Gastrointestinal Surgery in Dublin, GA

What is Gastrointestinal Surgery?

Gastrointestinal surgery helps address issues within the digestive system. Without the digestive tract, food cannot be broken down and absorbed as energy. So when conditions arise that cannot be remedied by medication alone, gastrointestinal surgery is a viable option.

General surgeon John Polhill, MD is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and has more than 15 years of experience performing safe and effective gastrointestinal surgery. If you’re in need of gastrointestinal surgery in the Dublin area, contact Southern Surgical, PC today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Polhill.

What Does Gastrointestinal Surgery Include?

Gastrointestinal surgery can be done on both the upper and lower GI tracts, depending on the problem or disease. Some areas involved in the digestive system and may be involved in gastrointestinal surgery commonly include:

• Esophagus
• Stomach
• Small intestine
• Large intestine
• Rectum
• Liver
• Gallbladder
• Pancreas

Why is Gastrointestinal Surgery Performed?

Removal – Surgery may be used to remove a cancerous or noncancerous growth or damaged part of the body, such as the intestine.

Repair a problem – repair a problem like a hernia (a hole or weak spot in the wall of the abdomen).

Screen or diagnose issues – Minor surgical procedures like an endoscopy is often used to screen and diagnose problems of the digestive system.

Gastrointestinal Surgery Procedures

There are many gastrointestinal surgeries that are performed with the highest level of care. These procedures can be done through minimally-invasive or traditional approaches.

Gastrointestinal surgery may help with: 

• Appendix issues including appendicitis
• Cancers of the gastrointestinal tract
• Colon issues including cancer or diverticular disease
• Gallbladder disease, gallstones, or removal of gallbladder
• Acid reflux or issues with the esophagus such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Hernias or bulges under the skin that may be painful
• Kidney issues, including glands
• Pancreatic conditions
• Spleen issues
• Abdominal disorders
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis including bowel resection
• Colon or Rectal issues, including rectal prolapse if part of the intestine has come through the anus
• Weight loss including bariatric or gastric bypass

Minimally-Invasive

A minimally invasive or laparoscopic procedure allows Dr. Polhill to operate with smaller incisions and a tiny video camera.

Benefits of this procedure include:

• Less blood loss and pain
• Smaller scars
• Lower risks of infection
• Shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery time

Traditional Surgery

This type of surgery is performed with larger incisions, leading to larger scars, more pain, and longer hospital stays and recovery time.

However, open surgery is a good option when:

• Your treatment site is inflamed
• You have an infection
• You have scarring from previous surgeries
• If problems occur during laparoscopic surgery