Abdominal surgery includes all surgical procedures performed in the abdomen. Several areas and techniques related to the digestive tract and the abdominal wall have been defined.
The main surgical interventions are performed on the intestine, colon and rectum (coloproctology), on the stomach and esophagus (esophagogastric surgery), on the liver and pancreas (hepatobiliopancreatic surgery) and on the abdominal wall.
In what cases is abdominal surgery performed?
It is applied when there are benign digestive disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux with hiatal hernia, problems with the gallbladder (stones or polyps), complicated diverticula of the colon and all anal surgery such as hemorrhoids, abscesses, fissures and anal fistulas.
In cases of malignant digestive disorders, such as tumors of the stomach, colon or pancreas, they require oncological interventions for their solution and multidisciplinary treatments.
The most important symptoms that can cause these disorders, whether benign or malignant, are the presence of abdominal pain, gastric reflux, vomiting, digestive bleeding, and constipation or chronic diarrhea.
Finally, these surgical procedures in abdominal surgery can be performed by open approach, or by the minimally invasive technique also called laparoscopy. The choice of one technique or the other depends on the pathology to be treated and the patient’s condition.
What is the purpose of abdominal wall surgery?
This type of intervention includes all problems related to abdominal hernias, inguinal hernias, diastasis or skin tumors. The abdominal wall has important functions in daily life. The musculature of this area is involved in all the daily movements of the trunk: flexion, extension, weight bearing, gymnastic exercises, muscle building, as well as maneuvers such as coughing, sneezing or defecating.
So problems related to the abdominal wall can seriously influence the patient’s quality of life. Hence the importance of attending to the first symptoms and seeking solutions to treat it.
Treatment of inguinal hernia, ventral hernia, rectus diastasis and skin pathologies
Inguinal hernia is the most frequently performed intervention in general surgery. It appears more frequently in men than in women, and causes discomfort and discomfort for the sufferer.
It has an easy surgical solution with a mesh repair to avoid recurrence and is usually performed under local anesthesia and sedation. The recovery process is fast.
Ventral hernia includes eventration and umbilical hernia. Both are very common and may cause discomfort or the possibility of complications such as strangulation in a small percentage of cases. Depending on the characteristics of the patient, surgical treatment is performed in most situations, repairing and reconstructing the abdominal wall and placing a mesh to provide security and functionality to the repair.
These techniques are usually safe, effective and with a recurrence rate below 3% in expert hands. Another pathology to be highlighted is diastasis of the rectus muscles. It causes functional disorders when exerting force with the abdomen and aesthetic problems.
And finally, the pathology of the skin and superficial tissue is very frequent, in the form of lipomas and fat cysts. By means of local anesthesia these tumors can be solved, which sometimes become complicated with infection, pain or progressive growth if they are not operated on.