PreOp® Endoscopy - Upper GI Surgery

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Your doctor has recommended that you have an upper GI endoscopy. But what does that actually mean?

An upper GI endoscopy is a diagnostic procedure used by your doctor to inspect the inside of your throat, esophagus, stomach and upper intestine.

While it's considered a surgical procedure, endoscopy does not involve an incision. Instead, your doctor will pass a flexible tube, called an endoscope through your mouth and into your stomach and digestive tract.

This tube has a tiny video camera mounted on its tip,

it also contains a small tool used for taking tissue samples.

Because the passageway from the mouth to the opening of the small intestine is usually unobstructed, your doctor can use the endoscope to inspect the entire upper half of your digestive system.

Reasons for undergoing an upper GI endoscopy vary. You may have been suffering from one or more of a number symptoms - including weight loss, abdominal pain, chronic heartburn or indigestion, gastritis, hiatal hernia, trouble swallowing, pain caused by an ulcer or other problems associated with the stomach and digestive system.

Some gastrointestinal symptoms can be warning signs of serious medical problems and you should take your doctor's recommendation to have an endoscopy very seriously.

Luckily, the vast majority of medical problems diagnosed by endoscopy are treatable and you should look forward to improved health and comfort as a result of the information gathered during the procedure. 

Your Procedure:

On the day of your operation, you will be asked to put on a surgical gown, you may receive a sedative by mouth

and an intravenous line may be put in.

You will then be transferred to the operating table, and positioned comfortably on your left side.

A nurse will begin preparation by spraying a liquid anesthetic into your throat.

To help you hold your mouth open, a small mouth piece will be placed between your teeth.

To create a better viewing area, your stomach will be filled with a small quantity of air which may cause you to have a feeling of fullness.

After a few minutes, your mouth and throat will feel numb.

The doctor will then insert the endoscope into your mouth and gently guide it towards your stomach and small intestine.

To better examine abnormal-looking tissues, your doctor may choose to take one or more biopsies.

Small instruments sent through the interior of the endoscope are able to painlessly remove small samples of tissue with a small scissor like tool by simply snipping them free.

After a thorough exam, the endoscope is carefully removed... and the support piece is taken out of your mouth.

Any tissue specimens removed during the procedure will be sent immediately to a lab for microscopic analysis. Your doctor will tell you when to expect results from those tests.

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PreOp® Hip Replacement Surgery Patient Education

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You doctor has recommended that you undergo hip replacement surgery. But what exactly does that mean?

The hip joint is the place where the thighbone - called the femur - and the hipbone - called the pelvis - meet.

As you walk, the ball-shaped end of the thigh moves within a cuplike depression on the side of the hip.

As long as the thigh can move smoothly against the hip, you are able to walk comfortably. But over time, especially in patients who suffer from arthritis or rheumatism, the hip joint can wear down.

PreOp® Spleen Removal Surgery, Splenectomy Patient Education

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Your doctor has recommended that you undergo a Splenectomy - or spleen removal surgery. But what does that actually mean?

The spleen is one of the organs in your body that works to clean your blood.

The Spleen is located behind the stomach... and to the left of the liver.

Specifically, the spleen picks out and destroys red blood cells that are no longer useful.

A Splenectomy is the surgical procedure used to permanently remove the spleen from the body.

Reasons for removing the spleen vary. Most spleen removal surgery is performed in an emergency situation, during which internal bleeding may be putting a patient's life at risk.

This program assumes, however, that you are not currently in an emergency setting. In your case, the reason for removing the Spleen may be to treat a blood disease, blood congestion, Gaucher's disease, white blood cell deficiency, the growth of a tumor, or the growth of cysts.

Occasionally the Spleen is removed as part of an action taken to determine the best course of treatment for Hodgkin's disease.

Once in place, the laparoscope will provide video images,

that allow the surgeon to carefully cut the ligaments that connect the spleen to the diaphragm as well as the spleen to the colon.

Now the doctor can gently pull the liver aside...
then pull back the stomach to reveal the spleen.

All remaining tissue between the spleen and the stomach including small blood vessels, as well as the spleen and diaphragm are cut.

The main vessels that supply blood to the spleen - the splenic artery and the splenic vein are closed off and cut.

Finally, the spleen is maneuvered into a special retrieval bag where it is broken into smaller pieces...

and removed through one of the laparoscopic working ports.

All of the instruments are withdrawn...
the carbon dioxide is allowed to escape...

and the skin is closed with sutures or staples.

Finally, sterile dressings are applied.

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Splenectomy surgery only rarely leads to complications.

In adults, the liver and other parts of the immune system are susceptible. In children however, the loss of the spleen can weaken the immune system.

In either case, your doctor may prescribe a series of antibiotics to help your body's immune system fight off bacterial infections - such as pneumonia and pancreatitis.

Another potential side effect of surgery is a persistent residual neuralgia - or pain - around the scar. It can be either localized or general.

It may develop soon after surgery - or even weeks or months later. Usually it will decrease in intensity with time. But in very rare situations it can become permanent.
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More frequently patients report achiness in the shoulders and chest. This is caused by the body's reaction to the carbon dioxide used to inflate the abdomen and it will clear up in a matter of a few days.

The most serious problem would likely be a puncture the bowel or liver. But these are very rare occurrences.

Finally, as mentioned earlier, the surgical team may decide to end the laparoscopic procedure and convert to open surgery.