Surgery (General)

General surgeons provide care for patients in the preoperative, operative and postoperative period for a wide variety of minor and complex problems. The scope of general surgery is broad but includes expertise in the following areas:

• Diseases of the head and neck, including the management of benign and malignant disorders of the thyroid and parathyroid glands.
• Diseases of the breast, including breast cancer, breast conservation surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy.
• Skin and soft tissues, including the treatment of malignant cutaneous melanoma.
• Diseases of the alimentary tract, including disorders involving the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and rectum. There is particular expertise in the management of tumors of the colon, as well as inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Learn more about laparoscopically assisted colectomy and open colectomy.
• Disorders of the pancreas, liver, biliary tract, and gallbladder, including gallstones.
• The management of hernias involving the groin and abdominal wall.
• Vascular disorders, including arterial problems related to occlusive disease of the carotid and peripheral vasculature, as well as aneurysms of the aorta.
• The comprehensive management of trauma, emergency operations and surgical critical care.
• Pediatric surgical care.
• Weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery).

Minimally invasive surgery, including robotic surgery, is an area of particular strength at Abington Memorial Hospital. The use of miniature computerized video cameras with scopes in specially equipped videoscopic operating room suites minimize the incision, pain and recovery time of major operations, such as gallbladder removal or appendectomy. Advanced laparoscopic surgical techniques, such as repairing perforated ulcers, gastric bypass for weight control, removal of the spleen, repair of hernias, bowel resection, colon resection, exploration of the common bile duct, removal of adrenal tumors and wrapping of the lower esophagus for the treatment of reflux esophagitis are also available here with state-of-the-art staff expertise and training. Similar technology can be applied to chest operations by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Other examples of currently available minimally invasive surgical techniques include transanal endoscopic surgery for removal of rectal lesions, the use of stent grafts to treat aortic aneurysms and minimally invasive parathyroid surgery.

The hospital's Surgical Procedures Unit and the Abington Surgical Center in Willow Grove allow many diagnostic and treatment procedures to be performed on an outpatient basis. The hospital's 24-room operating suite, Intensive Care Unit and Surgical Trauma Unit are located in the Toll and Lenfest Pavilions. General surgery is one of the specialties in which Abington Memorial Hospital provides postgraduate medical education to resident surgeons.