Dr. Katie S Artz - What Is General Surgery
Katie S. Artz, MD, FACS, is a top general surgeon who lends her skills and expertise to serve patients at Southwestern Surgery Associates, an affiliate of Arizona Community Surgeons PC, in Tucson, Arizona, which she joined in 2006 upon completing her surgical training. With eleven years of experience as a general surgeon,... more
What is general surgery?
General surgery encompasses a broad group of surgeries for varied diseases. This includes the process of preoperative, operative, and postoperative care. General surgery runs the gamut of elective, non-operative, and emergency surgical care.
Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery. Before laparoscopy, surgeons had to use large cuts to the body see what they were doing. With laparoscopy however, a small camera Is used to show surgeons what they are working on by looking at a video monitor. This allows them to use fewer, smaller incisions to treat their patients, leading to better healing times.
Common Surgical Procedures. Common laposcopic surgeries include hernia repair, breast surgery, subcutaneous tumors, thyroid surgery, rectal surgery, colon surgery, and gallbladder surgery. Typically, in an hour or two, a laposcopic surgeon can repair or remove and organ without the complications that used to exist years ago.
Hernia Surgery. Hernias tend to need surgery because they won’t get better on their own and they can lead to potentially life-threatening complications. A hernia is when a tissue or organ has pushed through a weak spot in some surrounding connective tissue or wall. The surgery consists of getting the tissue back to where it’s supposed to be, and mending the tear or hole.
Hernia Surgery. Hernia surgery involves the repair of the fatty tissue or organ that has pushed through a weak place in surrounding connective tissue or muscle wall. Hernias typically don’t resolve themselves on their own, they tend to grow larger. In severe cases, they can lead to life-threatening complications. Most doctors will recommend surgery to repair hernias.
