Abdominal Surgery Specialist

What Is Abdominal Surgery?

Abdominal surgery is a general term for any surgery that is performed on or around the abdominal organs, such as the intestines, stomach, liver or pancreas. Doctors can choose to perform open abdominal surgeries or laparoscopic abdominal surgeries, depending on your condition. An open surgery requires a bigger incision as well as sutures, while a laparoscopic surgery only uses a tiny incision and has a shorter recovery time.

What Are Some Reasons That Abdominal Surgery Is Necessary?

Abdominal surgery may be required for a number of reasons. Patients with an inguinal hernia will need surgery to repair the abdominal wall and put the intestine back into place with a mesh screen. Patients who have appendicitis may need their organ removed, a procedure called an appendectomy. Inflammatory bowel disease is another condition that can be treated with the removal of parts of the intestine.

In some cases, doctors may not have been able to identify your problem through X-rays or a CT scan. In this case, they might choose to do an abdominal exploration. This technique can be used to diagnose gallstones, endometriosis, certain types of cancers, pancreatitis, liver problems or even an ectopic pregnancy.

What Happens After Abdominal Surgery?

You might feel weak for several weeks after your surgery, depending on how serious it was. Additionally, you might experience some pain at the incision site. This pain should decrease over a few days as your wound begins to heal inside and out. With laparoscopic surgery, many patients can go back to work or school the very next day. However, with an open surgery, you will probably need to stay in the hospital to make sure there are no complications. During this time, you will be closely monitored, receive pain medication to keep you comfortable, and have a restricted diet to give your body a chance to rest.