Gastrointestinal Surgery Department - Services and Surgeries

Specially trained gastrointestinal or general surgeons perform gastrointestinal surgery. The GI surgery team consists of board-certified general surgeons with extensive training in treating a wide range of conditions. A significant number of the surgeons have completed fellowship training, which adds another level of proficiency.

A gastroenterologist is a medical doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating digestive system disorders using medications and non-surgical methods, such as endoscopy and colonoscopy.

On the other hand, a GI surgeon performs operations on the digestive system to treat conditions that require surgical intervention, such as removing tumours or repairing damaged organs.

Conditions that require GI surgery are:

• Appendicitis
• Gallstones and gallbladder disorders
• Hernia
• Colorectal cancer
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) resistant to other treatments

Procedures in gastrointestinal (GI) surgery vary depending on the specific condition being treated. The common examples are:

• Appendectomy: Removal of the appendix, usually due to appendicitis.
• Cholecystectomy Removal of the gallbladder, often to treat gallstones.
• Hernia repair: It is the surgical correction of a hernia, a protrusion of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it.
• Bariatric surgery: Various procedures to help with weight loss, such as gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy.
• Bowel resection: Removal of a portion of the small or large intestine, often due to conditions like Crohn's disease or colon cancer.

Recovery time for gastrointestinal surgery varies depending on the procedure and individual factors but generally ranges from a few weeks to several months. For example, hernia repair procedures take six weeks to recover fully.

Minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery is a surgical approach that uses small incisions and specialised tools to perform procedures. It often involves techniques such as laparoscopy or robotic surgery, resulting in shorter hospital stays, faster recovery times, and reduced risk of complications.