An Internist’s Illustrated Guide to Gastrointestinal Surgery (Clinical Gastroenterology)

In general, primary care providers, family practitioners, and gastroenterologists have a limited knowledge of abdominal surgical operations, the medical aspects of these surgical procedures, and their immediate and late complications. In addition, traditionally, these patients are not followed up by the surgeons and thus, the internist must become familiar with postsurgical problems in order to provide appropriate long-term care. A clear understanding of the concepts that underlie the surgery is crucial for proper management of these patients. In An Internist's Illustrated Guide to Gastrointestinal Surgery, highly experienced physicians describe all of the surgical and laparoscopic procedures now used for the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in readily understood language, complete with clear illustrations of the various surgeries, discussions of accompanying anatomical and physiological changes, advice on medical management of the postsurgical patient, and medical pearls. Topics range from esophageal and gastric surgery to abdominal hernia, from small and large bowel procedures to hepatic, biliary, pancreatic, aortic, and peritoneal operations. The authors compare alternative operations, discuss medical management issues, and examine the relative costs of these surgical procedures and operations. Detailed artist-rendered illustrations of GI anatomy before and after surgery and, where appropriate, radiological images before and after surgery, are also presented. Authoritative yet easy-to-read, An Internist's Illustrated Guide to Gastrointestinal Surgery offers today's nonsurgically trained physicians a unique book covering the concepts and practices that underlie gastrointestinal surgery-including laparoscopic surgery-that are crucial to today's best management of their patients. Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Esophagectomy and Reconstruction....Pages 3-15 Zenker’s Diverticulum....Pages 17-22 Esophagectomy for Achalasia....Pages 23-31 Surgery for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease....Pages 33-45 Hiatal Hernia Repair....Pages 47-55 Esophageal Stents....Pages 57-63 Endoscopic Therapy for Esophageal Varices....Pages 65-72 Front Matter....Pages 73-73 Surgical Treatment of Peptic Ulcer Disease....Pages 75-85 Surgical Management of Gastric Tumors....Pages 87-97 Reconstruction After Distal Gastrectomy....Pages 99-114 Surgery for Obesity....Pages 115-122 Percutaneous Enterostomy Tubes....Pages 123-138 Front Matter....Pages 139-139 Small Bowel Resections....Pages 141-149 Urinary Diversion Surgery....Pages 151-159 Front Matter....Pages 161-161 Colonic Resection....Pages 163-173 Surgery of the Rectum and Anus....Pages 175-192 Front Matter....Pages 193-193 Hepatic Resection....Pages 195-205 Bypass and Reconstruction of Bile Ducts....Pages 207-214 Cholecystectomy....Pages 215-224 Front Matter....Pages 225-225 Pancreatic Surgery....Pages 227-247 Front Matter....Pages 225-225 Endoscopic Management of Pancreatic Pseudocysts....Pages 249-257 Front Matter....Pages 259-259 Surgery of the Abdominal Aorta and Branches....Pages 261-270 Edovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm....Pages 271-280 Front Matter....Pages 281-281 Portasystemic Venous Shunt Surgery for Portal Hypertension....Pages 283-296 Transjuglar Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt....Pages 297-307 Front Matter....Pages 309-309 Hernia Surgery....Pages 311-320 Front Matter....Pages 321-321 Peritoneal Shunts....Pages 323-330 Back Matter....Pages 331-341 Few clinical disciplines have been transformed so dramatically by advancements in science and technology as gastrointestinal surgery. To begin with, modern ph- macology has virtually eliminated some kinds of surgery altogether. If one were to take a peek at a typical operating room schedule in a busy hospital of the 1960s, gastrectomies of one kind or another would have constituted a large block of the major surgeries. The advent of effective H2-histamine receptor antagonists and, more recently, the H ,K -ATPase (proton pump) inhibitors led to a precipitous decline in those procedures such that they are rarely performed today. Exciting new approaches to treating inflammatory bowel diseases and their complications—such as fistulas— with anticytokine therapy may one day have a similarly profound effect on surgery for this condition as well. Beyond pharmaceutics, advances in imaging techniques have greatly facilitated the identification and characterization of pathology in the gastrointestinal tract in a way that would have been unimaginable only a few years ago. Just to visualize the pancreas in some way was a horrendous task until abdominal ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, or computer tomography made it simple. The fact that the gut is a hollow organ that can be accessed through the mouth, anus, or even through the wall of the abdomen has been fully exploited with fiberoptic endoscopes that can bend around corners with ease and permit surgery to be conducted through them.

This comprehensive and easy-to-read review of all the surgical and laparoscopic procedures now used for the GI tract is designed for the nonsurgically trained physician who must care for postsurgical patients. It provides clear illustrations, discussions of accompanying anatomical and physiological changes, advice on patient management, and medical pearls. Topics range from esophageal and gastric surgery to abdominal hernia, from small and large bowel procedures to hepatic, biliary, pancreatic, aortic, and peritoneal operations. This is a unique book that covers the concepts and practices that underlie gastrointestinal surgery and are crucial to today's best management of patients.