Posts Written OnJanuary 2015

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the staff and physicians at Westside Surgical Hospital made it a priority to get involved in as many local events as possible. BRA Day at Dillard’s supported Reconstruction of a Survivor, a group that is dedicated to improving the lives of women impacted by breast cancer. Dr. Jay Shenaq, plastic and reconstructive surgeon, offered a presentation to attendees on reconstructive surgery. Great Day Houston’s Deborah Dunca served as emcee. Brave Faces Patient Celebration took place at WSH, with staff and former breast surgery patients coming together for a celebration of recovery. Houston Komen…

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A surgical technician faces her own battle with breast cancer “The doctor needs to talk to you.” The first time Yami Mora heard these words, she knew it was bad news. The 36-year-old surgical tech called to get her mammogram results, and was asked to return for “another look.” After an ultrasound, the radiology tech came in visibly concerned. “The doctor needs to talk to you,” she said. Yami knew that technologists delivered good news. Doctors delivered bad news. Yami is proud to work alongside some of the finest surgeons in Houston at Westside Surgical Hospital, a multi-specialty hospital near…

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Medicine plays a key part in treating health issues, but once medications are no longer needed, people often forget to dispose of them properly. Most medicine can simply be thrown away, however others can be harmful – or even fatal – if they fall into the wrong hands. Children, pets and people intentionally seeking drugs can all be at risk if medicine is disposed of improperly. The FDA offers this advice for drug disposal: READ THE LABELMost potentially harmful medicines have detailed instructions for disposal printed on the label. While many can simply be flushed down the toilet, don’t flush…

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Heed your body’s warning signals to avoid injury As classic as legwarmers and Jane Fonda workout videos is the adage, “No pain, no gain.” But how do you know if you’re making progress or courting trouble? The most common form of pain we associate with physical activity is delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. You’ll usually feel this soreness a day or two after beginning an exercise regimen, increasing the intensity of an existing routine or targeting a fresh set of muscles. If you’re a man over age 45 or a woman over age 55, or if you have an…

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Patients can live pain-free with cartilage restoration If you suffer from chronic knee pain, joint replacement surgery can drastically improve your life. But what if you’re too young to be a good candidate for the procedure? For a long time, the answer was you wait. Now orthopedic surgeons like Dr. Michael Trice are giving people new options. “When patients under 40 or even 50 have joint replacements, many of the joints fail early,” says Dr. Trice. “It is common for these patients to have the replacement done over again in five to ten years. A cartilage transplant can delay or…

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The hospital meets stringent quality standards Westside Surgical Hospital recently earned national accreditation from the DNV organization, recognizing the hospital’s commitment to quality and safety in providing patient care. DNV accreditation is awarded only after the entire hospital staff and work processes are surveyed by DNV auditors to ensure the facility meets its quality standards. Just as physicians, nurses, lab techs and other staff at a hospital undergo rigorous training and testing to qualify for their work — so must a hospital as a whole demonstrate that it meets a set of quality standards. The DNV is one of two…

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Pain does not need to be a fact of life We often talk about the aches and pains that come with age, as if it’s the natural course of events. Half of older adults in the U.S. report having pain that affects their activity, and many of them feel they have no recourse but to live with it. So what actually happens to the human body over the years? Bone density lessens, sometimes culminating in osteoporosis — brittle bones that present a higher risk of fracture. The gel-like discs in between the vertebrae get thinner, which can cause back pain.…

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