Bartlett Regional | House Calls | Summer 2018

Welcome, Dr. Schmidt! New general surgeon at Bartlett www.bartletthospital.org 11 If a screening test could save your life, wouldn’t you do it? Then consider getting a colonoscopy. It’s one of the most sensitive tests for colon cancer, one of the leading cancer killers in the U.S. But colon cancer doesn’t have to be so deadly. By some estimates, if every adult followed screening recommendations, most colon cancer deaths could be prevented. That’s because colon cancer usually starts from abnormal growths, called polyps, in the colon or rectum. Over time, these growths can turn into colon cancer. But a colonoscopy can find polyps before they’re cancerous. And doctors can remove polyps during the test, which stops cancer from ever starting. A colonoscopy can also find cancer early, when treatment is most effective. What you can expect Here’s how a colonoscopy works: A doctor inserts a thin, lighted tube into the rectum. The tube is connected to a video camera so the doctor can see inside your rectum and entire colon. If the doctor spots a suspicious polyp, he or she will likely remove it right away. Probably the worst part of the whole experience: the bowel preparation you need to do beforehand to clean out your colon. But all that bathroom time could help add years to your life. And don’t be concerned that the test itself will be painful. You’ll be given medicine to make you sleep through it, so you won’t feel anything. Sources: American Cancer Society; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institutes of Health Just say  YES to this test Talk to your doctor Most people should get screened for colorectal cancer starting at age 45. But ask your doctor what the best screening schedule is for you. Bartlett Regional Hospital recently welcomed a new general surgeon to our staff. Jennifer Schmidt, MD, joins Ben Miller, DO, at the Surgery and Specialty Clinic on Hospital Drive. Dr. Schmidt performs colonoscopies as well as hernia, gallbladder, breast cancer and laparoscopic surgeries. She arrived in Juneau late last summer after completing her surgery residency at University of Southern Illinois. “I wanted to be in a rural and beautiful community, and that’s here,” she says. “Everybody seems to work well together.” Schmidt grew up in Minnesota, so she enjoyed our snow last winter. “I like the close-knit community and how welcoming it is,” she says. Welcome, Dr. Schmidt!