Gastrointestinal Surgery

What health conditions does gastrointestinal surgery treat?

Your gastrointestinal (GI) tract begins at your mouth and continues through your esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and rectum. Your liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and appendix are also part of your GI system.

Any health condition that occurs within your GI system may ultimately require gastrointestinal surgery. However, a few of the most common GI conditions treated with surgery include:

• Hernias
• Gallstones
• Diverticulitis
• Gastric ulcers
• Bowel obstruction
• Benign tumors
• Pancreatitis
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease
• Cancer in any part of the GI system
• Inflammatory diseases and infections (e.g., pancreatitis, appendicitis)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)

GI cancers commonly develop in the esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, and colon.

What types of gastrointestinal surgeries do general surgeons perform?

These are a few examples of the gastrointestinal surgeries performed by Dr. Paul:

• Appendectomy
• Colon resection
• Colonoscopy
• Cholecystectomy
• Gallbladder removal
• Hernia repair
• Anti-reflux surgery
• Splenectomy
• Liver resection
• Pancreaticoduodenectomy
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Many specialized surgeries exist for the wide range of health problems that can develop in your gastrointestinal system. Dr. Paul has vast experience in all types of procedures, from repairing damaged organs to performing biopsies and removing cancer and diseased organs.

Is minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery an option?

Dr. Paul performs most gastrointestinal surgeries using minimally invasive procedures, but sometimes open surgery is the best choice. Scar tissue inside your abdomen may prevent him from inserting the instruments used for minimally invasive surgery.

Emergency conditions such as a ruptured appendix or an abdominal infection often demand open surgery. Additionally, some health conditions may prevent minimally invasive surgery.

When performing a minimally invasive procedure, Dr. Paul uses specialized equipment such as an endoscope or laparoscope. Both scopes are narrow and equipped with a camera and lighting.

Endoscopic surgery doesn’t require an incision because Dr. Paul inserts the scope through your mouth or nose. Then he inserts surgical tools through the scope.

For laparoscopic surgery, Dr. Paul makes several small incisions in your abdomen. The scope goes through one incision, while he inserts the instruments needed to perform your procedure through narrow tubes placed in the other incisions.

Minimally invasive surgery causes less trauma, which means you experience less bleeding and postoperative pain, and your recovery is faster.

If you have questions about gastrointestinal surgery, call Derek K. Paul MD, FACS, or book an appointment online.