Gallbladder disease
Gallbladder disease is very common, affecting 10-15% of people at some point in their life. Patients suffering from gallbladder problems experience pain in the upper part of their abdomen, generally on the right side. Symptoms can get worse after eating. Symptoms can be constant or can come and go. Surgery for gallbladder problems is the most common surgery done in the U.S. Fortunately, these surgeries are done laparoscopically and as an outpatient. After surgery, your appetite will be decreased for a couple of days, but in the long run, no permanent change is necessary to recover from gallbladder surgery. Your liver learns how to adjust without the gallbladder.
Colon surgery
In general, surgery on the colon is needed for either colon cancer or diverticulitis. Fortunately these days, all colon surgery can almost always be done minimally invasive with robotic surgery. This is a huge benefit for colon surgery with significantly lower risk of complications and much shorter stay in the hospital (2 days instead of 5 days). Traditional open colon surgery is now done only for emergencies.
Pilonidal Cyst
A pilonidal cyst is a trapped hair follicle along the tail bone. It typically presents as recurrent swelling and draining from a lesion over the tail bone. Unfortunately, this trapped hair follicle will continue to drain and cause issues until it is removed. Surgery involves an outpatient procedure to remove the hair follicle and the draining tract. After surgery, it important to keep the area clean and dry for approximately 2 weeks while the site heals up.
Hemorrhoids
There are two types of hemorrhoids, internal and external. Both tend to bleed. External hemorrhoids can be felt outside the anus and are typically painful. Internal hemorrhoids present most commonly with bright red blood and are usually painless. Internal hemorrhoids can also protrude out from the anus and then pop back inside. Typically, treatment starts with high fiber diet, stool softeners to avoid straining, and topical over-the-counter medications. Both internal and external hemorrhoids that fail to respond to medications can be remove with an outpatient procedure.