General Surgery in Cape Girardeau
According to the American College of Surgeons, a general surgeon is a specialist who is trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with a broad spectrum of surgical conditions affecting almost any area of the body. The surgeon establishes the diagnosis and provides the preoperative, operative, and postoperative care to patients and is often responsible for the comprehensive management of the trauma victim and the critically ill patient. The general surgeon has the knowledge and technical skills to manage conditions that relate to the head and neck, breast, skin and soft tissues, abdomen, extremities, and the gastrointestinal, vascular, and endocrine systems.
The information contained below provides a summarized description of some of the more commonly performed general surgery procedures with links to read more detailed information about each procedure or disease.
Cholecystectomy, or surgical removal of the gallbladder, may be performed laparoscopically or through a traditional open incision:
- Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Small incisions are made and trocars are inserted to view the abdominal cavity.
- Open Cholecystectomy: A larger incision is made to completely open up the abdominal cavity.
General surgeons often perform surgery to remove both both cancers and benign tumors of the pancreas, bile duct, gallbladder and liver.
- Breast Biopsy: Removal of a portion or all of a breast lump or abnormal breast tissue to diagnose a disease.
- Stereotactic Biopsy: A special needle is used to remove samples of abnormal breast tissue to diagnose a disease.
- Lumpectomy: Involves removal of a breast lump or abnormal breast tissue along with a significant portion of the surrounding tissue to diagnose a disease.
- Mastectomy: Removal of all breast tissue and sometimes skin to prevent further progression of a disease.
- Axillary Dissection: Removal of the lymph nodes located under the armpit to diagnose the stage of a disease.
Appendix Surgery (Appendectomy)
Removal of the appendix may be performed laparoscopically or through a traditional open incision:
- Laparoscopic Appendectomy: Small incisions are made and trocars are inserted to view the abdominal cavity.
- Open Appendectomy: A larger incision is made to completely open up the abdominal cavity.
Hernia Repair
Common types of hernias include:
Colon & Small Bowel Surgery
Removal of a portion of the large or small bowel is often used to diagnose and/or treat diseases such as colon cancer, diverticular disease, Crohn’s disease and colitis.
An ileostomy or colostomy may be surgically created following removal of part or all of the colon. These surgically created openings in the abdomen may be temporary or permanent.
This type of surgery may be required to treat hemorrhoids (hemorrhoidectomy), rectal cancer, anal fissure, anal fistula or pilondial cyst.
Gastrointestinal Surgery
Gastrointestinal surgery refers to any procedure treating body parts involved in digestion. This includes:
- Esophageal Cancer Surgery
- Gastrectomy
- Anti-reflux surgery
Surgical Oncology
General surgeons are trained in the surgical management of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach, colon, liver, pancreas), endocrine glands, breast, skin and soft tissues.
Vascular Access Surgery
Endocrine surgery may be necessary to treat thyroid cancer, thyroid nodules, parathyroid adenoma or to remove an adrenal mass.
Surgery to remove the spleen, called splenectomy, may be necessary due to physical trauma (ruptured spleen), to diagnose certain lymphomas or due to damage caused by conditions such as certain autoimmune disorders.
Skin Procedures
Our clinic specializes in providing comprehensive surgical options for patients with Melanoma, ensuring the best possible outcomes.