Proctologist

In the XNUMXth century, an area of ​​medicine called proctology separated from general surgery. This specialization focuses on the study of the structure, function and diseases of the large intestine, anus and pararectal region. Even before it became an independent discipline, Hippocrates and Avicenna devoted their works to it. Despite this, for a long time, intestinal diseases were considered practically incurable and claimed many lives. Today, safe medical products and the latest technologies are used, which guarantee high results and painless procedures for effective and minimally invasive treatment. However, the main success factor in treatment is the early visit of the patient to the proctologist.

What is his job

Proctology is a field of clinical medicine that diagnoses and treats problems of the lower intestine and adjacent tissues. Since 1997, this specialization has been renamed coloproctology, but the first name is still retained. This field of science about the human body is still developing, its specialists are developing new diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.

The competence of the proctologist includes the treatment of diseases of the colon, anorectal part, anus. The specialist conducts examinations, analyzes research data, makes a diagnosis and decides what the treatment will be. Also, his responsibilities include the development of new methods of therapy and familiarization of patients with the rules for the prevention of exacerbations and relapses. Despite the general habit, it is correct to call such a doctor a coloproctologist.

In medical practice, there are two directions in the work of this specialization: surgical and therapeutic. The first is aimed at solving urgent problems that are caused by intestinal disease, oncological problems. For example, it can be bleeding or cracks in the anus, polyps and tumors. Therapeutic coloproctology is aimed at systemic treatment of colitis of various etiologies. Both of these sections are within the scope of the proctologist.

Diseases of the anorectal region, lower intestine and adjacent tissues can be caused by various reasons. This area of ​​the body is affected by bacteria, viruses and fungi. Such a location is a very favorable place for the rapid development of pathogens. Therefore, ailments in this case progress rapidly, cause severe discomfort to the patient and can lead to complications. Despite this, patients often postpone a visit to a specialist, since such diseases are quite sensitive. Meanwhile, doctors warn that timely consultation prevents further complications.

What diseases are treated by a coloproctologist

In addition to the most common diseases caused by infection, such a doctor treats other intestinal ailments. His area of ​​specialization includes congenital pathologies, oncological formations, and mechanical injuries.

Depending on the nature of the disease, the doctor provides surgical assistance and prescribes medication, monitors the course of therapy until the problem is completely resolved.

A proctologist deals with the following diseases:

• rupture of the mucous membrane in the anus (cracks), hemorrhoids, inflammation of the colon – colitis;
• prolapse of the rectum;
• dysbacteriosis, polyposis, rectal ulcers;
• paraproctitis, coccyx cyst, oncological formations
• defeat by worms;
• stool disorders: constipation, diarrhea, incontinence;
• removal of foreign bodies.

The most common problem in this area, scientists call colorectal cancer.

Among all cases of oncological diseases, it ranks third and continues to progress.

The WHO Secretariat notes that the increased mortality from this disease is due to the late request of patients for help and the lack of an effective system of treatment (WHO cancer incidence data for 2016). Scientists are also of great concern about hemorrhoids, which are becoming more common.

This phenomenon is caused by the expansion of the veins in the lower part of the intestine, due to which knots appear that bleed and hurt.

Hemorrhoids can be caused by many factors: physical stress, sedentary work, childbirth, alcohol abuse, excess weight.

Due to the wide range of over-the-counter medications, patients often exacerbate the situation themselves. Instead of undergoing little treatment in the early stages, patients bring the disease to a chronic course.

Reasons for visiting the doctor

Diseases treated by a proctologist are quite common. This is due to the very cause of many diseases, these include infections that are sexually transmitted; bad habits; obesity; malnutrition; heavy physical labor, etc.

For most patients, going to such a doctor is associated with unpleasant associations, sometimes with shame.

Therefore, people often postpone the consultation and resort to alternative methods of treatment or simply medicines from advertising. Such unconscious actions lead to serious complications, including the same colon cancer.

If you pay attention to dangerous symptoms in time and do not delay with the examination, you can avoid the disease altogether, reduce the time and cost of treatment in the future.

Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with the reasons for visiting a coloproctologist:

• frequent loose stools can indicate intestinal irritation, ulcerative colitis, proctitis;
• discharge from the anus of mucus, blood or pus;
• tenesmus – false urge to empty without further stool;
• constipation is rarely considered a serious problem, but it is necessary to treat them with a specialist, as feces can accumulate in the intestines;
• anal itching sometimes speaks of parasites, infection, fissure, psoriasis;
• change in stool in the last 6 months.

Such symptoms are typical for adults and children. If even one symptom appears in an adult or a child, you need to seek help. In addition, there are a number of cases when a visit to the proctologist is mandatory, even if there are no tangible symptoms. This includes pregnant women in the last trimester, as the fetus and amniotic masses create pressure on the pelvic region. After childbirth, a woman must definitely consult a specialist, since tissue rupture also leads to a number of similar problems.

Preventive examinations are recommended: during menopause, people with sedentary work, overweight, after diseases of a similar nature. Persons who have one or more relatives are ill (sick) with rectal cancer, be sure to periodically undergo a consultation, especially after 40 years.

How to prepare for an inspection

Some ailments, such as the initial stages of hemorrhoids, proceed without tangible symptoms. Therefore, experts recommend visiting the doctor’s office, even for those who have no apparent reason. There is much less scary here than fantasy draws.

Proper preparation before the proctologist will ensure a quick appointment and reduce the number of trips to the hospital.

First of all, you need to find out where such a doctor takes. There is a good proctologist in private medical centers, where you can conveniently make an appointment online or by phone at any time. Each state clinic also cannot do without such an office, and, at the same time, the doctors here are not necessarily worse. As a rule, such health workers have a lot of experience and the price of services is much lower.

However, in terms of treatment, “private traders” still have more opportunities. Therefore, if you are planning just a preventive examination, you can visit a regular clinic at your place of residence. But to solve serious problems, it is better to turn to advanced technologies.

It is recommended to follow a diet two days before the examination to reduce the formation of stool and gas. To do this, you need to give up potatoes, soda, black bread, milk, beans, raw fruits and vegetables. Also, the day before visiting the doctor’s office, it is advised to cleanse the intestines with an enema or special medications.

A cleansing enema is needed on the eve of the appointment; ordinary boiled water at room temperature is used for it. It is important to remember that with bleeding and external fissures of the anus, such manipulations cannot be carried out.

A laxative should also be chosen carefully, ask a pharmacy worker about side effects and contraindications.

Reviews of patients and doctors recommend Fortrans, which is designed to cleanse the digestive tract before diagnosis. This is a special powder that needs to be diluted in water and taken orally, so the intestines are cleansed without enemas. Four hours before the examination, it is better not to eat, the laxative should also be finished by this time.

What to expect at the reception

If this is a planned first trip to the coloproctologist without visible symptoms, then the appointment will not take much time. If the patient has complaints, the examination will require a more detailed diagnosis. First of all, the doctor will interview the patient and study his medical history, if any. The initial examination consists of palpation of the intestine and manual examination of the intestine.

Also an obligatory method of examination is anoscopy. This procedure is carried out using a special device – an anoscope.

This is a small tube that is inserted into the intestine for a more detailed examination. Such measures allow you to well examine the walls of the intestine, check for cracks, neoplasms, tumors, etc. With an anoscopy, the doctor can take material for a biopsy.

If the initial examination and collection of patient complaints suggest a more serious problem, a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy may be necessary. All of them are carried out with the help of special equipment, while not always painful. Colonoscopy is used for a complete examination of the large intestine, today this procedure is considered the most informative among other diagnostic options. Almost all procedures that may be accompanied by pain are performed under local or general anesthesia.

After collecting all the necessary information and biomaterial, the proctologist can refer the patient for additional blood, feces and urine tests. This is necessary to check for the presence of fungi, viruses, the definition of an oncomarker, and more. The specialist will establish the exact diagnosis on the basis of a complete diagnostic and laboratory examination. You may also need to consult doctors from other specialties if problems with stool or anal itching are the causes of certain ailments.

After that, there can be two options for events: the doctor will say that everything is in order (if it is a preventive examination) and advise preventive measures; The doctor will establish the diagnosis and methods of treatment. Curation of such patients does not always require surgery; in many cases, diet and drug therapy are sufficient. In addition, many situations that were previously solved by the surgical method are now eliminated in gentle ways, for example, with the help of a laser.

Doctor’s advice on disease prevention

To avoid such situations, in many cases, it is enough to take preventive measures and refuse self-treatment. Be sure to monitor personal hygiene, periodically use special wet wipes instead of paper, do not use other people’s towels and hygiene products. Also, experts focus on the fact that a promiscuous sex life often leads to the office of a venereologist and a proctologist with infections. For casual and non-traditional types of sexual intercourse, it is imperative to use barrier contraceptives.

A healthy lifestyle is a good prevention of almost all diseases. Coloproctologists note that in this case, sports, mobility, proper and balanced nutrition eliminate many problems. The diet should include foods rich in fiber, fresh vegetables and fruits, dairy products. It is worth eating less fried, fast food, synthetic additives, sweets, eggs and flour.

You should not be embarrassed by the doctor during the appointment and, moreover, postpone the visit because of this. A doctor who knows well and professionally performs his work. If doubtful symptoms appear, but fear is still present, you can read patient reviews about the chosen specialist. This will make sure that there is definitely nothing wrong with such an inspection. And if you follow the advice on prevention, the proctologist’s office may not be needed at all.

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