In recent years there has been a rise in gastrointestinal disease due to lifestyle changes. Conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver, cancer of colon, liver and pancreas have been affecting the young and the elderly equally.

The advancement of medical science has given rise to a series of laparoscopic surgeries relating to gastrointestinal diseases. These surgeries are minimally invasive compared to open surgeries. Let s have a look at the various forms of gastrointestinal surgeries.

Conditions Cured through Gastrointestinal Surgeries:

Gastrointestinal surgery can be used to prevent and treat the following health disorders.

  Peptic ulcer disease
  Barrett s Esophagus
  Hiatal hernia
  Radiation bowel injury
  Gastrointestinal tumours
  Inflammatory bowel disease
  GERD
  Achalasia
  Malignant disease of the pancreas
  Malignant disease of the biliary tract
  Infectious disease of the colon and rectum

Types of Gastrointestinal Surgeries:

Some examples of gastrointestinal surgeries include  

  Colon Cancer Surgery - It may involve local excision which is done in the early stage of colon cancer. Here the doctor inserts a cutting tool into the colon to remove the cancerous growth. Colectomy is the next stage that is performed only when the cancer has spread to the nearby tissues.

  Oesophagal Cancer Surgery - It includes esophagectomy or removing the oesophagus partially leaving the patient with the ability to swallow.

  Gall Bladder Cancer Surgery - It involves four stages of treatment namely Cholecystectomy, Surgical Biliary Bypass, Endoscopic Stent Placement and Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage. Each procedure is performed at different stages depending on the severity of the condition.

  Liver Disease Surgery - Liver disease surgery involves Partial Hepatectomy, Liver Transplant and Ablation used at different stages of cancer.

  Pancreatic Cancer Surgery - The four stages of pancreatic cancer surgery includes Whipple procedure, Total Pancreatectomy, Distal Pancreatectomy and Gastric Bypass.

Apart from these open surgeries, the laparoscopic procedures include -

  Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy
  Laparoscopic Appendectomy
  Laparoscopic Nephrectomy
  Laparoscopic Splenectomy

Benefits of a Gastrointestinal Surgery:

  Minimally invasive due to which scarring is less
  Shorter recovery period
  Reduced chances of infection
  Reduced chances of reoccurrence of the disease

Most of these benefits apply specifically to the gastrointestinal surgeries performed using the laparoscopic technique.

With the rampant increase in gastrointestinal diseases among the masses the wide ranges of gastrointestinal surgeries have made treatment and prevention easier and more accessible.

Gastrointestinal Surgery - All You Should Know About It!

Bariatric surgery is unlike other surgeries, the success is defined after 6-18months later. It is not without its complications. But complications managed well by Bariatric surgeons and the introduction of Laproscopy, it gives advantages of reduced post-op pain to less incisional hernias and less post-operative hospital stay. 

Sometime problems may happen like- 

Post-operative bleeding: Managed well by the surgeon. 
Dehydration: Chances of dehydration, therefore, one of the main post-op instructions, would be to increase water intake significantly, after the first week of course, when water is included in the diet. For someone who is not used to drinking lots of water, this can be difficult. 
Indigestion: Difficulty digesting food after the surgery is very common. There could be a burning sensation in the stomach. This is often managed by dietary changes like avoiding fatty foods, eating small frequent meals, avoiding too much sugary food items, etc. Too much fruits and vegetables should not be introduced early on, as fibre can be difficult to digest. Avoid fruits like nuts, seeds, fried foods, processed foods, etc. Gradually moving from water to pureed diet to semi-solids to solids can help in getting the stomach used to it. 
Vitamin and mineral deficiency: With the drastic cut in the amount of food consumption, there could be multiple problems including skin rashes, weak bones, dental issues, hair loss, gallstones, kidney stones, etc. All these are due to deficiency of various essential minerals like calcium, potassium, etc. This can be managed through minor diet modifications to ensure the body gets the required minerals and vitamins, even if they are in the form of supplements. 
Dumping syndrome: With a reduced size of the stomach, the food moves from the stomach into the smaller intestine much faster. Therefore, the sugar levels increase rapidly, producing various symptoms like bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, weakness, and anxiety. This is managed by eating less amount of sugars and fats and spacing out the meals through the day. Five to six small meals are preferred over 2 to 3 large meals. Some people also get relief from lying down after eating. 
Hernias: Less after laproscopic surgery but sometime it may happen. 
Diet changes: Whether it is medications or foods, some substances have to be knocked off your list. A detailed diet plan should be made with the doctor, as some can affect the stomach in an adverse manner. 
Altered bowel habits: Some people may have diarrhoea, others have constipation. Looking into one s diet and making suitable changes will help. Therefore, it is very important that you must keep regular follow-up and consultation with your surgeon, in order to avoid complications.

Bariatric Surgery - 8 Complications It Can Cause!

The kidneys are responsible for the elimination of waste from the body. The blood is filtered in the kidneys and all toxic wastes are filtered out and excreted through urine. When this filtration does not happen effectively, a lot of waste can be found in the blood, which affects normal body function.

Kidneys may lose their functioning either due to age, injury, or disease conditions. Whatever the reason, when kidney function is hampered, the body suffers. If there was an injury or congenital problem, it could be unilateral and the non-affected kidney could still do the function. However, if it is infection or old age, normally both kidneys are affected and then replacement should be looked for externally. This is where a kidney transplant comes into the picture.

What is it?

It is a surgery where a healthy, functioning kidney is placed into the body. The donor could be

Living: These donors have to be related or unrelated. Related is often termed someone, who is a family member and is willing to donate one kidney (one kidney is sufficient for normal, healthy individuals) to the diseased person.
Cadaver: If a person is willing to donate kidneys post death, these are used for transplant, within a specified time.
Identifying the right donor and recipient:

Blood type and tissue type should be matched; a good tissue type match improves the chances of success
Overall health of the donor to ensure there is no heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes
The recipient also should be healthy
What to expect during surgery?

Once a donor is identified, in living donors, the surgery to remove the kidney and to transplant it are done simultaneously
The surgery usually takes about 3 to 4 hours
Antibiotics are given prior to the surgery to prevent infection
The blood vessels and ureter are connected back to the kidney after the transplant
Hospital stay can range from 5 days to 2 weeks, depending on the overall health of the patient and the anticipated risk of rejection.
Most transplanted kidneys work effectively almost immediately. A kidney stored from a cadaver may take a little longer compared to a fresh kidney from a living donor
People who have had transplants are put on immunosuppressants on a chronic basis to reduce chances of rejection. The new kidney will always be recognised by the body as a foreign body, and so this is essential.
Kidney transplant success rates are quite high, and more and more people are opting for transplants as opposed to dialysis.

Kidney Transplant - What To Expect From It?

The word colic directly refers to the colon. Colic pain is a sharp abdominal pain followed by bouts of crying usually occurring in infants below the age of one year. The pain only last for a short period of time ranging from a few weeks to a couple of months. Very few number of babies will cry endlessly indicating towards an underlying condition.

It is mainly characterized by sharp crying for supposedly no apparent reason, irregular sleep patterns, and restlessness or owing to deviation from normal postures. The apparent causes of colic pain include indigestion and negative reaction of the sensitive gut to the breast or formula milk, although no concrete cause of the state has been discovered.

Doctors often suggest home remedies such as swaddling, pacifiers, holding and comforting the baby and more frequent feedings to reduce the condition. Since it is so common among infants and relatively less harmful, no proper medication is usually given. Physicians suggest mothers to reduce the content of caffeine, alcohol or spice in their diet. Sometimes a warm bath, burping the baby or going on more frequent walks is useful. Background music draws the attention of the baby and hence drives their focus, away from the abdominal pains.

Colic pains are mainly treated by care rather than medicine. The baby is made to feel comfortable and the distress is reduced just by being around the infant. The primary care giver plays an important role in consoling the child and helping them get through the sudden pain which further plays a significant role in personality development. Colic pains are extremely short lived and probably one of the first few challenges of parenthood. They are primarily dealt with care and feeding except in extreme cases where medicinal cures such as lactase drops and simethicone drops are used to treat the abdominal pain.

Colic Pain - How To Treat It

An ovarian cyst is a fluid sac that forms within an ovary or on its surface. The size and type of cysts vary from person to person and may affect women of all ages. There are different kinds of ovarian cysts

Functional Cysts are harmless and may disappear without any treatment. These kinds of cysts occur during the time of ovulation.
Follicle Cyst: If the follicle doesn't rupture during the time of the menstrual cycle, it gets converted into a fluid sac called as follicle cyst.
Corpus Luteum Cyst: After the ovulation process, the remaining part of the follicle is converted into corpus luteum which produces hormones and they disappear on their own. Corpus luteum turns into a cyst if it still remains.
Dermoid cysts and Endometrioma cysts are not common and if left untreated, may cause life-threatening problems.
Symptoms of ovarian cysts
Symptoms of ovarian cyst may vary from mild to severe based on the size of the cyst. Some of the symptoms are:

Pelvic pain
Fever
Nausea
Bloating of stomach
Irregular menstrual periods
Diagnosis
The doctor recommends few tests to determine the type and whether treatment is required or not:

Most ovarian cysts are detected through ultrasound.
In some cases, a CT scan may be advised if ultrasound is not enough
Pregnancy test
Blood test to check for hormonal imbalance
Most ovarian cysts go away after a while. If the larger ones persist longer, then it might need treatment. Birth control pills may be advised to stop the formation of new cysts. When the size of cysts causes problems in women who are nearing menopause, surgery may be advised.

Homeopathy treatment for Ovarian Cysts

Apart from conventional medicine or surgery, homeopathic treatment is an effective way to approach because it not only reduces ovarian cysts but also finds the permanent solution for an underlying cause of it. Homeopathic medicines are prescribed after examining the patient's lifestyle and habits to ensure targeted treatment and minimal side effects.
Surgery is not the right solution for all the large cysts. They can be reduced with homeopathy medicine and which is the safest way to live a long life without any complications.

Ovarian Cysts - What Homeopathy Can Do To Treat Them?

Formation of blood clots in the arteries of the lungs, heart or legs can actually kill a person. In such a case, the immediate medical action is necessary and the only way to deal with blood clots is thrombolysis.
Thrombolysis or thrombolytic therapy is a medical process that dissolves blood clots and facilitates blood flow to all parts of the body. Thus, it protects tissues and muscles from damage.

What are the causes of blood clots in the body?

  Poor blood circulation
  Conditions such as Deep Venous Thrombosis and atrial fibrillation
  Blood clots can also be formed because of dialysis catheters and by-pass grafts

How can you tell if you have blood clots?

  Swelling in one or more legs
  Cramp and tenderness in the legs
  Breathing trouble might indicate that blood clots have travelled to the lungs
  Sweating and frequent chest pain may suggest that blood clots have travelled to the heart

How is Thrombolysis performed?

Thrombolytic drugs are injected into the body intravenously. They make their way to where the blood clots exist and dissolve them. If there is a medical emergency, the drugs are delivered to the exact location of the blood clots and immediately start dissolving them. Another method is inserting a device into the blood clot infested region to break the clots up. The drugs which on entering the body dissolve blood clots are called thrombolytics. There are many varieties of thrombolytics such as the following-

  Streptokinase - It is a kind of enzyme. It is used when a person has just suffered a heart attack or pulmonary embolism. Doctors do not usually prescribe the second usage of this drug. It is injected into a vein and can be administered to pregnant women.

  Tenecteplase - Also an enzyme, it is a plasminogen activator. When it binds to the surface of the blood clot, it makes the clot degenerate.

  Reteplase - It is actually extracted from E-Coli. It is a sterile intravenous bolus injection

The leading cause of heart attacks and ischemic heart disorder is the formation of blood clots in the arteries that connect the heart and the brain. Thrombolysis is often employed as an emergency treatment for this purpose. Thrombolysis is also effective against blood clots formed in the lungs (which lead to acute pulmonary embolism). Sometimes blood clots are formed in the legs, upper extremities of the body, the pelvic region (deep vein thrombosis). These clots may travel to the lungs and heart.

Consult your doctor before undergoing the treatment.

Thrombolysis - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Of It!

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