Welcome to RRBloomsOur Practice:We are a general surgery practice.
Dr. Richard R. Bloom has practiced in the Specialty of general surgery for over 20 years. In keeping with his surgical training at the world-renowned Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Richard R. Bloom continues to implement cutting edge technology and evidenced based surgical findings in order to provide high levels of patient safety and quality surgical outcomes.
Our Mission: To provide quality health care and innovative surgical procedures based on current scientific research practices. We feel that it is the responsibility of each health care professional to continually stay abreast of current health care practices in order to provide high standards of care.
About Us
Click on the forms below to veiw and print. Acrobat Reader is required to view the forms. If you don't have a copy of Acrobt Reader Click Here to download Acrobat Reader Free!!
Admission Forms | Surgery Forms | Insurance Forms |
Consultation Form | Info Packet |
Our Practice:We are a multi-specialty general surgery practice.
Dr. Richard R. Bloom has practiced in the Specialty of general surgery for over 20 years. In keeping with his surgical training at the world-renowned Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Richard R. Bloom continues to implement cutting edge technology and evidenced based surgical findings in order to provide high levels of patient safety and quality surgical outcomes.
Our Mission: To provide quality health care and innovative surgical procedures based on current scientific research practices. We feel that it is the responsibility of each health care professional to continually stay abreast of current health care practices in order to provide high standards of care.
Our office is conveniently located at 1000 Centre Brook Court in Columbus, Georgia 31904 Our office hours are 8:00am- 5:00 pm eastern standard time. Please call 706-576-4474 for information and to schedule and appointment.
Appointments Patients are seen by appointments only Phone: (706) 576-4474 NEED DRIVING DIRECTIONS? Click her for driving directions |
Financial Policy
- We accept most insurances.
- Co-pays and deductibles are due at time of service
- All non-paid balances are due at the time of service unless financial arrangements have been made prior to your office visit.
- It is the patients responsibility to notify our office of any changes in insurance coverage.
- A fee of $100.00 will be applied for all missed appointments or cancellations if our office is not notified within 48 hours to reschedule your appointment.
- We charge $300.00 for missed surgical procedures.
- We accept cash, checks, money orders and credit cards for payment of services.
Our Practice: We are a multi-specialty general surgery practice.Dr. Richard R. Bloom has practiced in the Specialty of general surgery for over 20 years. In keeping with his surgical training at the world-renowned Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Richard R. Bloom continues to implement cutting edge technology and evidenced based surgical findings in order to provide high levels of patient safety and quality surgical outcomes. Our Mission: To provide quality health care and innovative surgical procedures based on current scientific research practices. We feel that it is the responsibility of each health care professional to continually stay abreast of current health care practices in order to provide high standards of care.
We hope that our new web site will make it easier for us to extend our health care to you and meet your needs in provide better service. Pre-operative instructions for the Mammotome® breast biopsy Please take the time to read this completely Please notify Dr. Bloom if you are taking the following medications: Blood thinners (Coumadin, aggrenox, plavix) The morning of your Mammotome® Breast Biopsy Eat a regular breakfast the morning of the procedure What are gallstones? Gallstones are small pebble- like substances that develop in the gallbladder. The gall bladder is a small pear shaped sack located just below the liver in the right upper portion of the abdomen. Gallstones happen when the liquid (bile) in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material. Bile is important in that it helps the body digest fats. Bile is made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder until the body needs it. The gallbladder contracts and releases the bile in a tube like structure called the common bile duct which carries the bile to the small intestines where it helps with the digestion of food. Bile contains water, cholesterol, fats, bile salts proteins and bilirubin (a waste product). Bile salts break up fat, and bilirubin gives bile and stool a yellowish-brown color. If the liquid bile contains too much cholesterol, bile salts or bilirubin, it can harden into stones within the gallbladder (gallstones) and or common bile duct stones. There are two types of gallstones (1) cholesterol stones and (2) pigment stones. Cholesterol stones are usually yellow-green and are made primarily of hardened cholesterol. They account for about 80% percent of gallstones. Pigment stones are small, dark stones made of bilirubin. Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. The gallbladder can develop one large stone or hundreds of tiny stones or a combination of the two. Gallstones can block the normal flow of bile if they move from the gallbladder and lodge in any of the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the small intestines. The ducts include the: Hepatic duct (carry bile out of the liver) Cystic duct (takes bile to and from the gallbladder. Common bile duct (takes bile from the cystic and hepatic ducts to the small intestines. Bile trapped in these ducts can cause inflammation in the gall bladder, the ducts, or in rare cases, the liver. Other ducts open into the common bile duct including the pancreatic duct, which carries digestive enzymes out of the pancreas. Sometimes gallstones passing through the common bile duct provoke inflammation in the pancreas which is called gallstone pancreatitis a potentially dangerous and extremely painful condition. If any of the bile ducts remain blocked for a significant period of time, severe damage or infection can occur in the gallbladder, liver or pancreas. Left untreated, the condition can cause death. Warning signs that a serious condition exist include: fever, Jaundice and persistent upper abdominal pain. What causes gallstones? Cholesterol stones form when bile contains too much cholesterol, too much bilirubin, not enough bile salts or when the gallbladder does not empty completely or often enough. Pigment stones are not fully understood however, these stones tend to develop in people who have liver cirrhosis, biliary tract infections, or hereditary blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia in which the liver makes too much bilirubin. Who are at risk for gallstones? Women develop gallstones as result of excess estrogen from pregnancy, hormone replacement, and birth control pills. Gallstones often run in families indicating a possible genetic link. Being overweight increases the risk for developing gallstones. This is possibly due to the reduction of bile salts in the bile, resulting in more cholesterol production which reduces gallbladder emptying resulting in gallstones. High fat, cholesterol, and low fiber diets causes an increase of cholesterol in the bile which reduces gallbladder emptying and the risk of gallstones. Rapid weight loss can lead to gallstones. People age 60 and above are more likely to develop gall stones. American Indians, Pima Indians, and some Mexican Americans are more genetically predisposed to develop gallstones. Cholesterol lowering drugs increase bile secretion of cholesterol and risk of gallstones. Some people with diabetes have high fatty acids in the form of triglyceride which increase the risk of gallstones Symptoms associated with gallstones. Pain- steady pain in the right upper abdomen that increases rapidly and last for 30 minutes to several hours Pain in the back between the shoulder blades. Pain under the right shoulder. Notify your physician if you think that you have experienced a gallbladder attack. Even though these attacks often pass as the gallstones move, the gallbladder can become infected and rupture if a gallstone blockage occurs. Notify your physician if you experience: Prolonged pain (more than 5 hours). Nausea and vomiting. Fever and or chills. Yellow color to the skin or whites of the eyes. Clay colored stools. Many people with gallstones have no symptoms; these stones are called silent stones. Silent stones do not interfere with gallbladder, liver, or pancreas function and often do not need treatment. How are gallstones diagnosed? Gallstones are frequently diagnosed while looking for other illness. When gallstones are suspected as the cause of symptoms, your physician will order an ultrasound exam (the most sensitive and specific test for gallstones). Other diagnostic tests include: Blood tests. Blood tests are performed to look for signs of infection, obstruction, pancreatitis, or jaundice Computerized tomography (CT) scan. The CT scan is a noninvasive x-ray that produces cross-section images of the body. The test may show gallstones or other complications such as infection, and or rupture of gallbladder or bile ducts. Cholescintigraphy (HIDA scan). This test is performed by injecting a small amount of non-harmful radioactive material into the body which is absorbed by the gallbladder. The gallbladder is then stimulated to contract. The test is used to diagnose abnormal contraction of the gallbladder or obstruction of bile ducts. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). ERCP is used to locate and remove stones in the bile ducts. After light sedation, the physician inserts an endoscope (a flexible lighted tube with a camera attached). The tube is guided down the throat through the stomach and into the small intestines. A special dye is injected to visualize the stone better. The stone is captured in a tiny basket and removed with the endoscope. How should gallstones be treated? If you have gallstones without symptoms, you do not need treatment. If you are having frequent gallbladder attacks, you doctor will recommend that you have your gallbladder removed. This operation is called a cholecystectomy. Surgery to remove the gallbladder is one of the most common surgeries performed on adults in the United States. Many gallbladder surgeries are performed using a laparoscope and a very small video monitor that allows the physician to view the organs inside the body on a monitor outside the body. The surgeon dissects the gallbladder from the liver, bile ducts and other structures. The cystic duct is cut and the gallbladder is removed through one of the small incisions. Recovery after a laparoscopic gallbladder removal involves an overnight stay in the hospital. Normal activities are often resumed after a few days at home. Because the muscles in the abdomen are not cut , there is less pain less chance of infection and other complications associated with surgery
Adominal Surgery
|
Our Practice: We are a multi-specialty general surgery practice.Dr. Richard R. Bloom has practiced in the Specialty of general surgery for over 20 years. In keeping with his surgical training at the world-renowned Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Richard R. Bloom continues to implement cutting edge technology and evidenced based surgical findings in order to provide high levels of patient safety and quality surgical outcomes. Our Mission: To provide quality health care and innovative surgical procedures based on current scientific research practices. We feel that it is the responsibility of each health care professional to continually stay abreast of current health care practices in order to provide high standards of care.
We hope that our new web site will make it easier for us to extend our health care to you and meet your needs in provide better service. Pre-operative instructions for the Mammotome® breast biopsy Please take the time to read this completely Please notify Dr. Bloom if you are taking the following medications: Blood thinners (Coumadin, aggrenox, plavix) The morning of your Mammotome® Breast Biopsy Eat a regular breakfast the morning of the procedure |
Vericose ViensMost people with varicose veins are embarrassed to wear shorts, and swimsuits because of bulging discolored leg veins, but the problem of varicose veins goes beyond the cosmetic issues. Superficial venous reflux disease, the condition that often causes varicose veins, can cause tired aching legs, pain, and leg ulcerations. Some people are forced to decrease activity that requires prolonged standing and walking because of leg pain that worsen through the day. Risk factors for varicose veins are a positive family history and female gender however; males do suffer with varicose veins also. Other risk factors include pregnancy, older age, obesity, and prolonged standing. All normal leg veins have one way valves that keep blood flowing in an upward (toward the heart) direction. Varicose veins happen when the one way valves malfunction and allow the blood to flow backward; this backward flow of blood is called superficial venous reflux. Damaged leg valves allow blood to leak backward through the valves and cause distention of the superficial veins (just under the skin) resulting in bulging, large blue veins. Untreated varicose veins can become severe causing painful leg sores that are difficult to heal, darkening of the skin (hyper-pigmentation), dry scaly skin and heavy swollen legs. Until the last few years, the only treatment for varicose veins was vein stripping. Vein stripping, a painful hospital based procedure was often performed by vascular surgeons. Patients feared the procedure because they were subject to general anesthesia and a painful post-operative recovery time that was a much as two weeks. The VNUS Procedure® referred to as radiofrequency ablation, is used to close the great saphenous and any branches of the saphenous vein if needed. During the procedure, a local anesthetic is used to numb the area to be treated. A catheter is then threaded through the diseased vein from a distant site. Activation of radiant energy through the catheter heats the wall of the vein which causes it to close. When the procedure is complete, the leg is wrapped with a compression bandage that is to stay intact for the next couple of days. Ultra sound confirmation of vein closure is done two days after the procedure and again at two weeks to assure the vein is closed. Micro phlebectomy (vein removal) and sclerotherapy can then be performed to get rid of unsightly, varicose and spider veins. An alternative to the closure® procedure is the laser procedure which is slightly different from the closure® in that it uses a laser to close the diseased vein. Patients who have the laser procedure have reported slightly more bruising and pain when compared to the closure® procedure. In this practice the laser procedure is available, but it is usually reserved for patients with excessively large saphenous veins that have failed the VNUS Closure® Procedure. For more information on treatment for varicose veins call the office at 706.576.4474 or make an appointment for an initial vein evaluation to find out if the VNUS Closure® or laser therapy is right for you. |
Our Practice:We are a multi-specialty general surgery practice.
Dr. Richard R. Bloom has practiced in the Specialty of general surgery for over 20 years. In keeping with his surgical training at the world-renowned Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Richard R. Bloom continues to implement cutting edge technology and evidenced based surgical findings in order to provide high levels of patient safety and quality surgical outcomes.
Our Mission: To provide quality health care and innovative surgical procedures based on current scientific research practices. We feel that it is the responsibility of each health care professional to continually stay abreast of current health care practices in order to provide high standards of care.
Disclaimer
The information contained on this site is not intended to provide medical advice to any individuals. This website should not be a substitute for a consultation with a qualified health care professional.
© Richard R. Bloom M.D. 2011. All rights reserved.
Office Hours
Monday- Friday 8AM.-5PM