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Dr. Leonard Metildi

General Surgery
Las Cruces, NM
47 years experience male

Locations

Vista Surgical Associates

Las Cruces, NM

Address

3900 East Lohman Avenue, Suite B, Las Cruces, NM
Directions

My office hours

Friday: 8:00am - 3:00pm
Show more

Fax

(575) 522-4932

Insurances accepted

Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Tennessee

Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico

Tricare

UnitedHealthcare

Aetna

Cigna

Medicaid

Medicare

Presbyterian Health Plan

About

Bio

General surgery internship/residency at Balboa Naval Hospital, San Diego. Surgeon aboard the USS Constellation, CV64. 25 years solo practice in Fulton/Syracuse NY. Performing general surgery with the DaVinci Robot.

Specialties
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.

General Surgery

Licenses

United States: New Mexico

Languages spoken

English

Doctor Q&A

124 Answers
0 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 72-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Similar symptoms: Both ibs and gall stones can cause nausea, bloating and abdominal pain. Both are associated with symptoms shortly after eating. Diarrhea is not usual... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
No: Though they are in the same general area of the abdomen, kidney disease in and of itself does not affect the gall bladder. Kidney stones and gall ston... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Yes: You can develop a direct hernia from coughing, a tear in the fibrous floor of the inguinal canal, or enlarge an indirect hernia, a hernia present sinc... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 59-year-old male asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Surgery: Once hemorrhoids are formed, only a surgical procedure can remove them. However, most hemorrhoid symptoms can be controlled by taking a fiber suppleme... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 40-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Not exactly: Patients can have pain similar to biliary colic after cholecystectomy, not due to contraction of the gall bladder against resistance, but due to such ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 16-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Fiber supplement: The reason you have hemorrhoids is the pressures in the anorectal canal are too high. Fiber reduces the pressure by adding bulk to the stool and regul... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Fiber supplement: It depends on the extent of your hemorrhoids which surgical treatment is best. However, most symptoms can be controlled by taking fiber supplements s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 29-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Yes: A true boil, or skin abscess, should not be "popped" but rather opened completely along its long axis. Afterwards, twice daily dressing changes are ne... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 31-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Possibly: These symptoms can be due to a number of anal conditions and irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease. A flexible sigmoidoscopy is neces... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
No: A spleen will not regenerate in the normal anatomical position after splenectomy. However, if the capsule of the spleen is disrupted during removal, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 31-year-old male asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Cappillary rupture: Varicose veins cause back pressure on the blood vessels leading to capillary rupture and subsequent discoloration.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 40-year-old male asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Gall Bladder: It could be due to the gall bladder, especially if it occurs after eating and/or with fried/fatty foods. Some associated symptoms are bloating, nausea... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Yes: When laying on your back, a stone can roll into the infundibulum of the gallbladder and obstruct the cystic duct, the duct the gallbladder empties th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
2 to 6 weeks: It depends on how the appendix was removed. If done laparoscopically, i let patients resume normal activities at two weeks. If done open through a mus... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 64-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Possibly: It is difficult to say that abdominal pain is from adhesions, since anyone that has had surgery will likely form adhesions and most people do not have... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Possibly: If you have gerd with a sliding type hh, esophageal spasm can cause chest pain very similar to cardiac pain. A para esophageal hernia can also cause r... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Unlikely: Cholesterol gall stones form when something upsets the balance among the three components of bile: bile salts, a phospholipid called lisolethicin and ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Yes: The three main complications from gall bladder disease are: acute cholecystitis, pancreatitis and obstructive jaundice. These conditions can lead to s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
They may: It is not unusual for patients to have slight elevations in their liver enzymes with gall stones. This is probably caused by sub clinical inflammation... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 26-year-old male asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
None: If the polyp is 1 cm or larger, the gall bladder should be removed. If it is smaller than 1 cm and you do not have symptoms suggestive of gb disease,... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Incisional complicat: I assume you had a laparoscopic appendectomy and a llq trocar site. If so, then you may have an intramuscular hematoma. You need to see your surgeon.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Possibly: What type of hernia? Hiatal, incisional or inguinal. If the hernia bulges out while running and causes pain, this could cause a feeling of shortness o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Proud ridge: Shortly after surgery, scar tissue forms wherever a dissection occurred. In the early stages, the collagen laid down is unorganized and contains fluid... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Many possibilities: Common causes of epigastric pain include: gastritis, ulcer disease, gerd, and pancreatitis. You need to see your physician for evaluation.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Maybe: If you are describing a general bulge in the midline above the umbilicus, it is a diastasis recti, and not a hernia. A bulge in the umbilicus or groin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Candida infection: You may have a fungal vaginal infection and should see your gynecologist. Stop scratching.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 34-year-old male asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Yes: A hernia may be small so that no bulge is seen or felt, but there is pain. An us or ct can reveal if there is a hernia or not.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
See a surgeon: What needs to be done depends on how severe your reflux symptoms are and whether or not, you have been under treatment. Symptomatic gall stones requir... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 44-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Severe pain N&V: A strangulated parastomal hernia would mean that small bowel was trapped in the hernia and had lost its blood supply. This causes severe pain, n@v and... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Not really: Though rubbing the abdominal wall can be soothing, it does not effect the underlying cause of your abdominal distress. It would take a visit to your ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
No: Gallbladder disease causes the opposite by interfering with eating. Patients with gallbladder disease and pain with eating, usually eat less and if an... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Not uncommon: You are describing what we call shotty nodes, a result of a viral infection or oropharyngeal infection. If they stay smaller than 1 cm, they can be... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
It can: Any food can cause an attack in patients with gallbladder disease. Usually, patients report that fried or fatty foods cause the most symptoms. Are you... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Robinul (glycopyrrolate): I often prescribe Robinul (glycopyrrolate) for patients with biliary colic while awaiting cholecystectomy. 1 mg a half hour before eating and at bedti... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
A bulge: Umbilical hernias present as a protrusion in the belly button, with or without pain. If you have an "outie" try gently pushing on it. If it disappear... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 49-year-old female asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Imaging studies: The easiest way to determine the extent of as cites is to perform an abdominal ultrasound.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Disordered growth: Benign tumors grow locally and do not spread. Under the microscope, the cells look like the gland they are from and they are not invading. Cancer cell... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old male asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Depends: What type of hernia? Do the contents protrude with light activity and are there any associated symptoms. If so, then any exertional activity, includin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Deeper than wide: Breast cancers on us usually have the appearance of being deeper than wide, are hypoechoic, indicating they are solid, and frequently have irregular b... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Can be very: I assume you mean that your bilirubin is elevated on a blood test. If this is so, it could be due to a common duct stone obstructing the main bile duc... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 57-year-old male asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
2 to 3 weeks.: Assuming it was done laparoscopically, two to three weeks should suffice. It is not unusual to have fatigue for two weeks. No need to take bile salts.... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Bleeding: You can experience excessive bleeding from hemorrhoids if you are a hemophiliac. You need to increase your dietary fiber. Metamucil or an equivalent i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
See a surgeon: I believe you mean cholecystectomy for the treatment of gall stones that are symptomatic. Removing the stone surgically is not done. It is ineffective... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Yes: Hemorrhoids are caused by high pressure in the anorectal canal during defecation. A high fiber diet or taking fiber such as metamucil can prevent them... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Go to the ER: A rigid and severely painful abdomen suggests a surgical condition exists and if not treated emergently can result in death.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Yes: This was a more common occurrence before modern tangential fields that avoid the lung. However, if the lung receives significant radiation, then pulmo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Polyps are growths: Hemorrhoids are enlarged veins around the anus. Polyps are growths that originate in the inner lining of the colon - the mucosa.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Not really: A sliding type hiatal hernia is associated with reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus. The acid causes burning sensation described as "heart... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Yes,: Post cholecystectomy syndrome can be caused by retained common duct stone, cystic duct syndrome, formation of a neuroma or sphincter of odi spasm. You... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 72-year-old male asked:
Dr. Leonard Metildi
General Surgery 47 years experience
Anemia, hypothyroid: Common causes of such symptoms in a previously healthy individual are the development of an under active thyroid or the development of anemia, either ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Testimonials
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.

2
Recommendations
151
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Metildi is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Metildi is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! You are right, an ultrasound showed a gallbladder full of stones. Thank you again
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! I see my surgeon tomorrow. Hopefully he'll give a glint of hope.
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! thanks nothing from.colonoscopy. and if its the other is.it serious

Education & Training

Medical/Graduate school

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, NY
Graduated 1976MD

Residency

Naval Regional Medical Center, San Diego

Awards

Top Doctor, Second Place, New Mexico - Summer
2013
Top General Surgeon , First Place, New Mexico - Summer
2013
HealthTap Founding Doctor

Affiliations

American College of Surgeons
Ameican Society of Beast Surgeons
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