Dr. Dennis Begos is one of the foremost leading experts in colorectal surgery. He has held numerous hospital training and leadership roles throughout the years.
Dennis Begos
Dr. Dennis Begos was instrumental in bringing the cutting-edge laparoscopic colon cancer procedure into the Boston area. He was the first to perform it in possibly all of Massachusetts, and now it’s the gold standard for minimally invasive colon surgery. Dr. Begos acts as an ambassador and keynote speaker in his specialty and beyond. Here, he sheds light on the importance of summer safety.
Excessive Heat
During the summer months, people are looking forward to family getaways, going to the beach, relaxing poolside, BBQs and attending baseball games, but with all of this activity, staying safe is the key to enjoying the entire summer, injury-free.
Our bodies self-regulate heat by sweating and also through radiating heat back into the atmosphere. When we sweat, we perspire potassium and sodium. Both of these minerals help to control nerve function, water balance, and heart rhythm. Each year during the summer months, more than 8,000 children and teens and over 10,000 adults are admitted to the emergency room due to dehydration.
BBQ
Food safety is key. Don’t leave meat or dairy products out in the heat; even onions can cause food poisoning if left out too long. The grill can be dangerous if the propane pressure is touchy, the flames are too high or too hot, and many people are unaware of the hidden dangers of wire grill brushes.
When you clean the grill with wire brushes, tiny fragments, and small bristles are left behind and commonly get embedded into the burgers, chicken, corn, potatoes, etc. When these bristles are ingested, people don’t usually even notice until it’s too late because they are difficult to feel in the mouth. The wires can lacerate the esophagus, stomach, intestinal tract, and rectum. It’s a much better choice to clean your grill with a nylon bristle brush. Nylon bristles are much less damaging than wire and are easier for the body to get rid of if they are accidentally eaten.
A few years ago, a patient that Dr. Dennis Begos treated made the news. On the fourth of July, a man accidentally ingested wire bristles from a grill brush. After emergency surgery that removed 6 inches of his intestines, the man survived. However, this unfortunate situation could have led to much more severe circumstances with devastating outcomes, even death. Many people each year unknowingly eat these flexible wire bristles, and in some cases, the punctures can be inoperable. Along with life-threatening circumstances, these wire bristles cause extreme pain.
Dr. Dennis Begos says, “The best advice is to enjoy your time with family, relax, but be cautious and proactive about your health during this time of year. The man whose life I saved was very fortunate that his circumstances were not worse. I’ve seen many complications first-hand due to wire grill brushes, and they are perilous to treat surgically.”
