Mega Doctor News
With a specialized knowledge of the entire surgical process, general surgeons can treat a wide variety of conditions through a range of procedures. From a patient’s initial evaluation to the required procedure and post-operative management, general surgeons are trained to diagnose, treat and manage a broad array of medical conditions.
From the digestive tract to the skin and soft tissues, as well as the management and treatment of traumatic injuries, general surgeons can address conditions affecting almost any area of the body through their vast knowledge of various diseases and conditions and their understanding of all basic areas of surgery.
With timely, careful and tactful surgeries, general surgeons can deliver results electively and in emergency cases. Because of their extensive training in the nine principal components of general surgery, these physicians hold an integral role within a healthcare system and in a patient’s healthcare journey.
With rigorous training in common conditions like diverticulitis, appendicitis, gallbladder disease and others, South Texas Health System is proud to welcome Krystha Cantu, MD, a general surgeon who has joined the team of physicians and specialists with STHS Clinics.
Unlike physicians who focus on a specific system or body part, Dr. Cantu’s wide-ranging training gives her the ability to care for the whole body and the capability of performing complex and precise surgeries to repair damaged or impaired areas of the body.
“General surgery is a very broad specialty, and it can be challenging because we’re tasked with understanding how the entire human body works,” says Dr. Cantu. “Through our knowledge of the complexities of the body, we’re able to treat a whole spectrum of illnesses and conditions that vary from painful hernias to a variety of ailments, wounds and overall trauma to the body.”
A Rio Grande Valley native, Dr. Cantu majored in pre-medicine studies at Rice University in Houston after graduating as the valedictorian at the Oratory Academy, now Vanguard Academy, in Pharr. After completing her undergraduate studies, she attended Texas A&M College of Medicine as a full merit scholar before completing a surgical internship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Following that apprenticeship, Dr. Cantu completed her surgical residency at Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas.
While she can treat a variety of conditions, Dr. Cantu specializes in gastrointestinal conditions, which are common in the Rio Grande Valley.
“Conditions like diverticulitis, cholecystitis and other gastrointestinal diseases can be painful and reduce a person’s quality of life,” says Dr. Cantu. “While these conditions can be managed in a hospital setting and with medication, as well as a change in diet, gastrointestinal conditions can be severe and require surgery, especially if not treated early on.”
Classified as a medically underserved area, about 40% of the Rio Grande Valley’s population lacks health insurance coverage, per the National Center for Biotechnology Information, making treatment and management of various conditions and basic healthcare hard to access.
That lack of access to care and her desire to make a difference is what Dr. Cantu says brought her back to the Valley to serve her community.
“As a locum tenens physician last year, I had the opportunity to practice in the Valley,” she says. “During that time, I noticed an increase in the prevalence of several conditions like gallbladder disease and diverticulitis increase. Finding it alarming, I knew that I could come home on a more permanent basis and serve my community, that’s what motivated me to accept this position.”
Dr. Cantu is excited to serve in the community that helped mold and shape her into the person she is today, and she feels immense pride in getting to give back to community that helped raise her.
“It’s a full circle moment for me to come home and serve. It’s so gratifying to provide a service to the Rio Grande Valley that can effect positive change. I get to contribute to my community by helping patients and keep them healthy,” says Dr. Cantu, who takes pride her ability to speak English and Spanish to help break down any language barriers to medical care. “Sometimes a patient will hold out on seeking care because of a language barrier, but being fully bilingual allows me to communicate effectively and eliminate that barrier, thus allowing me to help more people.”
Dr. Cantu will practice in the STHS Clinics Acute Care, Trauma Surgery & General Surgery Clinic located next door to STHS McAllen. The address 801 South 5th Street, Suite 209, McAllen. For more information or to make an appointment, call (956) 631-0393 or visit doctors.sthsclinics.com.
