DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 70-year-old male with a large inguinal hernia on the right side. I have consulted two different surgeons, and both surgeons recommend taking care of the condition at the earliest convenience. The surgeon who specializes in robotic surgery recommends laparoscopic surgery ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: You recently posted a couple of articles about the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine and the benefits versus the risks. I know the risks are based on data. But I wonder how many people have severe reactions to the vaccine, and it doesn’t get reported because they ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had my first mammogram and was found to have a lesion. The mammographer said that I should follow up in six months with another mammogram and sonogram, but I have a grandmother who died of breast cancer. So, instead of waiting, I underwent a biopsy that showed a ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 50-year-old overweight woman (5 feet, 6 inches tall at 240 pounds). So far, I am not diabetic, but my A1C has been creeping upward. In an effort to control my weight and reap the benefits of fasting, I have been engaging in 36-hour fasts. Although I have lost about 1 ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: What is known about Parsonage-Turner syndrome? One of my brothers has severe shoulder pain. He had an MRI done and was told that it may be Parsonage-Turner syndrome. Can this be related to COVID? He has been recommended to a neurologist, but they probably won’t be able to ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: At age 76, I was diagnosed with sinus node dysfunction last year after several episodes of what I’d call being “spaced out” (for lack of a better term). I couldn’t explain these instances to myself, much less anyone else lest they think I was crazy, until I had one where ...