General Practitioners

• Medical Weight Loss
  We at WLS Surgical Associates are excited to help guide you in your journey to finding a healthier life. Watching our online seminar is the first big step towards making a change. Our team invites you to learn more about your weight loss surgery options and looks forward to getting to know you should you decide this is the right path for you. Register for free below to get started. The video is in three parts and will take roughly 30 minutes to complete.
• Immunizations
  Vaccine manufacturing efficiency was 84% (32/38). Twenty-three patients received at least 1 vaccination. There were no grade 3 or 4 toxicities, and grade 1 and 2 events were local in nature. Seventeen of 21 patients had stable disease (SD) at month 2 or later as their best response, and 1 patient with stage IVa malignant melanoma achieved a complete response (CR) following 11 vaccinations and remains without evidence of disease 2 years following initiation of therapy. Six of 13 patients displayed a positive enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) response to autologous TAG vaccine at week 12 including 3 patients with prolonged SD or CR. The 3 other patients survived through week 24, as compared with none of the 7 ELISPOT-negative patients.

Gynecologists

• Pregnancy

Internists

• Bladder Cancer
  Recent international reports have suggested that an abnormal pancreatic and bile duct junction can influence the degree of pancreatic fluid regurgitation, resulting in an increased incidence of biliary tract malignancy. To confirm these reports, we retrospectively examined the anatomic relation at the pancreaticobiliary junction in all patients diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma or gallbladder cancer at Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) over a 10-year period. From 1989 to 1998, 82 patients with bile duct cancer were treated at BUMC. Adequate visualization of the pancreaticobiliary junction was accomplished in 29 patients (35%). Among these patients, an abnormal junction, with a common channel length of 8 to >15 mm, was noted in 13 patients (45%). Thus, this study confirms previous reports regarding the high incidence of an abnormal pancreaticobiliary junction in patients with bile duct cancer. A prospective effort to examine this anatomy and the length of the common channel should be encouraged to identify a potential high-risk group. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1312207/?tool=pubmed
• Ovarian Cancer
  Genes – there are two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, that greatly increase the risk. Women who have family members with breast or ovarian cancer may wish to be tested.
• Colon Cancer
  Gamma interferon enhancement in vivo of carcinoembryonic antigen expression in human colon cancer xenografts. Proc AACR 31:237, 1990. Presented at American Association for Cancer Research, Washington, DC, May 1990.
• Endoscopy
  The utility of Capsule Endoscopy and its Role for Diagnosing Pathologyin the GI Tract. Southwestern Surgical Congress, April 2005.
• Lung Cancer
  Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. Breast cancer kills more women in the United States than any cancer except lung cancer. No one knows why some women get breast cancer, but there are a number of risk factors. Risks that you cannot change include

Psychiatrists

• Depression
• Anxiety

Endocrinologist

• Diabetes Care
• Hypothyroidism
  A thyroid gland that is not active enough is called hypothyroidism. It can make you gain weight, feel fatigued and have difficulty dealing with cold temperatures. If your thyroid is too active, it makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. That condition is hyperthyroidism. Too much thyroid hormone can make you lose weight, speed up your heart rate and make you very sensitive to heat. There are many causes for both conditions. Treatment involves trying to reset your body’s metabolism to a normal rate. This can be done usually be done with medications.
• Thyroid
  An important diagnostic tool for the evaluation of thyroid disease, thyroid ultrasound has recently become available for use in surgical offices. The purpose of this report is to determine the lesional sensitivity of office-based thyroid ultrasound and its impact on clinical decision making. Surgical office-based thyroid ultrasound was performed on 49 consecutive patients who presented with thyroid disease. Indications for sonography included a solitary palpable nodule (n = 32), multiple palpable nodules (n = 3), diffuse enlargement (n = 5), or other hormonal or radiologic abnormalities (n = 9). Thyroid ultrasound demonstrated 104 lesions compared with 38 lesions found on physical examination (P < 0.0001). In the subpopulation who underwent scintigraphy (n = 10), 24 nodules were identified by ultrasound and only 10 nodules were identified by scan (P < 0.01). Overall, office-based thyroid ultrasound impacted the clinical management of 40 patients (80%): in 16 patients, thyroid ultrasound was the only modality that demonstrated a multinodular condition, thus contributing to a decision to avoid surgery; 19 patients had ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of vaguely palpable or nonpalpable lesions; and 5 patients underwent ultrasoundguided cyst aspiration and follow-up. Office-based thyroid ultrasound performed by surgeons is a highly accurate imaging modality that identified significantly more lesions than physical examination or scintigraphy. Clinical management was affected through the identification of a multinodular process or through facilitation of accurate image-guided biopsy.
• Thyroid Cancer
  Locally advanced thyroid cancer invading the tracheal cartilage represents a difficult treatment dilemma during thyroidectomy. A retrospective chart review was performed to determine the results of laryngotracheal resection or tracheal cartilage shave with adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced thyroid cancer invading the upper airway.

Radiologist

• Ultrasound
  The effect of office-based thyroid ultrasound on clinical decision making. Presentation at North Texas Chapter American College of Surgeons. Dallas, Texas, February 19, 1999.
• MRI
  A retrospective chart review was performed to compare iron oxide (Feridex [Fe])-MRI with CECT in the preoperative imaging of hepatic neoplasms, as well as to determine the clinical impact and overall healthcare costs associated with Fe-MRI.
• Mammography
  A review was conducted of patients who underwent lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node excision for invasive disease between January 1998 and July 2000. Those who were found to have sentinel lymph node metastasis without completion axillary dissection were selected for evaluation. Follow-up included physical examination and mammography.
• Computed Tomography
  Routine contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) has been described as an accurate diagnostic imaging modality in patients with acute appendicitis. However, most patients with acute appendicitis can be diagnosed by clinical findings and physical exam alone. The role of CECT in patients suspected of having appendicitis but with equivocal clinical exams remains ill defined.
• Chemotherapy
  Treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. You might also need nutritional support, since the cancer or treatment may make it hard to swallow.

Surgeons

• General Surgery
  At WLS Surgical Associates, we are dedicated to the care of patients with a wide variety of medical problems also focusing on minimally invasive and robotic treatment of hernias, gallbladders, and other common general surgery problems.   The emphasis on care includes a genuine concern for the welfare and comfort of every person.  We stress a compassionate and individualized treatment plan for each patient in our office.
• Wound Care
  The procedure is typically performed on an outpatient basis and patients are able to leave shortly after surgery. Most patients will experience some discomfort from the incisions, but this is manageable and well tolerated.  You will be able to return to normal activities with minor lifting restrictions for a couple weeks.  You are encouraged to follow a low fat diet, but the majority of patients return to the same diet they followed before surgery within a week or two.  Patients should follow proper wound care techniques as outlined in their aftercare packet to make sure the incisions heal properly. Patients will be sent home with prescription for pain medication in case they have discomfort. Follow-up occurs approximately one to two weeks after surgery at the office.
• Robotic Surgery
  Dr. Kuhn founded WLS Surgical Associates to provide excellent and compassionate care to patients using the latest research and surgical techniques. He was passionate about pursuing the most effective means of treating disease, often adopting innovative strategies before most surgeons in the Dallas area. He was a pioneer in robotic surgery, single-incision surgery, and outpatient bariatric surgery. His mission of patient care has permeated through each physician and staff member of WLS Surgical Associates.
• Knee Replacement
  My PCP referred me to this practice when my weight hit 230+! I had a long list of medical issues which included, total knee replacement, (2010), 4 level spinal fusion in 2012 in which I got a staph infection & then became septic. I was in the hospital almost 2 months! I took 9 surgeries total in a 14 month period to recover & lots of PT.. My B/P wa high with meds as well as my cholesterol & triglycerides.
• Laparoscopy
  In 2012, the founder Dr. Joseph A. Kuhn was joined by Dr. Jeffrey Henke. Dr. Henke is one of the surgeons with the latest training in robotics, advanced laparoscopy, and single incision surgery.  He has been recognized by his peers for his compassion and his excellence. To learn more about Dr. Henke, click here.

Plastic Surgeons

• Breast Surgery
  CTCs are detectable and quantifiable in breast surgery patients. CTCs were more likely to be found in hormone receptor negative patients. Further study will allow correlation with other pathological variables and clinical outcome.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19190965
• Bariatric Surgery
  At WLS Surgical Associates, we are dedicated to the care of patients with a wide variety of medical problems, from pancreatic cancer to obesity. The emphasis on care includes a genuine concern for the welfare and comfort of every person. As a result, we have developed one of the leading bariatric surgery programs in the country, as well as a well-respected surgical oncology practice.

Dermatologists

• Skin Cancer
  Liver Metastases means that some tumor has spread to the liver. The most common source might be the colon.  Other sources could be the pancreas, the esophagus, breast, or melanoma.
• Cyst
• Ulcer
  SEVERE REFLUX (HEARTBURN). If you have severe acid reflux that requires nightly medication and you have complications from that condition (narrowing, ulcer, asthma, or pre-malignant changes), then the Bypass is the preferred operation, since it immediately closes off the acid and bile from the lower stomach.
• Lesions
  Ablation can be done with probes that deliver heat (microwave or radiofrequency).  1-10 liver lesions can be ablated or destroyed in this way.