Dr. Joel F. Bradley is a General Surgeon at Premier Surgical Associates in Knoxville, Tennessee. Dr. Bradley is based at the Premier Surgical office located at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and specializes in the treatment of hernia repair.

Dr. Bradley works closely with Dr. Kristopher Williams. The pair were fellowship-trained at the nationally-known Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and work as a team on many of complex hernia cases.

Learn more about hernia treatment and repair.

The post Meet Dr. Bradley – Premier Hernia Expert first appeared on Premier Surgical.

An abdominal wall hernia is a weakness or hole in the abdominal muscles through which organs or tissue may protrude. The signs and symptoms of hernia depend on the type of hernia. Some hernias don’t cause any symptoms, but are discovered during medical exams. Some common symptoms include:

• A bulge under the skin in the groin or other abdominal area
• A burning or aching sensation at the bulge
• Groin pain or discomfort, especially when bending over, coughing or lifting
• Groin weakness or pressure

Hernia can affect men, women and children. A hernia may be the result of a defect or weakness in the abdominal wall at birth, or a weakness caused by age, injury or a previous surgical incision.

Hernia Repair at Premier Surgical

Premier Surgical physicians treat all types of hernias -from routine to very complex cases. Listen to Dr. Kristopher Williams discuss hernia repair and care in the video below.

The post Expert Hernia Repair and Care first appeared on Premier Surgical.

Mary traveled from Kingsport to Knoxville to have her complex hernia repaired.

“Mary had rectus flap reconstruction, and that surgery resulted in a hernia because they had to take muscle to reconstruct the breast, leaving the abdominal wall weaker,” says general surgeon Joel “Trey” Bradley III, MD, of Premier Surgical. Dr. Bradley specializes in complex hernias.

“I had a bulge, and I wore an abdominal binder to keep everything tight where they’d removed the belly fat,” Jeffers says.

But even while wearing the binder she was in pain, and there were times when the only way to find relief was to lie down, sometimes even placing her hand on the hernia bulge and pushing it back into her abdomen.

Her case was so complicated that Jeffers chose to make an appointment with Dr. Bradley in Knoxville.

In September 2016, Jeffers had double incisional hernia repair above her belly button, performed by Dr. Bradley and his colleague, Premier Surgical general surgeon Kris Williams, MD, who is located at Parkwest Medical Center.

“Two of her muscle groups were missing,” Dr. Bradley says, “so the trick was repairing hernias based on the muscle groups that were still there.”

The complex surgical procedure was a success in every way. “Fort Sanders Regional was amazing,” Jeffers says. “Dr. Bradley came every morning and he came every evening.” An anesthesiologist came at least twice a day too, and Jeffers says the nurses were some of the most knowledgeable she’s ever met over the course of her multiple medical procedures. Best of all are the results.

“I have not had to wear the binder since the surgery and I can do whatever I want – I can go out to eat and it doesn’t bother me, I can lay on my stomach and it doesn’t bother me – it’s awesome.”

Jeffers highly recommends Dr. Bradley and Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. “It was a really good experience, and Dr. Bradley is amazing,” she says. “He is someone who takes time to listen and explain things – and not in the big medical terms that I don’t understand!”

Jeffers says she would gladly choose to place her care in the hands of Dr. Bradley and Fort Sanders Regional again.

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Dr. Joel “Trey” Bradley, General Surgeon

“A hernia is simply a hole where we’re not supposed to have one,” says Premier Surgical general surgeon Joel “Trey” Bradley III, MD. “The more complex hernias are usually the ones that are larger and require more significant operations, and the majority of complex hernias are incisional hernias from previous surgeries.”

With hernias occurring in areas of the body that have already been affected by incisions, the ability to heal is critical. That’s why smoking is now considered a major risk factor for development of a hernia.

Dr. Bradley explains that smoking impairs the healing of wounds old and new. If a wound doesn’t heal from an initial operation, muscle can separate, creating a hernia. If a hernia is repaired but the body lacks the ability to heal properly, complications may follow.

“The ability to get blood flow to the muscle is critical to hernia repair, so muscle can regrow together,” Dr. Bradley says. “Nicotine and the products in tobacco prevent good blood flow to wounds.”

He says it’s ironic that the risk factors that help hernias develop are also the ones that can cause complications after the hernia repair itself. “That’s something that we didn’t realize many years ago, and it’s more recently that we’ve discovered the detrimental effects of smoking on hernias and hernia surgery,” Dr. Bradley says.

Getting a patient’s weight down to a healthy level is important, too.

“It comes down to the physics of just trying to get the abdominal wall closed,” Dr. Bradley says. “Especially with morbid obesity, the pressures on the abdominal wall are so great that they pull the hernia back apart.”

Dr. Bradley says a patient’s weight can reach a point where it becomes “almost impossible” to perform hernia repairs that will last. He tries to impress upon patients the importance of reaching a healthy weight and kicking the habit of smoking before undergoing a hernia repair procedure.

“The best hernia repair is usually the first one you do, and if you’re having to do a revision of a hernia repair, or a revision of a revision of a revision, that can get very complicated,” Dr. Bradley says.

For more information about preparing for a successful, lasting hernia repair, visit Premier Surgical’s ComplexHernia webpage.

The post Why Smoking and Hernia Repair Don’t Mix first appeared on Premier Surgical.

An overhang of vines on the deck of Norma Griffin’s Dandridge home provides shade on a sunny day. It’s a peaceful place for Griffin to recover from successful hernia surgery at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center – and peace is welcome after several years of medical chaos.

Norma is keeping up with her grandkids again after complex hernia repair.

“I felt well cared for,” Griffin says, reflecting on her treatment at Fort Sanders Regional, “very well cared for.”

Living with undiagnosed diverticulitis for years, Griffin first underwent emergency surgery to treat a ruptured colon while she was attending law school in Virginia. She wound up having a colostomy, a surgical procedure in which a piece of the colon is diverted to an artificial opening in the abdominal wall in order to bypass a damaged part of the colon. Griffin underwent additional surgeries over the years, including a reversal of the colostomy and total hysterectomy.

When an area on her abdomen began to swell last year, she ignored it. She didn’t feel well but assumed it was because she was adjusting to the physical demands of keeping her grandkids.

Griffin didn’t know it at the time, but a complex hernia had developed at the site of surgical incisions.

“My life had changed; I’m now running after a 5-year-old. I was doing things I hadn’t done in a long time,” she says, “doing more laundry, more lifting, and I just thought that’s what it was – strain from doing the kind of activity that I’m not used to doing.”

The symptoms became more intense and harder to ignore. “Eating was becoming uncomfortable, and movement was becoming uncomfortable, just day-to-day things.”

She showed the bulge to her daughter, who instantly recognized it as a hernia. “My innards were coming out,” Griffin says with a chuckle.

Dr. Joel “Trey” Bradley, III

Griffin was referred to general surgeon Joel “Trey” Bradley III, MD, of Premier Surgical. He explained the hernia was the result of multiple surgeries and scar tissue the colostomy had left behind. She was impressed with his knowledge, and also impressed with his compassion.

“He doesn’t act like he has other people waiting behind you,” Griffin says. “He acts like he’s got time to talk to you, and he gives you his full attention.”

Griffin and her husband had a lot of questions, and Dr. Bradley patiently answered them all. “He was very good to explain things, step by step,” Griffin says. “I just felt really, really comfortable with him. It mattered what I said.”

Dr. Bradley explains Griffin had what is commonly referred to as a “Swiss cheese hernia.” “The individual hernias are small, but when you add them all up they make a fairly large hernia,” he explains. “It’s one hernia, but it’s usually comprised of multiple small defects that look like a block of Swiss cheese with a bunch of little holes in it.”

Because of the complicated nature of the case, Dr. Bradley was assisted by Kris Williams, MD, a Premier Surgical general surgeon based at Parkwest Medical Center. In the process, they discovered a second hernia had developed at the opening once created for Griffin’s colostomy.

Griffin says Dr. Bradley came in early to check on her and made her feel like she was the “most important patient of the day.” She is now healed, is more active, and able to keep up with her grandchildren.

“I really couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Griffin says. “The hospital staff was really, really good,  and Dr. Bradley made me feel really comfortable.”

With her husband, grandchildren, co-workers and friends all counting on her, Griffin is glad to be better and happy to have her energy restored. But from her perspective, the most definite evidence of the surgery’s success was when she was able to carry out her own personal post-surgery ritual just a week after coming home from the hospital.

“When I come home, I don’t feel like I’m on the road to recovery till I have chicken and dumplings,” Griffin says with a laugh. “I had my chicken and dumplings, and all was right with the world.”

To learn more about abdominal wall reconstruction and Premier Surgical’s Complex Hernia Center, visit www. premierherniacenter.com.

The post Uncomplicating Life: Grandma Thrives After Complex Hernia Repair first appeared on Premier Surgical.

Dr. Bradley is Board Certified in General Surgery by the American Board of Surgery, and has served as Surgery Department Chairman, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center 2016; Surgery Quality Committee Chairman, and Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center 2015. He has been with Premier Surgical since 2014. Dr. Bradley specializes in General Surgery and Complex Hernia.

The post Meet Dr. Bradley first appeared on Premier Surgical.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, hernia repair is one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States. Over one million Americans undergo some type of hernia surgery every year. Many hernias can be repaired laparoscopically, which means smaller incisions, less invasive procedures, and less time in the hospital. However, some hernia surgeries are more complex.

The physicians of Premier Surgical’s Complex Hernia Center works to repair large, dangerous hernias that take more extensive care than smaller, more common hernia surgeries. Many complex hernia surgeries are open and require several days in the hospital after the procedure and a longer recovery period.

Premier Surgical takes a comprehensive approach to complex hernia repair, working with patients before surgery to address lifestyle factors such as infection, diet, diabetes management, obesity and proper nutrition in order to prepare them for a successful, lifelong result. If needed, patients may also undergo a “hernia surgery boot-camp” beforehand, in partnership with a local fitness center program, to help them stop smoking, get their diabetes under control, lose weight (if needed), and adapt to a healthier diet, so they will have a better chance at a lasting repair.

Complex Hernia Center

During a complex hernia procedure, the surgeons may need to rearrange the abdominal muscles in order to close the hernia defect. The abdominal wall is then reinforced with mesh. The goal of complex hernia repair with abdominal wall reconstruction is to repair the hernia defect, reinforce the abdominal wall to prevent recurrences or other hernias from developing, recover abdominal wall functionality, prevent intra-abdominal organs from protruding through the abdominal wall, and provide a cosmetically-pleasing appearance.

The end result of this complex abdominal wall reconstruction is a restored and functional abdominal wall with enough strength and flexibility to withstand physical activity and to improve quality of life. When performed properly by specially trained surgeons, complex hernia repair generally has a low rate of relapse, resulting in a long-term functional repair with an esthetically-improved result.

Although these types of hernia repairs are major abdominal surgeries, the restored functionality and improved mobility often allows patients to return to a completely normal life without limitation following proper post-operative recovery.

Premier Surgical physicians Dr. Joel “Trey” Bradley and Dr. Kristopher Williams specialize in abdominal wall reconstruction for complex hernia patients. The pair were fellowship-trained at the nationally-known Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and work as a team on many of these challenging cases.

Premier Surgical Complex Hernia Center is excited to offer complex hernia repair to patients in East Tennessee. We are passionate about offering permanent solutions for patients with complex hernias and those that have failed previous surgical repairs. Talk to your physician about whether you may be a candidate for complex hernia repair. A lasting, successful result can greatly improve your mobility and quality of life.

Visit our website to learn more about Premier’s Complex Hernia Center.

The post Complex Hernia Center first appeared on Premier Surgical.

“Simply put, a hernia is a true hole in the abdominal wall muscle where things from the inside—such as organs or tissue—are trying to get outside,” Dr. Weast says. The signs and symptoms of hernias varies depending on the type and location. The following types of hernias may cause pain or bulging near the location of the defect. Sometimes they don’t cause pain, but are detected through a physical exam.

• Inguinal hernias occur near the inner groin and are especially prevalent in men.
• Femoral hernias occur in the outer groin and are most common in women, especially those who are pregnant or obese.
• Incisional or Ventral hernias occur at the site of an incompletely healed incision from a previous abdominal surgery, and occur most often in elderly or overweight people who are inactive after abdominal surgery.
• Umbilical hernias near the navel occur in newborns, obese women, or those who have had several children.

Hiatal hernias occurs when the upper stomach pushes through the opening in the diaphragm that the esophagus passes through. Hiatal hernias can cause heartburn, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, or acid reflux.

Regardless of the type of hernia, Dr. Weast says, ““Hernias are defects that must be closed surgically. Hernias don’t go away and they will grow. It’s always easier to repair if the defect is smaller, so if someone suspects they have a hernia they should consult with their physician early on.”

He adds, “Surgical repair of hernias has really evolved and there are different approaches for each hernia. Many general hernias can be repaired laparoscopically, which means smaller incisions, less pain, and less time in the hospital. Hernia repair can be very simple and done in 30 minutes, or it can be extremely complex. We go for the least invasive option that will have the best lasting results.”

Premier Surgical Associates is the largest surgical group in the Knoxville region, providing comprehensive surgical care, with referrals from across the entire East Tennessee region. To learn more about hernia surgery, visit http://www.premierherniacenter.com.

The post What You Need To Know About Hernia Surgery first appeared on Premier Surgical.

Premier Hernia Center provides information about the difference between basic and complex hernias, the risk factors for developing hernias, and the advanced treatments that are available. Hernias can affect men, women, and children of all ages, and they occur when an organ pushes through a weakness or hole in the muscle or tissue that holds it in place.

While hernias can appear in the navel, groin area, or upper thigh, they are most common in the abdomen. Various factors play a role in who’s at risk for developing a hernia, such as genetics, poor nutrition, pregnancy, obesity, smoking, or improper heavy lifting.

Visit Premier Hernia Center to learn if you meet any of the factors that may increase your risk of developing a hernia. And, if you do have a hernia it’s crucial to know the risk factors that negatively impact your chances for a successful, lasting surgical repair. Smoking, obesity, and uncontrolled diabetes diminish the rate of a patient’s successful hernia surgery. Premier Hernia Center offers two tools to prepare patients for the most successful, lasting repair:

1. CeDAR is a free app that guides patients through eight questions in order to calculate the risks and financial impact of wound-related problems following complex hernia repair.

2. N.E.W. U is a Nutrition, Education, and Wellness program developed by the Fort Sanders Health and Fitness Center designed to help complex hernia patients meet their pre-surgery weight, health and nutrition goals.

Treatment depends on the severity and complexity of the hernia. For common small hernias, the hole or weakness is often repaired using a mesh material, commonly with laparoscopic techniques. Non-complex hernia repair is usually performed as outpatient surgery. Complex hernias may require more advanced repair techniques in order to reconstruct the abdominal wall properly.

A lasting, successful hernia repair often is the gateway to increased mobility and a greater quality of life. Learn more about Premier Surgical Associate’s expertise in treating hernias by visiting the Premier Hernia Center website, or request an appointment online.

The post Welcome To the Premier Hernia Center first appeared on Premier Surgical.

Small hernia repairs are common and are usually performed as outpatient surgery. But if a patient has a very large hernia, has had several failed hernia repairs, or has a catastrophic injury to the abdominal wall, the hernia is considered “complex” and advanced hernia repair techniques may be required in order to reconstruct the abdominal wall properly.

Because factors like smoking, obesity, uncontrolled diabetes, poor nutrition and previous wound infections can compromise the success of complex hernia surgery, Premier Surgical Associate’s physicians Dr. Joel “Trey” Bradley and Dr. Kristopher Williams offer a  program to help their patients lower these risk factors before surgery.

In partnership with Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center and Covenant Health, Premier Surgical Associates offers N.E.W. University. This Nutrition, Education, and Wellness program is designed to help complex hernia patients meet their pre-surgery weight, overall health, and nutrition goals in order to be eligible for a complex hernia procedure.

Patients enroll in the  N.E.W. U program for a low monthly fee. They receive:

• Full Access to Fort Sanders’ Five Star Fitness Facility
• (2) Weekly 30-minute Group Trainings with a Certified Personal Trainer
• Initial Fitness Assessment with Follow-Ups as Needed
• Weekly Weigh-Ins with your Trainer
• Monthly Wellness Coaching with a Wellness Coach
• Monthly Body Fat Testing
• Accountability, Camaraderie, and Fun!

Hernia patients enrolled in the N.E.W. U program enjoy the benefits of the state-of-the-art Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center without having to pay the Center’s regular membership fee.  Patients may attend the program for up to six months, but the length of participation may vary depending on the patient’s individual health goals and progress. And, after completion the patient has the option of joining the Center for the same low rate.

Premier Surgical Associates is the largest surgical group in the Knoxville region, providing comprehensive surgical care, with referrals from across the entire East Tennessee Region. To learn more about preparing for complex hernia surgery and N.E.W. U, visit our Premier Hernia Center website at  http://www.premierherniacenter.com.

The post “N.E.W. U” Prepares Patients For Successful Complex Hernia Surgery first appeared on Premier Surgical.