Surgery

General surgery is a broad surgical specialty focusing on the abdomen, digestive tract and endocrine system. Our general surgeons perform various procedures on these areas, including:

• Appendectomy — Removal of the appendix
• Bariatric surgery — Helps aid in weight loss
• Breast surgery — Removal of cancerous or noncancerous tumors
• Cholecystectomy — Removal of the gallbladder
• GI surgery — Treats diseases of the GI tract and digestive system
• Hernia repair — Fixes weakened muscle to prevent organ protrusion and discomfort
• Pediatric surgery — Treats diseases or injuries in children
• Trauma surgery — Aims to treat severe injuries

Hernia surgery

As a result of advances in robotic surgery, most hernias can be repaired with a few small incisions. At Memorial Health, our surgeons specialize in hernia repair surgery. In fact, Memorial Health has earned accreditation as a Hernia Surgery Center of Excellence and Robotic Surgery Center of Excellence by Surgical Review Corporation.

What is a hernia?

A hernia is the bulging of an organ through a tear in the tissue or muscle that is supposed to hold it in place. They are caused by a weakness in the muscle or tissue wall which allows an internal part of the body to push through. Most hernias occur in the abdomen; however, they can also be found in the groin and the diaphragm. There are few or no symptoms other than a lump or swelling that may appear after coughing or straining. Usually, the lump can be pushed back in or disappears when you lie down.

What are the different types of hernias?

There are several common types of hernia. These include:

• Hiatal hernia — Part of stomach extends up through diaphragm and into chest
• Incisional hernia — Through a previous surgical scar
• Inguinal hernia — Bulge from weakness in abdominal wall
• Ventral — Bulge from weakness in tissue or muscle in the upper abdomen, around the navel or at a former surgical incision

What are complex incisional hernias?

If you have a complex incisional hernia, you may experience a number of symptoms. They may get quite large, be open or ulcerated, or have an infected mesh, which is material used to repair hernias during surgery. You may experience pain or discomfort and some people feel a burning or aching sensation particularly when straining, lifting or exercising.

Treatment for complex incisional hernias can be:

• Abdominal wall reconstruction — This is often as a result of a damaged area or infection caused by previous surgery on hernias. This treatment can also be helpful after surgery for the removal of cancers, correcting birth defects or following trauma.
• Robotic-assisted hernia procedure — A minimally invasive surgical approach with potential benefits such as faster recovery

A special mesh which is strong and flexible is often used to strengthen the area and prevent the hernia returning. Alternatively, the muscle layers may be stitched together to make them stronger.

If you have a hernia, our team of surgeons and clinicians at Memorial Health’s Hernia Surgery Center of Excellence can make the repair and get you back to doing the things you love.

Some hernias may be watched over time; however, surgery is usually recommended to prevent additional complications.

What is hernia surgery?

Our surgeons repair hernias using minimally invasive robotic surgery techniques. Before robotic surgery, hernia repair surgery was an open procedure, requiring large incisions and a lengthy recovery. Today, robotic-assisted hernia surgery has many potential benefits, including faster recovery with less scarring than traditional open surgeries.

Hernia repair surgery fixes the opening or tear that causes a hernia. During a robotic-assisted hernia procedure, the surgeon will make small incisions and insert a small camera to view the hernia. The surgeon will then sit at the robot’s console and perform the surgery using the camera and instruments placed in the patient's abdomen. The robot uses the surgeon’s hand motions on the console to guide the instruments and repair the hernia. The surgeon will then reposition the organ, reinforce the weak area and close the small incisions.

Our surgeons perform a wide range of head and neck procedures, including:

• Endoscopic skull base surgery — Uses an endoscope to treat conditions at the base of the skull, including tumors
• Parotidectomy — Removes all or part of the parotid gland
• Partial laryngeal surgery — Removes part of the voice box to treat laryngeal cancer
• Sentinel node biopsy — Examines whether cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes
• Surgical oncology treatment — Treats head and neck, oral and throat cancers
• Thyroidectomy — Removes all or part of the thyroid gland
• Transoral laser microsurgery — Removes tumors or lesions in the oral cavity, throat or larynx using a laser
• Tumor removal surgery — Removes tumors in the head and neck, larynx, mouth, parathyroid glands, throat and thyroid

Oral and maxillofacial surgery focuses on the oral cavity, head, neck, mouth and jaws. Our surgeons specialize in a number of procedures, including:

• Mandibular fracture repair — Repairs a break in the mandible using the open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) technique, which helps you be able to use your jaw very soon after surgery
• Tooth extraction — Removes stuck teeth from their socket in the bone, including wisdom teeth

Minimally invasive surgery uses smaller and fewer incisions than traditional or "open" surgery. This offers many potential benefits, including:

• Less harm to surrounding tissue
• Quicker recovery
• Reduced scarring
• Shorter hospital stays

Many of the minimally invasive surgeries we offer can be performed as outpatient, or same-day, procedures and include laparoscopic and robot-assisted procedures.

Laparoscopic surgery

Laparoscopic procedures involve one or more small incisions through which a laparoscope is inserted. This tool has special surgical instruments on it as well as a camera to allow surgeons to easily see the surgical site.

Robotic surgery

Many of the minimally invasive surgeries we perform are robotic surgery. These use incredible, advanced technology that translates a surgeon's hand movements into more precise motions with robotic tools. The surgeon is nearby and always in full control of the robotic systems, which provides them with tiny surgical tools and highly detailed views of the surgical site. This amplifies the benefits of minimally invasive surgery and allows you to recover even faster.

One of the reasons we have exceptional surgical outcomes is that we offer highly trained and specialized surgical teams. They work together very closely with you, familiarizing themselves with your unique situation.

Some of the specialists you may work with during your surgical process include:

• Anesthesiologists
• Nurses, including preoperative and recovery room nurses
• Radiologists
• Surgeons
• Surgical technicians

Our surgical teams from our day surgery and special procedures unit offer you preoperative instructions and will be available to answer your questions. These instructions usually include the types of medications you can and cannot take beforehand, as well as rules around eating and drinking the night before your procedure. There may also be other preparations you need to make.

After surgery, we offer just as much careful attention and care as before your procedure. You'll have teams around you providing constant support and reassurance. They will give you discharge instructions that include what you need to do at home in the days and weeks ahead. They will also make sure you get access to the resources you need to recover, such as physical therapy and rehabilitation programs.