John Linn

"Stomach stapling" usually refers to a bariatric or weight loss operation. These operations are performed for the treatment of morbid obesity for patients who have severe medical problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and arthritis.

The most common operation in this category

A paraesophageal hernia is also known as a hiatal hernia, where a portion of the stomach slides through the diaphragm and into the chest. This may cause symptoms of pain, heartburn, reflux, and difficulty swallowing food. Sometimes it causes food or even liquids to become "stuck" as they go down

Acute appendicitis is usually treated with appendectomy. In some circumstances, the appendix has perforated with a walled-off infection adjacent to it, and surgery may not be necessary. Most operations for acute appendicitis can be accomplished laparoscopically, and patients usually are discharged

Intestinal metaplasia, or Barrett's esophagus, is a condition where the lining of the esophagus becomes damaged from exposure to acid from the stomach. This usually occurs in the setting of heartburn and acid reflux commonly known as GERD.

Intestinal metaplasia is usually treated with medications

Immediately after an operation on the intestines, most patients don't have a regular appetite for a few weeks. It is normal to feel full after smaller meals and not be as hungry as usual. The appetite will return after a few weeks. In the meantime, the most important thing is to stay well hydrated

The word "complicated" is used to describe any type of hernia--inguinal, ventral, or umbilical--that is incarcerated, strangulated, or recurrent. Complicated hernias usually require more time to repair, have a higher risk of recurrence, and probably a slightly higher risk of complications from surgery.

Hernias of the diaphgram and abdominal wall are different in terms of their location and symptoms. Abdominal wall hernias usually cause pain from the hernia contents becoming trapped within the hernia, such as intestine or abdominal fat.

Hernias of the diaphgram, also known as hiatal hernias or pa

Twisting of the intestines can be used to describe a few different problems.

One type of twist or kink is called a small bowel obstruction. This usually happens after a patient has had an abdominal operation like appendectomy, hysterectomy, or colon removal which leads to scar tissue or adhesions

There are different types of small intestinal or small bowel cancer. The most common type is called carcinoid, which means cancer-like. It is given this name because it tends to be slower growing and less aggressive than other cancers we often describe. Carcinoid tumors can occur anywhere along the

Fortunately, complications after gallbladder surgery are fairly uncommon. Bleeding requiring a blood transfusion or infection occurs in less than 1% of elective cholecystectomies. In 1-2% of patients, the operation cannot be completed laparoscopically, and a traditional open operation is performed.