Caitlin Whyte (Host): One on One with Regional One Health is your inside look at how we're building healthier tomorrows for our patients and our community. Join us as we get to know some of the individuals who help provide life-saving, life-changing care for our community.

Today, we're getting acquainted with Dr. Richard Johnson, a General Surgeon with Regional One Health. Well, Doctor, it's great to have you on the show today. To start us off, can you tell us a bit about your background and why you decided to pursue a career in Medicine, specifically as a surgeon?

Richard Johnson, DO: IYeah, so I grew up in Wisconsin. A lot of people in my family are in medicine. My dad's a physician. He's a pulmonologist. So, I kind of always looked up to a lot of doctors and nurses in my family. By no means was I pressured to go into it, but it was still something that I always liked doing. I was very supported in my goals of becoming a physician. I decided to go into a more procedural-based field, just because of how my mind works and my thought process of being able to be a visual learner, trying to take things apart, put them back together. And I thought it really fit well with surgery.

Host: I love that. That makes a lot of sense. So, as a general surgeon, what procedures do you typically perform and what types of conditions do you treat?

Richard Johnson, DO: I like to tell people technically the skin and its contents, but the real answer is mostly things in the belly. So, it tends to be hernias, usually at your belly button or in the groin, but pretty much anywhere along your abdominal wall, and then infections in the abdomen are another common thing, so anything with your gallbladder, appendix, and colon.

Host: Well, you know, many patients have fear when it comes to hearing they need surgery. So, how do you approach patients to make the process as easy and comfortable as possible for them?

Richard Johnson, DO: For one thing, I try to tell patients that, you know, being a little bit nervous about surgery is very normal and I get nervous when somebody doesn't have some apprehension about surgery. Because no matter what type of surgery you're having, it's still a big deal. It is something that we do every day at the hospital. But ideally, for most people, it only happens to them once or never in their life. So, it's always a big deal. I work hard on trying to be able to explain all the options for patients, whether that's an open surgery, a robotic surgery, or no surgery, and sort of give them the risks and benefits with every choice they could take, and then let them kind of decide on what they think is the best option for them.

Host: Gotcha. Well, on that note about having options, can you talk to us about the differences between minimally invasive and more traditional surgical approaches and how you decide which approach to use and what patients can expect in terms of outcomes and recovery between the two?

Richard Johnson, DO: Yeah. So, minimally invasive surgeries tend to be either robotic or laparoscopic as far as general surgery procedures. And the basic difference is the size of the incision and the amount of incisions. So, as an example, a gallbladder surgery that would be done open kind of follows along the whole side area of your ribs on the right side. So, it can be almost a foot long and you have to cut all the way through all those muscles. But, if you did it laparoscopic or robotic, which is minimally invasive, you end up with usually four incisions that are all less than an inch in size. So, on the inside, the operation's the same, but the amount of trauma to your abdominal wall ends up being a lot less with the minimally invasive approach.

Host: Gotcha. And wrapping up here, doctor, how about your life outside of work? What are some things that you enjoy doing during your free time?

Richard Johnson, DO: Oh, so that is kind of nice being out of training for a few years now I've started to pick up hobbies again. I have slowly gotten back into golfing. I'm not good at it, so it sometimes is frustrating. My wife is a big fan of gardening, so it makes for good to be outside, and we can grow a lot more stuff here than I could back up north, so that's nice. And then, I have a dog who is, I'd have to say, in the best of times spoiled, so that tends to take up most of my time.

Host: I'm sure many of our pet owners can agree. Well, Doctor, thank you so much for being on the show and for sharing a bit about yourself. We appreciate it.

Richard Johnson, DO: You're welcome.

Host: And thank you for making One on One with Regional One Health part of your journey to better health. You can always learn more at regionalonehealth.org and for appointments for a consultation. Call 901-545-7100. That's 901-545-7100. Join us next time as we introduce you to another member of the Regional One Health family.