curing anal fissures. The procedure involves an incision in the sphincter muscles which control one's anal opening. It is normally the recommended surgery for treating tears or cracks that develop inside the distal canal (passageway) where waste...

• Sleep Apnea: What Are the Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment?

  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...

• Femoral Hernia: Get the Facts

  Our human bodies are a complex network of nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and visceral organs. While our skin is the outermost layer holding everything together, on the inside, it is a network of strong muscle fibers that hold all our internal organs in place. A hernia occurs when there is a weak...

• When Is Thyroid Surgery Necessary?

  Overview of ThyroidectomyHypothyroidism, as the name indicates, refers to an underactive form of the thyroid gland. It means that the thyroid gland fails to produce a sufficient amount of thyroid hormones in the body. The removal of the thyroid gland will further reduce the production of hormones,...