Dr. Trent L. Hovenga MD

What is a Hernia?A hernia is a medical condition that results from tissue or organs protruding through the abdominal walls. This protrusion is due to a weakness or hole in a muscle. The condition might start without any symptoms, but can lead to serious problems like death if left unattended. Hernia...

The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ located between the liver and small intestine. Even though it plays a big role in digestion, a person can live a normal life without it. This means that the gallbladder can be discarded without necessarily affecting the functionality of other organs. If...

Spinal stenosis is a condition where two spinal vertebrae separated by an intervertebral disc come closer as the disc wears off due to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or trauma. When this happens, the spinal nerve that runs between them becomes compressed causing pain to the individual. The...

What is appendicitis?Appendicitis is one of the most common causes of abdominal pain not only in the United States but in the whole world. It is said that in America alone, 5 percent of the population have experienced appendicitis at one point in their lives. In England, 1 in every 13 people had...

Feeling pain and swelling in the groin region can be a very unpleasant experience, especially when the pain gets worse when you cough or lift heavy objects. Experiencing these symptoms might signify the presence of groin hernia. A groin hernia is usually referred to in medical terms as an inguinal...

Hydrocephalus is a condition where there is too much cerebrospinal fluid in the head. It comes from the Greek words “hydro”, which means water, and “cephalus”, which means head. It is a component of several congenital health problems, but may be caused by head injuries, too. In some cases,...