Advanced Anorectal Disorders Treatment in Fort Lauderdale & South Florida
Dr. Astha Bhatt, MD, FACS, is a Board-Certified General Surgeon and fellowship-trained minimally invasive and robotic colon and rectal surgeon providing personalized care for anorectal conditions throughout Broward County and South Florida. Whether you are dealing with painful hemorrhoids, fistulas, fissures, or severe rectal prolapse, you deserve a precise diagnosis and effective relief. Dr. Bhatt is recognized as a leading proctologist in Fort Lauderdale, utilizing robotic, laparoscopic, and advanced surgical approaches to restore your comfort and digestive health. She serves appropriate patients throughout Broward County and South Florida. Dr. Bhatt provides:
Anorectal Evaluation — Book Appointment
Same-week consultation. Complete the form or call our South Florida office at (954) 388-0860
UNDERSTANDING ANORECTAL SYMPTOMS & WHEN TO SEEK CARE
Symptoms like chronic pelvic pain, painful bowel movements, or noticing blood in your stool can be alarming. When you need a reliable rectal bleeding doctor near me, a specialized consultation is the critical next step. Led by Dr. Astha Bhatt, MD, our practice provides physician-led care aligned with the clinical standards of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS).
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Rectal Bleeding: Bright-red bleeding may occur with hemorrhoids or fissures, but persistent or unexplained bleeding deserves medical evaluation to determine its source.
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Surgical Safety & Comfort: We thoroughly evaluate your overall health to ensure absolute safety and minimal discomfort during anorectal procedures.
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Symptom Severity: Identifying the exact source of pain, swelling, or bleeding to determine if conservative medical management or surgery is required.
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Prolapse or Bowel-Control Problems Tissue protruding from the anus, difficulty controlling stool or gas, incomplete evacuation, or significant pelvic-floor symptoms may require specialized colorectal evaluation.
For specialized care, Dr. Bhatt prioritizes safety, offering minimally invasive techniques to help patients return to their daily lives fast. We proudly serve Broward County and the surrounding communities with dedicated, evidence-based care.
Anorectal Evaluation — Book Appointment
Same-week consultation. Complete the form or call our South Florida office at (954) 388-0860
Depending on your specific diagnosis, Dr. Bhatt performs highly targeted procedures to resolve anorectal discomfort while preserving natural bowel function. As a fellowship-trained expert in Anorectal surgery South Florida, Dr. Bhatt tailors each procedure to your exact anatomy and lifestyle goals.
Dr. Bhatt is internationally recognized for performing the Altemeier procedure, a specialized perineal approach to repairing rectal prolapse. This surgery removes the prolapsed portion of the rectum directly through the anus, avoiding abdominal incisions entirely.
Best For: Patients who may not safely tolerate traditional abdominal or robotic surgery.
Evaluation may require specialized testing in addition to the examination. Treatment is individualized and may include bowel-management strategies, pelvic-floor therapy, anorectal testing, or surgery.
Best For Evaluation: Rectal tissue protrusion, bowel-control problems, mucus drainage, incomplete evacuation, or significant pelvic-floor symptoms.
Dr. Bhatt utilizes state-of-the-art protocols to treat severe, recurring hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and anal fistulas. As an experienced minimally invasive surgeon, she focuses on removing diseased tissue while meticulously employing sphincter-sparing techniques to preserve bowel continence and digestive continuity.
Best For: Chronic anal fistulas, Grade 3 or 4 hemorrhoids, and painful chronic anal fissures.
Dr. Bhatt takes meticulous care during every anorectal reconstruction to ensure tension-free healing. This careful attention minimizes postoperative pain, which is one of the most critical aspects of surgical safety in proctology.
Patients seeking care for sensitive anorectal conditions deserve clear clinical explanations, individualized planning, and direct communication with their physician. Backed by hundreds of verified patient reviews, Dr. Bhatt (Board Certified General Surgeon & Fellowship Trained in Advanced Colon and Rectal Surgery) is a trusted local choice for advanced anorectal and colorectal care.
Dr. Bhatt’s approach emphasizes privacy, direct physician communication, individualized treatment, and appropriate follow-up.
ANORECTAL DISORDERS PATIENT GUIDE
Learn what to expect during a medical evaluation for anorectal diseases, how treatments are planned, and when surgical intervention may be considered—directly from Dr. Astha Bhatt, MD, a fellowship-trained expert. If you find yourself searching for a rectal specialist near me, this video will help you understand your options.
Educational video: Dr. Bhatt Explains Anorectal Surgery Options
In this patient education video, Dr. Bhatt shares clinical insights from over 15 years of medical experience. Dr. Bhatt provides physician-led evaluation for patients dealing with severe hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, and undiagnosed rectal bleeding.
If you have been diagnosed with an anorectal disorder, or are experiencing painful symptoms, Dr. Bhatt can review your records, explain your surgical options, and help plan the safest next step.
Meet Dr. Astha Bhatt, MD
Anorectal Surgery Specialist
Patients looking for an anorectal specialist in Fort Lauderdale or Broward County benefit from seeing a physician experienced in both nonsurgical management and operative treatment of colon, rectal, and anal disorders.
As a board-certified general surgeon and fellowship-trained colon and rectal surgery specialist, Dr. Bhatt is committed to delivering state-of-the-art care tailored to the unique health goals of each patient.
Dr. Bhatt personally guides each patient’s evaluation, treatment planning, procedure or surgery when needed, and postoperative follow-up. Her goal is to use the least invasive treatment that safely and appropriately addresses the diagnosed condition.
Fellowship-Trained in Robotic Colorectal Surgery
Fellowship-Trained: Dr. Bhatt completed The Fellowship Council-accredited program at AdventHealth Tampa, Specialized in advanced, minimally invasive robotic colon and rectal treatments.
Physician-Led Care
Physician-Led Care: Dr. Bhatt personally directs every step of your care for a faster bowel recovery and shorter hospital stay.
Rectal bleeding or blood with bowel movements
Chronic pelvic or anal pain
Recurrent drainage or pus
Difficulty controlling stool or gas
Dr. Astha Bhatt, MD provides experienced, physician-led consultations for colon and rectal conditions. She welcomes patients across Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties for in-person or telehealth appointments, second opinions, and advanced surgical planning. With multiple offices—including a head office in Pompano Beach and other satellite locations to see patients in Fort Lauderdale, Margate, Coral Springs, Davie, and Plantation—expert care is always nearby.
Serving Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, Oakland Park, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, and Lazy Lake.
Serving patients in Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Lighthouse Point, Coconut Creek, and Parkland.
Providing advanced proctology care for patients residing in Coral Springs, Margate, North Lauderdale, Tamarac, Sunrise, and Weston.
Assisting Davie, Plantation, Cooper City, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, West Park, Pembroke Park, Hallandale Beach, Dania Beach, and Hollywood.
Patients traveling from Boca Raton and nearby Palm Beach County communities can request anorectal evaluation, second opinions, and surgical planning.
Delivering safe, physician-guided care for patients visiting our practice from Miami and surrounding communities.
Our clinic and Dr. Bhatt provide specialized colorectal care across Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties.
The goal of anorectal treatment is not simply to perform a procedure. The first step is determining which condition is causing the symptoms and which treatment provides an appropriate balance of effectiveness, safety, comfort, and preservation of bowel function.
As a specialist in Minimally invasive anorectal surgery Broward, Dr. Astha Bhatt utilizes the Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System for complex pelvic floor disorders like rectal prolapse.
Many anorectal disorders can be managed without major surgery.
PATIENT QUESTIONS
Anorectal disorders are conditions that affect the anus, anal canal, rectum, anal sphincter muscles, pelvic floor, or surrounding tissues. These conditions range from common problems such as hemorrhoids and anal fissures to more complex disorders including anal fistulas, anorectal abscesses, rectal prolapse, fecal incontinence, and pelvic-floor dysfunction.
Symptoms may include rectal bleeding, anal pain, itching, swelling, drainage, a lump near the anus, prolapse, constipation, difficulty passing stool, or problems controlling bowel movements. Because many anorectal conditions cause similar symptoms, the underlying diagnosis cannot always be determined from symptoms alone.
An evaluation by an experienced colorectal surgeon or anorectal specialist may include a focused examination and, when appropriate, anoscopy or additional testing to identify the cause and select the most effective treatment.
Patients searching for anorectal disorder treatment in Broward County or South Florida can seek specialized evaluation for persistent or recurrent symptoms, particularly rectal bleeding, significant pain, drainage, prolapse, or changes in bowel function.
A colon and rectal surgeon evaluates medical and surgical conditions affecting the colon, rectum, anus, and pelvic floor. Patients sometimes search online for a proctologist near me or proctologist in Fort Lauderdale; today, the specialty is commonly referred to as colon and rectal surgery or colorectal surgery.
Dr. Astha Bhatt is a Board-Certified General Surgeon with advanced fellowship training in minimally invasive and robotic colon and rectal surgery and provides anorectal evaluation throughout Broward County and South Florida.
You should consider an evaluation by an anorectal specialist or colorectal surgeon if you have persistent rectal bleeding, anal pain, itching, swelling, a lump near the anus, drainage, painful bowel movements, tissue protruding from the anus, difficulty emptying your bowels, or trouble controlling stool or gas.
Many anorectal disorders cause similar symptoms, so determining the exact diagnosis is important before starting treatment. Hemorrhoids, anal fissures, fistulas, abscesses, rectal prolapse, pelvic-floor disorders, and other conditions may initially feel very similar.
Dr. Astha Bhatt evaluates patients with these symptoms throughout Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Plantation, Davie, Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach, and Broward County.
A proctologist, now more commonly called a colorectal surgeon, is a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions affecting the colon, rectum, anus, and pelvic floor. Colorectal surgeons manage both common anorectal problems and more complex colorectal diseases using medical, office-based, minimally invasive, and surgical treatments when appropriate.
If you are searching for a proctologist near me or an anorectal specialist in South Florida, Dr. Astha Bhatt evaluates and treats conditions such as hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal fistulas, anorectal abscesses, rectal prolapse, fecal incontinence, pilonidal disease, constipation-related pelvic floor disorders, colon polyps, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer.
Patients from Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Plantation, Davie, Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach, Weston, Boca Raton, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and surrounding South Florida communities can seek specialized colorectal evaluation based on their symptoms and diagnosis.
An anal abscess can require urgent medical attention, particularly when there is rapidly increasing anal or rectal pain, significant swelling, fever, chills, spreading redness, or difficulty urinating.
An abscess is a collection of infected material and usually requires drainage rather than antibiotics alone.
An anal fistula is an abnormal tunnel that may develop between the anal canal and the skin, often following an abscess. Patients may notice repeated episodes of swelling followed by drainage of pus or blood from an opening near the anus.
Simple fistulas may be diagnosed clinically, while recurrent or complex fistulas sometimes require pelvic MRI or other imaging to define the tract and its relationship to the anal sphincter muscles before treatment is planned.
New, unexplained, persistent, or recurrent rectal bleeding should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Although bright-red blood on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl is commonly associated with hemorrhoids or anal fissures, rectal bleeding should not automatically be attributed to hemorrhoids without considering other possible causes.
Bleeding from the rectum can also occur with inflammatory bowel disease, diverticular disease, colorectal polyps, inflammation of the colon or rectum, and colorectal cancer. The cause depends on factors such as your age, medical and family history, bowel habits, medications, associated pain, and whether the blood is bright red, dark, or mixed with the stool.
A colorectal surgeon or rectal bleeding specialist may perform a focused anorectal examination, digital rectal examination, or anoscopy. Depending on your symptoms, age, colorectal cancer screening history, and risk factors, additional evaluation such as a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy may be recommended.
Seek urgent medical care for heavy or continuous bleeding, black or tarry stools, dizziness, fainting, weakness, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, or significant abdominal pain.
Patients searching for a rectal bleeding doctor, proctologist, or colorectal surgeon in Broward County and South Florida can seek specialized evaluation for rectal bleeding in Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Plantation, Davie, Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach, Weston, and surrounding communities.
Dr. Astha Bhatt provides specialized anorectal care in Broward County with a focus on accurate diagnosis, individualized treatment, and continuity of care. As a board-certified general surgeon and fellowship-trained colorectal specialist, she evaluates and treats common and complex anorectal conditions, including hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal fistulas, anorectal abscesses, rectal prolapse, fecal incontinence, and pelvic-floor disorders.
Dr. Bhatt has treated more than 8,000 patients and performed over 2,000 surgical procedures, providing extensive experience in both office-based and surgical management. When appropriate, treatment may include conservative therapy, minimally invasive procedures, or surgery tailored to the patient’s diagnosis, anatomy, symptoms, and functional goals.
Patients also benefit from physician-directed care from the initial consultation through treatment and follow-up, allowing Dr. Bhatt to remain closely involved throughout the course of care.
For patients searching for an anorectal specialist, proctologist, or colorectal surgeon in Broward County, Dr. Bhatt serves patients from Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Plantation, Davie, Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach, Weston, Parkland, Lighthouse Point, and surrounding South Florida communities.
No. Many anorectal disorders can be treated without major surgery.
Initial treatment may include increasing dietary fiber, improving stool consistency, avoiding excessive straining, medications, topical therapy, warm sitz baths, bowel-management strategies, or pelvic-floor therapy.
Certain internal hemorrhoids can be treated with office procedures such as rubber-band ligation. Many acute anal fissures improve with stool regulation and medical therapy.
Surgery may be recommended when symptoms are severe, persistent, recurrent, or caused by conditions unlikely to resolve without an operation, such as certain anal fistulas, abscesses, advanced hemorrhoids, chronic fissures, or rectal prolapse.
The goal is to use the least invasive treatment that safely and effectively addresses the diagnosed condition.
Still Have Questions About Anorectal Treatments? Call (954) 388-0860.
UNDERSTANDING ANORECTAL DISEASE & WHEN SURGERY IS NECESSARY
Successful treatment begins by identifying the true cause of symptoms. Rectal bleeding does not always mean hemorrhoids, anal pain does not always mean a fissure, and drainage may come from an abscess or fistula. Because several anorectal conditions can cause similar symptoms, an accurate diagnosis is essential before treatment begins.
Dr. Astha Bhatt uses a stepwise, patient-focused evaluation to determine the diagnosis and recommend the least invasive effective treatment. Testing is selected only when clinically appropriate, based on your symptoms, examination findings, medical history, and previous treatment.
Evaluation and treatment generally follow four steps:
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Step 1 — Understand Your Symptoms Dr. Bhatt reviews bleeding, pain, swelling, itching, drainage, prolapse, bowel habits, constipation, straining, continence, prior procedures, previous colonoscopy or imaging, medications, and relevant medical history.
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Step 2 — Focused Anorectal Examination Evaluation may include visual inspection, digital rectal examination, and anoscopy to identify hemorrhoids, fissures, abscesses, prolapse, external lesions, or other anal-canal abnormalities.
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Step 3 — Additional Testing When Needed Selected patients may require colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, pelvic MRI, anorectal manometry, balloon-expulsion testing, defecography, or other pelvic-floor testing. These studies are recommended according to the clinical question rather than routinely for every patient.
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Step 4 — Personalized Treatment Care may include fiber, medication, pelvic-floor therapy, hemorrhoid banding, or surgery such as hemorrhoidectomy, fissure surgery, abscess drainage, fistulotomy, seton placement, LIFT, advancement flap, or rectal prolapse repair.
We compile your diagnostic and clinical preparation to ensure a highly focused and productive first visit with our expert proctologist.
Dr. Bhatt coordinates seamlessly with your primary care doctor and gastroenterologist to align your specialized medical treatment.
Dr. Bhatt personally evaluates your diagnosis and discusses appropriate options, including conservative treatment, office procedures, surgery, or additional testing when needed.
Same-week visits may be available for patients with significant anorectal symptoms. Patients with severe or emergency symptoms should seek urgent medical evaluation when appropriate.
Many commercial insurance plans, Medicare, Medicaid, and self-pay arrangements may be accepted. Coverage and network participation vary by individual insurance plan, physician service, facility, and procedure. Call our office at (954) 388-0860 or book online to verify your benefits and schedule a appointment.
