Gastrointestinal Surgery: New Frontiers

Book excerpt: Gastroenterology is a branch of medicine which is concerned with the treatment and management of the disorders of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. An important area of gastroenterology is gastrointestinal surgery. GI surgery is performed to remove a cancerous or noncancerous growth occurring on the GI tract or to correct any damage within the tract. Minor surgical procedures may also be conducted to diagnose or screen for problems in the digestive system. Endoscopy is a simple surgical procedure that allows the visualization of the GI tract. Certain conditions that require gastrointestinal surgery are appendicitis, diverticular disease, gallbladder disease, colon cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers, hernia, gastroesophageal disease, rectal prolapse, etc. GI surgeries can be open or minimally invasive. Both of these surgeries are performed under the administration of anesthesia. This book covers in detail the new frontiers in gastrointestinal surgery. Different approaches, evaluations, methodologies and advanced studies on gastrointestinal surgery have been included herein. It is a collective contribution of a renowned group of international experts on gastroenterology.