The GI Tract is also called the Gastrointestinal Tract. The GI tract is important because it has an active role in your digestion, immunity, and overall health. In your abdomen, are organs that allow us to convert the foods we eat into energy and nutrients for your body. The organs in the GI tract include the stomach, gallbladder, liver, small intestine, appendix, colon, spleen, blood vessels, lymph nodes and pancreas. Many disease processes can affect the GI tract and in turn, affect your general health and decrease the quality of life. The majority of medical conditions affecting our intra-abdominal organs that require surgery can be completed with the use of Robotic procedures.
Robotic surgery is a minimally invasive alternative to open surgery and laparoscopy. Patients often recover faster and get back to their daily life quicker or move on to additional treatments more quickly when choosing robotic surgery over traditional surgery. Here at ATXRobotic Surgery, Dr. Burman uses the DaVinci robotic system to perform procedures that affect our GI tract, such as Crohn's Disease and Diverticular Disease.
What is Robotic Splenectomy?
The spleen is an Intra-abdominal organ. It may become damaged as a result of disease or injury to it. While the spleen is not part of the GI tract; it is part of the lymphatic system. The spleen plays a crucial role because it helps to protect the body by clearing out foreign bodies from the bloodstream to help fight infections. Injury to the spleen can be resolved robotically with a splenectomy.
What is Splenectomy?
Splenectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the spleen.
Where is the spleen?
Your spleen is on the upper left side of the stomach, under the ribcage.
What does the spleen do?
The spleen filters unneeded material and helps fight infections.
Who needs a Splenectomy?
Sometimes, the spleen stops working correctly. Your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the spleen if you have had a severe injury to your abdomen that damages the spleen and causes it to rupture. Also, if you have any one of the following problems, your doctor may recommend a splenectomy.
Ruptured spleen. The spleen can rupture due to a severe injury or when the spleen is damaged by disease. A ruptured spleen can be life-threatening if there is internal bleeding.
Enlarged spleen. The spleen can become enlarged from several types of anemia and other Blood disorders.
Cancer. Cancers that may be treated with splenectomy are: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hairy cell leukemia
Cysts or tumor. Noncancerous tumors or cysts.
Additional procedures resolved with Robotic Surgery
The use of the Robotic System can also be applied to processes such as performing biopsies, the removal of masses, draining an abscess, or placement of feeding tubes. If your doctor has recommended, any of the procedures mentioned above, contact us at ATXRobotic surgery for a consultation.
