118 MensHealth.com | December 2016
Not all OR doctors imgcredit_ALL_CREDIT_GUTTER-left
are equally skilled
with a scalpel. Follow
these recommenda-
tions to reduce your
odds of bad or even
deadly results.
1 / Check for
board certification
This means your
doctor has passed
extra tests beyond
the regular licens-
ing exam. There’s an
easy way to find out,
says Patricia Turner,
M.D., director of mem-
ber services at the
American College of
Surgeons. Just go to
certificationmatters.
org and look up your
prospective surgeon.2 / Find a Fellow of
the American College
of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.)
This label is a good
sign; it means the
surgeon passed
extra screenings by
the American Col-
lege of Surgeons.
Additional certifica-
tions may indicate a
subspecialty, which
could be especially
helpful if your case is
unusual or complex,
Dr. Turner says.3 / Scope out the site
You want not only a
good surgeon but
also a good facility
where the proce-
dure takes place. If
you have other health
problems or require
a risky procedure, an
able team of nurses
and staff is critical.
They may be more
readily available at a
hospital than at an
outpatient surgery
center. —MEGAN DiTROLIOA hole in your abdominal
muscles can occur at natu-
ral points of weakness in the
abdominal wall, says David
Sanders, M.D., a surgeon with
the U.K.’s North Devon District
Hospital. The contents of your
abdomen, including fat and
sometimes even intestines,
can then poke through.
“I first noticed a slight
twinge—almost a burning sen-
sation—just below my waist,”
says Adam Gerber, 44.
So if you happen to notice
a bulge (and not an attractive
one) in your groin area, you
could have an inguinal hernia—
the most common type by far.
It may hurt, and the pain may
intensify when you cough, bend
over, or lift something heavy.FIRST-LINE FIXES
In most cases, a hernia isn’t a
life-threatening condition, Dr.
Sanders says. If you can stand
the pain or discomfort and the
lump disappears, “there’s always
the option to do nothing,” he
says, “although most people
require an operation in the end.”THE DECISION
Hernias grow and usually
become painful, Dr. Sanders
says. How much discomfort are
you willing to live with? When
the cramping pain of his hernia
made walking difficult, Gerber
opted to go under the knife. Now
he’s back to his daily seven-mile
lunchtime run. At some point a
hernia could also get stuck in the
hole, which can result in a bowel
obstruction or blocked blood-
flow to the contents of your her-
nia. That’s an emergency that
can be life-threatening if it’s not
addressed promptly.WHAT HAPPENS
A surgeon will stitch a swatch of
mesh over the hole, explains Dr.
Sanders. The mesh acts like a
scaffold, and your own tissue will
grow through the mesh to rein-
force the weakened area without
harming nearby tissue. You’ll be
back at work in a week or two
and able to lift heavy objects and
exercise within six weeks.Hernia
Cataracts
When the proteins in your eye’s lens are arrayed properly, the lens is
crystal clear, says Harvard ophthalmologist Stephen Foster, M.D. But
aging, injury, or UV damage can upset these proteins. The result?
Blurred, hazy, or worsening eyesight. You may also have trouble seeing
after dark, and bright lights may bug you.FIRST-LINE FIXES Updating your eyeglasses prescription could correct your
vision and allow you to delay surgery—perhaps indefinitely.THE DECISION If you can’t do your job or drive at night, it’s time.WHAT HAPPENS It takes minutes in the hands of an ophthalmic surgeon, who
will make a tiny incision and swap your lens with a new one made of acrylic
material, says Dr. Foster. Sunglasses will become your very cool post-op prop.