What is visceral and digestive surgery?

Visceral and digestive surgery is a particular branch of surgery that treats disorders of the digestive tract, the internal organs and certain endocrine glands. The specialty thus focuses on the digestive organs:

• Oesophagus
• Stomach
• Duodenum
• Small intestine
• Appendix
• Colon
• Rectum
• Anus

as well as the abdominal, pelvic and endocrine organs:

• Bladder
• Bile ducts
• Liver
• Spleen
• Lymph nodes
• Pancreas
• Thyroid gland
• Parathyroid glands
• Adrenal glands.

What does a visceral surgeon do?

Working with the entire surgical team, the visceral surgeon operates, in principle, on the digestive tract organs and certain secretory organs. The surgeon also performs abdominal wall and obesity operations (hernias, abdominoplasty, etc.). Yet, given the technical nature of the procedures involved and the diversity of patient conditions, visceral and digestive surgeons frequently specialise in a particular field such as digestive cancer (colon cancer, anal cancer) and non-cancerous digestive disorder surgery; benign disease and endocrine gland cancer surgery; obesity surgery or “bariatric surgery” (gastric bands, bypasses, etc.); hepato-pancreatico-biliary surgery (liver cancer, pancreatic cancer); laparoscopic surgery; or emergency abdominal surgery (tears), etc.

When to see a specialist in visceral and digestive surgery

Depending on the condition from which they are suffering, a patient will be referred to a visceral and digestive surgeon by their GP and/or a specialist such as a hepato-gastroenterologist, oncologist, proctologist, endocrinologist, gynaecologist or urologist.

How to choose a visceral surgeon

Visceral and digestive surgery is extremely technical. Surgical interventions should therefore be carried out by experienced practitioners who have performed a large number of operations and who have access to state-of-the-art equipment.

What are the risks of visceral or digestive system surgery ?

This type of surgery tends to be heavy and performed under a general anaesthetic. The risks associated with such surgery (muscle and/or neurological damage, haemorrhage, infection, etc.), the anaesthetic and the patient’s state of health are very real. This is why the surgeon – in conjunction with the anaesthetist – will assess the level of risk, decide whether the operation is warranted and select the most appropriate type of procedure.