General Surgery

Our Approach to General Surgery

At IU Health, we put as much emphasis on your personal well being as we do on being the leading surgeons in the region. We focus not just on achieving technical excellence, but also on choosing surgical methods that deliver faster recovery, lower risk and fewer complications.

Our general surgeons treat health problems impacting the entire body, including:

• Breast cancer
• Thyroid cancer and diseases
• Parathyroid and adrenal glands
• Sarcoma (soft tissue tumors)
• Colon and rectal diseases
• Hernia repair
• Bariatric (weight loss) surgery
• Pancreas and liver diseases
• Trauma and critical care

Minimally invasive surgery

Because we know you don’t have time to recover for extended periods, IU Health specializes in minimally invasive surgery. This allows you to return to your daily activities more quickly. It also leads to less scarring and requires less pain medication.

Minimally invasive techniques are used by almost every discipline within general surgery when possible. Procedures that typically are treated with a minimally invasive approach include:

• Thyroid surgery
• Groin hernia repair
• Appendectomy
• Gall bladder removal
• Breast biopsy

Gallbladder surgery, for example, is usually performed on an outpatient basis using laparoscopy. Generally, four incisions averaging less than a half-inch in length are made. You may be able to go home in as little as six hours after arriving at the hospital.

Most patients are back to normal function within a week. A more outdated surgical approach would require overnight hospitalization, a much longer healing time and would carry a greater risk of complications.

Advanced Surgical Techniques

IU Health’s surgeons are trained in the latest surgical techniques to provide our patients with optimal outcomes whenever possible. These techniques include:

Abdominal Wall Surgery

Hernia repair is usually straightforward, but if more complex methods are needed, the surgeons at IU Health are at the forefront of complicated hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction.

Breast Tissue Preservation

Our advanced techniques combine cancer surgery with plastic surgery. Our breast preservation techniques can be used for large tumors that typically would require a mastectomy.

If your cancer treatment requires mastectomy or you choose to undergo prophylactic mastectomy because you’re at high risk of developing breast cancer, our surgeons can preserve your nipples for a natural appearance after breast reconstruction.

Robotic Surgery

We use many leading-edge robotic surgical techniques so that our surgeons can perform procedures with extreme precision and delicacy. This results in as little insult to the body as possible.

The da Vinci Surgical System® provides an alternative to open and conventional techniques. Advantages for the surgeon include 3D vision, 360-degree motion and superior precision. These advantages mean less pain, shorter hospital stays and quicker patient recovery.

Robotic surgery can be used for:

• Cholecystectomy for patients with symptomatic gallstones or biliary dyskinesia
• Hernia repair
• Anti-gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) procedures and esophageal myotomy for achalasia
• Splenectomy
• Appendectomy
• Surgery for patients with inflammatory bowel disease, bowel obstructions or colon cancer

Level 1 Trauma Center

If you experience a catastrophic health crisis, the Level 1 Trauma Centers at IU Health Methodist Hospital and Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health care for the sickest of the sick, day and night.

General surgeons will participate in your care as a critical patient, even if you don’t end up requiring surgery.

Second Chance Surgical Repair

You might have had a prior surgery from which you haven’t fully healed or you’ve experienced unexpected complications. If this is the case, we can help you by repeating or repairing your original procedure.

Surgical Oncology

Surgery can be an important tool for treating cancerous tumors, especially those found on the thyroid, liver, pancreas or other abdominal organs.

Your surgeon will work with your oncologist and other specialists for complete care that aims to fight your cancer and help you return to living your everyday life.

Why IU Health for General Surgery

IU Health surgeons are the most advanced practitioners of surgery in the state of Indiana. Our surgeons maintain focused areas of excellence. This means they treat specific diseases or organ systems. This focus allows us to maintain knowledge of the most current techniques and to understand the shifting standards of care.

Through our partnership with Indiana University School of Medicine, many of our surgeons are the thought leaders in the region and even nationwide. That means we're helping to establish the standard of care for surgeons across the country.

Many patients come to us to fix prior surgical complications. But we are proud to provide the first line of care to adults and children, whether for routine procedures or in the most challenging situations.