Despite its name, general surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on surgical treatment of abdominal organs, e.g. intestines including oesophagus, stomach, colon, liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland (depending on the availability of head and neck surgery specialists) and hernias. At SMTC, we offer the following general surgery procedures:
What is a hernia?
A hernia occurs when part of an organ (usually the intestines) protrudes through a weak point or tear in the thin muscular wall that holds the abdominal organs in place. There are several types of hernias, based on where it occurs.
Hernia repair is performed as a day case procedure.
What is a cholecystectomy?
A cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder.
One type of cholecystectomy (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) involves the insertion of a long narrow cylindrical tube with a camera on the end to allow the surgeon to view the organs and the insertion of other instruments to perform the surgical procedure.
The other type of cholecystectomy (open cholecystectomy ) involves the removal of the gallbladder through a surgical incision high in the right abdomen, just beneath the ribs.
The operation is performed under general anesthesia.
You will experience moderate pain after surgery. However, the medical staff will ensure your pain is under control.
The hospital stay generally lasts 1 day.
What is an endoscopy?
Endoscopy is a method of looking at the inside of a body organ using an endoscope. An endoscope is a very small camera mounted on a flexible tube.
There are many types of endoscope, and they are named in relation to the organs or areas they explore. For example, endoscopes inserted through incisions to look at joints is know as arthroscopy.
What is a colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy is an internal examination of the colon (large intestine), using an instrument called a colonoscope. The colonoscope is a small camera attached to a flexible tube.
The operation is performed under sedation. You can expect to be in the treatment centre for no more than a few hours. There may be medical reasons why you will be given a general anaesthesia or it may be that you request a general anaesthetic. The decision is based on your specific clinical requirements.
What is a gastroscopy?
A gastroscopy is an internal examination of the stomach using a very small camera attached to a flexible tube.
The operation is performed under sedation. You can expect to be in the treatment centre for no more than a few hours. There may be medical reasons why you will be given a general anaesthesia or it may be that you request a general anaesthetic. The decision is based on your specific clinical requirements.