Alimentary Tract and Abdominal Surgery

Thanks to advanced technology, many surgeries, like alimentary tract and abdominal surgery, can now be minimally invasive. Using minimally invasive, or laparoscopic, techniques, surgeons can operate with smaller incisions.

Sometimes, they even use tiny video cameras to help with the procedure. Minimally invasive surgery means that patients have less blood loss, less pain, and smaller scars. There is also a lower risk of infection with these procedures and patients can leave the hospital sooner.

This is a great option for people who require surgery but want to heal quicker and have a less painful experience.

However, it is not right for everyone. The most common types of laparoscopic procedures for GI conditions are:

Adrenalectomy- Removes growths in the adrenal glands.
Appendectomy- removes an infected appendix.
Bariatric surgery- makes the stomach smaller to help with weight loss.
Cholecystectomy- removes the gallbladder. Typically used to treat gallstones.
Colon and Rectal Surgery- treats conditions of the large intestine.
Foregut Surgery- used to treat upper GI tract conditions. Can involve the esophagus, stomach, or upper portion of the small intestines.
Hiatal Hernia Repair- Fixes hiatal hernias and paraesophageal hernias.
Nissen- Treats severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Nephrectomy- Removes a diseased or cancerous kidney.
Pancreatic Surgery-Used to treat several pancreatic conditions.
Retroperitoneum Surgery- treats testicular cancer.
Splenectomy- Removes the spleen.

Open GI Surgical Procedures

While we do perform minimally invasive surgical procedures whenever possible, sometimes a traditional open surgery is required. This can be due to several reasons. Traditional open surgeries include: