Health Wonders - Summer 2008 - (Page 5)

Thanks to minimally invasive surgery, Dwight Cramer was able to quickly get back to doing what he loves Campfire a Dwight Cramer stirs ingredients in a hot skillet perched over an open fire. He and a friend are taking advantage of a mild winter day in a Huntsburg field by preparing a meal of venison stroganoff and fresh baked bread. Cramer has enjoyed campfire cooking for most of his 54 years, but both his eating habits and the ability to perform routine tasks have been severely compromised since 2000 by recurring bouts of diverticulitis. He had experienced increasingly frequent episodes of abdominal pain, diarrhea and low-grade fevers in recent years, prompting early retirement from his job as a computer network engineer. a delightful aroma greets the nostrils as Story What Is Diverticulitis? “Diverticulitis occurs when small pouches—called diverticula—in the colon become inflamed,” explains Leena Khaitan, M.D., director of minimally invasive surgery at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center. In extreme cases, the bowel can become perforated or obstructed, requiring emergency surgery to remove the affected portion of the colon. Cramer had been hospitalized on multiple occasions for flare-ups that were treated with antibiotics. Following a visit to the Norma N. Chapman Emergency Center at Geauga Medical Center in September 2007, he met with Dr. Khaitan. “She ran a battery of tests and said it was time to take [a section of my colon] out,” Cramer says. Dwight Cramer is able to enjoy an active life after being sidelined for several years with diverticulitis. Dr. Khaitan says. “With the minimally invasive technique, patients are back to their usual activities much more quickly than with an open operation and in the long run have a better quality of life.” In Cramer’s case, the ends of the bowel were successfully reattached, and he was able to resume normal activities—including outdoor cooking. A Quick Recovery He underwent surgery in early December, during which Dr. Khaitan used sophisticated laparoscopic technology inserted into several tiny incisions to remove a 1-foot section of Cramer’s colon. Laparoscopic techniques result in reduced infection rates, minimal scarring and quicker recovery. Cramer was able to get out of bed and begin walking the day of his surgery, and was discharged and eating solid food three days later. “We prefer to perform this type of surgery electively, before there are complications that could require an ostomy,” Reduce Your Risk Doctors encourage a high-fiber, low-fat diet to reduce the risk of developing diverticulosis, which is the precursor to diverticulitis. Cramer takes that advice one step further by adopting a diet that includes more organic foods. “An organic diet isn’t sacrificing much,” Cramer says. “It’s not like you’re giving up anything important, but you’re eating better and it tastes good.” l Summer 2008 For more information about services, call 440-285-7757. 5

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Health Wonders - Summer 2008

Health Wonders - Summer 2008 Contents Geauga Changing with the Seasons Baby Love Under Attack with Arthritis Surgery that Gets You Back in Action Faster What's New at Geauga Medical Center Meet our Physicians

Health Wonders - Summer 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.