Brown Surgical Associates recently announced that fellowship-trained surgeon Dr. Rebecca Gologorsky has joined the practice’s Division of Colorectal Surgery. Gologorsky, who is also part of the clinical staff at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, spoke with Providence Business News about her new role.
PBN: What are your priorities for your new role?
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GOLOGORSKY: I have several priorities for my new role at Brown Surgical Associates’ Division of Colorectal Surgery. On the patient care side, I’m hoping my presence will contribute to shorter wait times for patients referred to our subspecialty department. The demand for colorectal services is enormous and I know how much many patients are suffering as they await care.
I’m also excited to be able to offer some procedures and surgeries that are new to our department. It’s a strength of our department that each of us colorectal surgeons did our subspecialty training at a different institution. Having a variety of training backgrounds makes us a more capable, creative group.
PBN: What are some risk factors for developing colorectal cancer?
GOLOGORSKY: There are many known risk factors for developing colorectal cancer, some of which are modifiable, and some of which are not. Modifiable risk factors – as in, those we can change with our behavior – include a diet high in processed foods and red meat; tobacco use; excessive body fat; and a sedentary lifestyle. Nonmodifiable risk factors include a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps; having a genetic syndrome associated with the development of colorectal cancer; and inflammatory bowel disease.
It’s important to maintain awareness of your health, watch for concerning signs such as blood in the stool or a change in bowel habits, and get your colonoscopy at the recommended age, which is 45 for those at average risk.
Those with the above-mentioned risk factors should discuss with their doctor if early screening is warranted. It is always preferable, when possible, to prevent cancer from developing or identifying it at an early and readily curable stage.
PBN: What are some colorectal considerations for those seeking gender surgeries?
GOLOGORSKY: Pelvic gender surgeries are often performed by colorectal surgeons, as colorectal anatomy is commonly used to construct or reconstruct pelvic anatomy. The need for gender surgery arises for a variety of reasons. Patients may be considering gender affirmation surgery, revision of a congenital anatomic variant, or reconstruction after a trauma or cancer.
Additionally, patients may have had this type of surgery before and are in search of help for a complication. Unfortunately, medical education on this topic is lacking. It’s critical to find a subspecialty surgeon such as a colorectal surgeon who understands the complexities of the anatomy as the risk of complications is high.
PBN: Do you see innovations in bioengineering contributing to colorectal surgery?
GOLOGORSKY: There are so many unsolved problems in medicine or problems for which we have only suboptimal treatment options. Advances in bioengineering could help us solve some of the most serious problems we encounter, such as preventing leaks from new surgical connections in the intestine or improving devices that can help with pelvic floor dysfunction.
PBN: What are your overall goals as a member of the clinical staff at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University?
GOLOGORSKY: I hope to show our students at all levels of training how great and fulfilling a career in colorectal surgery can be. For those who aren’t interested in colorectal surgery, I hope to teach them what they will need to know in their career to improve inter-specialty collaboration and better care for our shared patients.
Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com.
