General & Specialty Surgery – What We Offer

When you choose ECU Physicians surgeons, you’ll receive care from compassionate professionals using the newest techniques and technology. Our approaches include minimally invasive procedures which use smaller incisions and reduce recovery time. Patients can return to their normal routines sooner.

We also use robotic assistance in some procedures, including gall bladder removal (cholecystectomy), removal of the spleen (splenectomy) or removal of one or both of the adrenal glands (adrenalectomy), which are located above the kidneys and produce hormones including adrenaline. We have pioneered the use of the da Vinci robotic assistant in surgery. This device improves the surgeon’s own skill by increasing accuracy and precision, reducing tremors.

If you suffer from a hernia, we offer laparoscopic and robotically assisted hernia repair. We have expert procedures to repair damage to the esophagus caused by reflux, including the Nissen Fundoplication.

Laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder, and removal of colon sections as treatment for polyps, tumors or diverticulii are also suitable for many patients.

Your physician will refer you for a consultation, or you may call our office for more information about scheduling a surgical consultation. Give us a call 252-744-2393.

Robotic and Minimally Invasive Procedures

Among our advanced surgical approaches are minimally invasive options that reduce recovery time for many patients.

Minimally invasive surgery, also known as laparoscopic surgery, uses small incisions and special instruments to allow surgeons to use small, “keyhole”-sized incisions. Laparoscopic instruments have longer handles and surgeons use tiny cameras to show a patient’s internal organs during the operation, eliminating the need for long incisions required for open surgeries. These minimally invasive procedures typically mean less healing time and scarring, as well as a faster return to normal activities.

Because tiny cameras project large images onto a screen, surgeons can to operate precisely without the large incisions required in traditional open surgeries. In cases that are more complicated than originally thought, our surgeons are fully prepared to convert any procedure to a traditional surgery at any time, assuring you of the best care, expertise and experience.

For some procedures, patients may benefit from robotic-assisted surgery. These robotic-assisted procedures use tiny video cameras and minimally invasive procedures to operate without large incisions. The surgeon uses robotic instruments during the procedure to eliminate the slight tremors and stray movements of the human hand, allowing for exceptional precision during procedures.

Minimally and robotic procedures are available for:

  • spleen disorders treatment
  • colon disorders treatment
  • gallbladder removal
  • adrenal gland removal
  • hernia repair
  • esophageal repair related to gastric reflux disease and disorders

What We Treat

Adrenal Glands

We offer minimally invasive operations for benign and malignant adrenal tumors.

Abnormalities of the adrenal glands requiring operation are typically found on x-rays obtained for other reasons. Specifically, adrenal nodules are commonly found on CT scans of the abdomen. If these nodules are small and not secreting excess hormone, surgery is not typically required. If surgery is required based on the size of the nodule or it is secreting excess hormone, minimally invasive techniques are used to better visualize the area and allow for more rapid recovery. Following laparoscopic adrenal surgery, you’re typically able to go home the day after your operation. Recovery time is typically one week.

Colon Disorders

Our surgeons offer several laparoscopic surgical options for treatment of benign and malignant colon disorders.

Gallstones

The most common symptom of gallstones is abdominal pain on the right upper abdomen below the ribs, that can radiate to the back and right shoulder, with nausea and/or vomiting and its triggered by fatty meals. Gallstones can also pass to the main bile duct and cause biliary obstruction or pancreas inflammation. Patients with biliary obstruction present with yellow skin and eyes discoloration and dark urine. Many patients with gallstones don’t have symptoms, but when symptoms begin it is time to see a surgeon.

When stones pass to the main bile duct, they need to be removed. This is done with an endoscopic technique called ERCP. An endoscope with a side view camera is introduced through the mouth and advanced to the first segment of the small intestine where the main bile duct ends. A wire is passed into the duct and after a small cut to open it, several devices including baskets and balloons are passed into the duct to remove the stones and relieve the obstruction. Sometimes the ERCP cannot be performed due to anatomical changes, especially in patients with previous gastric surgery like gastric bypass. These cases used to be treated with a big operation to explore the bile duct surgically. We now have the option of performing these types of explorations with minimally invasive surgery that results in a fastest recovery, reduced hospital stays and fewer wound infections.

The treatment of gallstones may also involve removing the gallbladder. The operation is performed with minimally invasive surgery and with just small incisions, surgeons remove the gallbladder and the patient goes home the same day. The incorporation of robotic surgery allows surgeons to have an enhanced vision and more precise movements when performing the operation.

General Thoracic

Benign and malignant conditions of the chest. We offer minimally invasive procedures for lung cancer, thymoma, as well as pleural disease.

Hernias

Hernias are protrusions of fat or viscera through a weak spot in the abdominal wall. The most common sites for hernias to occur are the umbilicus and the groins. When patients have any kind of abdominal surgery, the incision site could become a weak spot itself, so hernias could develop at previous incision sites. These are called incisional hernias.

Sometimes hernias don’t cause any symptoms and patients don’t seek medical attention, but they can also cause pain and discomfort, limiting patients to perform their daily activities. Hernias can also cause severe complications when they get stuck outside and cannot be pushed back in. This requires immediate medical attention and most likely emergency surgery.

Hernias are repaired in different ways. Most of the time, surgeons push back the hernia contents inside the abdomen, close the hole and reinforce the weak spot with a piece of mesh. During the healing time, the patient’s body creates a strong layer of tissue over the mesh that seals the previous hole completely. This can be done by conventional open surgery or by minimally invasive surgery, where the surgeon operates through very small incisions using cameras and special instruments. This decreases the chances of wound infections and allow patients a faster return to their daily activities. Surgeons have recently incorporated the robotic platform to this type of operations. In these cases, the surgeon operates from a console and the instruments are connected to a surgical robot that reproduces the movements of the surgeon, allowing more precision and enhanced vision during the operation. Patients can usually go home the same day,

Reflux Disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease causes heartburn, sour stomach and even regurgitation of stomach juices, sometimes with a very bad taste. Patients may have a hiatal hernia as a cause of their reflux, but reflux can be a problem in some patients even without a hiatal hernia. Patients who suffer from reflux often experience a decrease in their quality of life as a result.

Although medications can sometimes control reflux, there is concern that taking some of these Medications long-term can cause other health problems for the patient, leading many doctors to recommend stopping them even though the patient may experience a return of reflux symptoms.

Surgical treatment can be used to allow patients to stop taking medications for reflux or to improve the control of reflux symptoms in patients with reflux symptoms despite their medications. The goal of treatment for all patients with reflux should be to have their symptoms well-controlled with or without medications and reflux should certainly not interfere with the patient’s quality of life. In some cases, severe reflux over years without adequate treatment can actually lead to cancer of the esophagus.

Surgical treatment is done via laparoscopic small-incision surgery in which any hiatal hernia is repaired and a stomach-wrap procedure is performed (also called a fundoplication) in which wrapping the stomach around the bottom of the swallowing tube (esophagus) improves the function of this area in order to prevent stomach juices from traveling back up into the esophagus. The surgery is highly effective for the treatment of reflux disease and most patients experience significant improvement in their reflux symptoms. Surgery may not require a hospital stay depending on the overall health of the patient and most patients can return to normal work and lifestyle within several weeks of the procedure.

Thyroid Conditions

Among the conditions that commonly require operation are thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, goiter, and hyperthyroidism.

  • Thyroid nodules
    Lumps in the thyroid gland (nodules) are common. They’re often found on routine examination or x-rays obtained for other reasons. Evaluation typically includes measuring the level of the thyroid hormones and performing an ultrasound to assess the nodules. Based on the ultrasound, biopsy may be indicated.
    ECU surgery performs thyroid operations on patients who had abnormal biopsies or other findings where thyroid resection is recommended. These operations are performed at ECU Health Medical Center. Thyroid surgery is safe. An overnight stay is typically all that is necessary. You are typically able to return to work within a week.
  • Thyroid cancer
    Occasionally biopsies will show thyroid cancer. ECU surgery has extensive experience treating patients with thyroid cancer. The entire thyroid gland is typically removed. However, in selected cases only half of the gland is removed. The need for lymph node removal is based on the cancer type and other factors. As with all thyroid surgery, an overnight stay is typically all that is necessary.
  • Goiter
    A goiter is an enlarged thyroid. Most commonly this is due to multiple nodules in the thyroid gland. If you are experiencing symptoms related to this such as difficulty swallowing or neck pressure, thyroid removal may help with her symptoms.
  • Hyperthyroidism
    Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid gland. This is typically treated with medications and radioactive iodine. Some patients are more appropriately treated with thyroid removal.

Parathyroid Conditions

  • Primary hyperparathyroidism
    The most common cause of elevated calcium is primary hyperparathyroidism. There are four parathyroid glands in her neck (two on each side). They are located on the underside of the thyroid gland and control your calcium. In primary hyperparathyroidism at least one of these glands is overactive. This causes over secretion of parathyroid hormone. This inappropriately raises the blood level of calcium by extracting calcium from the bones. Long-term this can lead to osteoporosis. Excess calcium is excreted through the kidneys. This can cause kidney stones. Elevated calcium levels can also cause symptoms such as fatigue, memory disorders, and sleep disturbance.
    ECU surgery has extensive experience treating patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Where possible we use minimally invasive techniques. This requires definitive localization of the abnormal parathyroid gland. This is done using a combination of ultrasound and nuclear medicine imaging. In cases where the abnormal gland is not definitively identified, all of the glands are examined at the time of operation. This is an outpatient procedure. The recovery is rapid.
  • Secondary hyperparathyroidism
    This condition is common in patients with chronic kidney disease who are on dialysis. The kidney plays an important role in the control of calcium. Based on abnormalities due to chronic kidney disease, the parathyroid glands become overactive. If this can’t not be controlled with medications, parathyroid surgery may be the best option.

We also use minimally invasive procedures for weight loss (bariatric surgery) when appropriate for the patient.

If you think you may have one of these types of problems, call 252-744-2393 for an appointment with one of our physicians.