Grundy County Memorial Hospital | Live Well | Fall 2020

GCMH Specialty Clinic >> Next steps If you have a need for a general surgeon, your primary care provider can place a referral to the general surgery clinic by calling 641-752-6391 , and an appointment will then be scheduled. adds general surgery General surgeons Stephen Van Buren, MD, FACS, and Alison Wilson, MD, see patients at the GCMH Specialty Clinic on Wednesdays. Stephen Van Buren, MD, FACS, and Alison Wilson, MD, are the newest phy- sicians to offer services in the Grundy County Memorial Hospital (GCMH) Specialty Clinic, where their general sur- gery clinic is available each Wednesday. A variety of medical conditions might prompt a visit with a general surgeon. Dr. Wilson answers questions about the care the new clinic provides: Q What are the most common types of surgeries you perform? The abdomen is the most common site of surgeries for a general surgeon. This includes hernia repair and gallbladder, appendix and colon surgery. Many of these surgeries can be done laparo- scopically with small incisions. This al- lows for less discomfort during recovery and an earlier return to work and other activities and usually allows the patient to go home the same day. We also perform breast cancer and skin cancer surgeries. We are trained to take care of many different issues for patients, rather than working within only one aspect of surgical care. Q What might a prospective surgery patient expect at an initial visit with you in the Specialty Clinic? A visit to the general surgery clinic will include a discussion of symptoms and a review of any previous labora- tory or imaging tests. We will then do a physical exam and discuss any additional tests needed or the options for surgery. In most instances, the surgery will be scheduled for a differ- ent day. This allows the patient to plan for the upcoming procedure, get all of his or her questions answered, and receive any preoperative instructions. In some cases, procedures such as biopsies may be completed in the office on the same day as the consultation visit. Q Can a surgery consultation, procedure and follow-up visit all take place at GCMH? Because Dr. Van Buren and I have worked together for almost 10 years, we are very comfortable sharing in the care of our patients. In our Grundy County practice, this is especially helpful because it means we can provide con- tinuity with one of us scheduled to see patients there every week. Much of the time, a patient can complete his or her preoperative visit, surgery and postop- erative care all locally. There may be no need to travel, as we will come to you! 5