Many of you may have heard of the terms “endoscopy”, “colonoscopy” or “gastroscopy”, especially when we go to the doctor for a tummy ache or vomiting. But what are all these scopes and what exactly do they do for us? The terms that doctors throw around can be confusing to the layman audience, so let me help you understand them in the simplest way possible, no sweat!

In Singapore, an inguinal hernia is the most common type of hernia in men and women; though between the two sexes, men experience this condition more. But that’s not to say women are in the clear — in fact, women who have an inguinal hernia are more likely to have a femoral hernia too. Femoral hernias are known as the “silent” hernia because they don’t usually cause symptoms and are more likely to “pinch” a part of the bowel without you knowing. As such, the risk of complications is higher.

We know that hernias are more prevalent in obese individuals (hiatal hernia) and the general male population (inguinal hernia), but did you know that hernias can be present in babies since birth as well? This type of hernia is known as an umbilical hernia.

Whether you’re a parent or not, you must have heard of newborns getting jaundice and how it’s pretty normal. But jaundice in adults? How does that even happen, and is it anything serious?

Yes, I receive a handful of adult patients with jaundice — and unfortunately, jaundice in adults is often a sign of an underlying medical condition which does not improve on its own without serious side effects, unlike neonatal jaundice. Let’s find out all about adult jaundice.

There can be a lot of misinformation on the Internet regarding illnesses and surgeries. Gallbladder removal is one of them. Many patients with gallstones either panic and think of the worst case scenario because of something they’ve read online, or avoid surgery due to the fear that they might lead a lower quality of life. In this blog post, I will share some of the top myths surrounding gallstones and gallbladder removal as well as my thoughts.

The gallbladder is a pouch-like, small organ on the upper right side of your abdomen. Its job is to store and release bile, a fluid made by the liver to help digest fat. Bile can be thick and create blockages along the way. Sometimes patients also get gallbladder disease due to too much cholesterol or bilirubin, which is a liver pigment in your bile. This can lead to gallstones, chronic or acute inflammation caused by gallstones and bile duct stones.