Bowel & Abdominal Surgery in the East Valley

Who Needs Bowel Surgery?

Your doctor may recommend bowel surgery to treat the following problems:

• Intestinal blockages* can prevent food and liquid from passing through your body. If the blood supply is cut off, tissue could begin to die. Surgery corrects this.
• Severe intestinal bleeding* can be life-threatening. If your doctor can’t stop it, a section of the intestine may need to be removed.
• Diverticulitis* is the inflammation or infection of harmless pouches that can form in your intestine. Bowel surgery may be necessary to prevent abscesses, perforation, scarring, and fistulas.
• Cancer of the bowels is often treated by surgically removing the affected intestine.
• Scar tissue from prior surgeries can be determined to be causing problematic symptoms.

* These are potential emergencies and should be evaluated in the emergency room.

Types of Bowel & Abdominal Surgeries

Many types of surgeries are performed on the bowels and abdomen, including:

• Appendectomy (removal of the appendix)
• Cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder)
• Colectomy (removal of all or part of the large intestine)
• Colostomy (suturing an open end of the intestine to the skin to allow drainage to a pouch)
• Gastrectomy (removal of all or part of the stomach)
• Liver cyst excision (removal of cysts from the liver)
• Pancreatectomy (partial removal of the pancreas)
• Splenectomy (removal of the spleen)

Many of these surgeries can be performed via laparoscopy or robotic surgery. This is when the surgeon makes small incisions instead of one large one. A camera and surgical tools are inserted into the incisions, and the surgeon operates via video images on a monitor.

This technique results in less pain, smaller scars, and faster recovery time.  There are times where we do have to switch to an open operation during surgery if it is not safe or practical to continue laparoscopically.

Risks of Bowel Surgery

If you are a candidate for bowel surgery, rest assured that we will recommend what we consider to be the safest most effective option.  In most cases, leaving your blocked, infected, bleeding, or cancerous bowel untreated is far more dangerous than undergoing surgery to remove it.

Still, although uncommon, all surgeries have risks, some of which can be quite serious. For abdominal surgery, these include, but are not limited to:

• Pain and discomfort at the incision site
• Constipation, diarrhea, or bloating
• Bowel leakage or narrowing, which may need additional surgery
• Incisional hernias
• Urinary infection
• Breathing problems
• Postsurgical infection
• Anastomotic stricture (narrowing of the intestine between two reconnected sections)
• Allergic reaction to anesthesia or antibiotics or other medications
• Other complications such as blood clots in your legs or lungs, respiratory failure, heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, and even death

We make every effort to minimize your surgical risks to the minimum.  In some cases, we may need to obtain medical clearance from other specialists to further reduce your surgical risks.

Please ask your surgeon about any questions you have in this regard.

Recovering from Bowel Surgery

After your operation, you’ll spend a few hours in the post-op area recovering while the anesthetic wears off. You may have a catheter to drain urine and tubes running out of your abdomen to drain fluid depending upon your clinical situation. Your doctor will let you know when you can eat and drink again. In the meantime, an IV will deliver fluids into your veins.

You will return home anywhere from the same day to several days after surgery depending upon your procedure. Your doctor may recommend making small changes to your diet, depending on the type of bowel or abdominal surgery you had. Small, mild meals are easiest to digest at first. It may take up to six weeks before your digestive system feels normal again.

Schedule Bowel or Abdominal Surgery in Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek & Surrounding Areas

If you have been struggling with abdominal pain or digestive issues, meet with us at Surgical Professionals for a consultation. We are a team of general surgeons with decades of combined experience operating at local hospitals in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, and Queen Creek. We’ll diagnose your condition and help you decide if surgery is the right choice.

If we feel that your condition does not require surgery, we’ll tell you so.  We always have our patients’ best interests at heart, so if we are unable to help, we will refer you to a provider who can. Not everyone needs surgery, but if you do, we will work with you toward achieving the best possible outcome.

Please ask your surgeon about any questions you have in this regard.  Please note that the above is general information only. Your surgeon will come up with a treatment plan specific to your unique situation.

Please contact us at 480-892-2456 today to schedule a consultation for abdominal surgery in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, or Queen Creek.

Please note that the above information is provided for general purposes only and may not apply to your specific situation. Our surgical capabilities may also be subject to change. Contact us to discuss your medical condition, determine the most appropriate treatment for your individual case, and confirm that we can address your procedure.