Abdominal Surgery
Colorectal Surgery located in San Antonio, TX
Abdominal surgery can involve your intestines, gallbladder, liver, and other major organs. If you need gastrointestinal surgery, visit experienced colorectal surgeon Tamara Merchant-McCambry, MD, at Lone Star Colon & Rectal Surgery and Clinical Services of San Antonio. Dr. Merchant-McCambry has considerable skill in open surgical techniques as well as minimally invasive surgery. Call the office in San Antonio, Texas, or book an appointment today for advice on undergoing abdominal surgery.
Abdominal surgery involves the organs in your abdomen, the area between your ribs and pelvis. These include the:
Most conditions affecting the abdominal organs are treatable with medication and/or dietary changes. But if your symptoms don’t improve or you have a condition medication can’t treat, Dr. Merchant-McCambry could recommend surgery.
Some abdominal conditions require urgent surgery to prevent life-threatening complications. Appendicitis is a typical example. A diseased appendix can burst, causing widespread infection. Removing the appendix is a straightforward procedure that cures the problem. Intestinal blockages caused by a strangulated hernia also need immediate abdominal surgery.
Surgery is often the best treatment if you develop cancer in the abdominal organs. Removing the growths at an early stage before cancer cells spread will significantly increase your chances of survival.
Chronic conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel disease) sometimes require abdominal surgery. Medication can control many patients’ symptoms, but some continue to experience severe pain. Removing the affected section of the colon and/or rectum might be necessary.
Other abdominal surgeries include gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy), liver transplant, spleen removal (splenectomy), and hernia repair.
The following are examples of abdominal surgeries Dr. Merchant-McCambry often performs:
Colectomy removes all or part of the colon and, in many cases, the lymph nodes nearby. A hemicolectomy or segmental resection removes only the cancerous part of the colon and a small segment of the healthy colon on either side.
To treat a bowel obstruction, Dr. Merchant-McCambry may perform a resection, removing the damaged bowel section and reconnecting the healthy ends with stitches or staples.
Partial colectomy removes the diseased portion of the colon. With severe, extensive IBD, you might need a total colectomy and rectum removal.
Sigmoidectomy removes the part of your colon affected by diverticulitis to help prevent symptoms from recurring.
If you have severe acute GI bleeding or bleeding that won’t stop, Dr. Merchant-McCambry may perform a laparotomy to locate and stop the bleeding.
Call Lone Star Colon & Rectal Surgery and Clinical Services of San Antonio or book an appointment online today to learn more about your abdominal surgery choices.