Dr Ray Yong
Breast, Endocrine and General Surgeon Endoscopist
MBBS (Melb), FRACS
Patient Resources
Disclaimer: This is a generic patient information resources only and does not substitute for medical advice. All patients need to discuss their medical conditions with a qualified doctor in person.
More detailed information will be uploaded with time.
Breast Surgery
What is mastalgia?
Latin word for Breast Pain.
Fairly common condition among all women, especially younger ones.
Typically worse in mid cycle and improves post period.
Many women mistakenly associate Breast pain with Breast cancer.
Breast cancer almost always does not cause pain, except in advanced stages.
Treatment consists of non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures.
Pharmacological measures can include Evening Primose Oil capsules for 4 months.
What are fibroadenomas? Are they dangerous?
Benign growths in the breast from the glandular elements.
Can vary in size from < 1 cm to more than 5 cm
Fibroadenomas do not ever become malignant.
Small non palpable lesions can be safely left alone and observed, whereas bigger lesions which are very obvious can be removed.
Lesions which grow rapidly in size should also be removed.
When should I have mammograms? How often should I have them?
Generally from age 40 to 45 onwards. Any earlier can be difficult to ascertain properly as young women's breasts tend to be denser which can mask small lesions. From age 45 onwards, well asymptomatic women should be encouraged to have biennial mammograms and perform monthly breast self examinations.
Thyroid Surgery
What is a goitre?
Adopted from Latin word guttur which means throat.
Refers to a swelling of the thyroid gland.
Usually obvious to the patient or family and friends before being brought to the attention of the Endocrine Surgeon.
Can lead to compression of the food pipe and wind pipe, leading to difficulty in swallowing and breathing respectively.
Almost all goitres are not cancerous. Thyroid cancers are relatively uncommon.
Surgery is recommended when there is significant difficulties in eating, drinking or breathing.
Surgery can also be performed when there is significant cosmetic concerns.
How is a vasectomy performed? What will I expect post operatively?
Some practitioners perform this procedure under local anaesthesia but I would only perform this under a full general anaesthesia for the comfort of my patients. It takes approximately 15 to 20 mins and the patient is discharged home the same day. It is normal to feel some pain and swelling in the scrotum and it is advisable to wear tight underpants to help support the scrotum. The patient is not considered sterile immediately as some viable sperms may be present in the seminal tracts. It is necessary to ejaculate approximately 20 times post operatively and provide a sample for sperm analysis thereafter to confirm absolute sterility. Apart from the patient's regular partner, condoms should still be worn to prevent STDs following a vasectomy.
What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal refers to the small bones that make up the wrist joint. It is a small narrow space that transmits the median nerve, tendons, blood vessels etc into the hand. When the space is narrow, the median nerve is affected which leads to pain, tingling, numbness and weakness of the hand and fingers. The diagnosis is confirmed on a nerve conduction study. Usually a carpal tunnel release is then recommended to "free" the nerve. This is a straight forward surgery that takes not more than 12 mins. Patients generally have immediate relief after the surgery. However in long standing carpal tunnel syndrome, the results may not be immediate and patients will benefit greatly from seeing a hand therapist post operatively.
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