Abdominal Pain Specialist
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Oakland General Surgery
Einas Joseph, MD
General Surgeon located in Rochester Hills, MI
Most causes of abdominal pain are short-lived or manageable with medication, but there are times when an operation might be necessary. If you need gastrointestinal surgery for abdominal pain, Einas Joseph, MD, of Oakland General Surgery in Rochester Hills, Michigan, can help. Dr. Joseph is an experienced general surgeon who performs a range of procedures using minimally invasive and robotic-assisted techniques to minimize tissue damage and promote a speedy recovery. To find out how you can benefit from her expertise, call Oakland General Surgery or book an appointment online today.
Abdominal Pain Q&A
Why would I have abdominal pain?
Abdominal pain is a broad term for discomfort in the area between your ribs and pelvis.
Abdominal pain can have multiple causes, from gastrointestinal infections and menstruation to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Fortunately, in most cases, these conditions are curable or controllable using nonsurgical methods. However, there are times when surgery is the right approach.
When would abdominal pain require surgery?
It could be that other treatments aren't working for you, or you might have a condition for which surgery is an urgent requirement. Examples include:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
IBD primarily consists of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, which can cause chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, and gut inflammation. Medications are often effective in controlling these symptoms, but for some people, surgery becomes necessary when drugs aren't effective enough.
Cancer
Abdominal cancers might require prompt surgery to remove the tumors before they get a chance to spread through your body.
Appendicitis
Appendicitis (acute inflammation and infection of your appendix) can cause severe abdominal pain and requires emergency surgery to remove the affected organ.
Obstructions
Obstructions that affect blood flow or digestion also require emergency surgery to prevent severe infection and tissue death. A strangulated hernia is a common example.
Dr. Joseph might also need to perform a diagnostic laparoscopy if noninvasive tests can't find the cause of your abdominal pain.
How is abdominal surgery performed?
There are three methods of performing abdominal surgery:
Open surgery
Open surgery is the traditional approach, where the surgeon makes a long incision in your abdomen to gain direct access to the organs and tissues.
While some procedures require the open technique and certain patients might only be suitable for open surgery, less invasive methods are now used in most cases.
Laparoscopic surgery
Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive technique in which Dr. Joseph uses a lighted instrument called a laparoscope. She inserts the laparoscope into your abdomen through a small cut, using images sent back by the laparoscope's camera to view the surgery site.
Dr. Joseph performs the surgery using special instruments that fit into other small incisions.
Robotic surgery
Robotic surgery is an even more advanced form of laparoscopic surgery. Dr. Joseph works with a sophisticated computerized robotic arm called the da Vinci® surgical system that offers the most accurate results.
Minimally invasive and robotic surgeries cause significantly less pain and tissue damage, and recovery is shorter than with open surgery. Dr. Joseph uses these methods wherever possible.
To find out about surgical solutions to your abdominal pain, call Oakland General Surgery today, or book an appointment online.
