Emergency Surgery

Acute appendicitis is a surgical emergency condition. The experience and specialization of the surgeon in its treatment is catalytic, as it is a condition that if not diagnosed in time and not treated properly can have serious to fatal complications. Read More here

Obstruction of the intestine or adhesive ileum is a very urgent condition that if left untreated can be life threatening and therefore requires immediate surgery. Read More here

The development of a small corpus luteum or hematoma in the ovaries is not uncommon, as varying degrees of bleeding and bladder swelling usually occur during the menstrual cycle or during pregnancy. Usually, corpus luteum and hematomas resolve on their own and without causing clinical symptoms. Sometimes, however, corpus luteum grows and becomes abnormal, resulting in different kinds of emergency surgery. Emergencies resulting from corpus luteus are not very uncommon, although there is not enough relevant reference in international literature. In most reported cases, the complications are caused by a rupture of the corpus luteum, resulting in hemoperitoneum. This condition should be diagnosed and treated immediately, because delayed diagnosis can significantly reduce a woman’s fertility and intra-abdominal bleeding can be life threatening. The treatment of corpus luteus rupture is now usually carried out with minimally invasive methods, either with traditional laparoscopic surgery or -ideally- with robotic surgery, which is an evolution of laparoscopy. With the assistance of the robotic system (da Vinci Xi), surgery is performed with the least possible tissue injury and the maximum protection of the anatomical structures sensitive to the woman in the area.

Rupture of an endometrium is a rare occurrence, with an estimated incidence of less than 3% in women of childbearing potential with endometriosis. This condition occurs more often during pregnancy, due to the hormonal stimulation of the stromal elements of the endometrium. It is a surgical emergency and is treated surgically. Read more about endometriosis here.

Splenic rupture is usually the result of an abdominal injury. In rare cases, it can also be caused by an infection or hematological condition, as well as a complication of surgery in the abdomen. A ruptured spleen can lead to massive intra-abdominal bleeding and should therefore be treated as a medical emergency. Splenic rupture can be either acute or delayed. An acute rupture, which is immediately accompanied by severe pain and shock, is different from a delayed rupture, which occurs with a sudden onset of pain and shock after an asymptomatic period lasting from days to weeks. Ruptured spleen is treated by surgically removing the organ with a procedure called splenectomy. Read more here.

A rare complication of peptic and duodenal ulcers is the so-called perforation of the stomach. This is a grave condition because it allows bacteria inside the stomach to escape and infect the peritoneum, causing peritonitis. In peritonitis, an infection can spread quickly into the bloodstream (sepsis) before it spreads to other organs. This carries the risk of multiple organ failure and can be fatal if not treated promptly with surgery. Read more about treating peptic ulcers here

The only method of permanent treatment of a hernia is surgical repair. Patients with hernias are at risk of developing serious complications, such as the entrapment of the bowel in the hernia gap (strangulation) which can cause intestinal obstruction and ischemia (bowel perfusion disorder leading to gangrene). Both of these conditions require urgent surgical treatment. Scheduled (non-emergency) hernia correction generally leads to better results, shorter recovery time, and far fewer postoperative complications. Read more here.

Acute appendicitis first causes mild pain in the upper abdomen, with vomiting or diarrhea. Later, the pain moves lower to the right and becomes persistent and intense, and fever appears. Abdominal ultrasound is the main test for detecting inflammation of the appendix. Treatment is the immediate surgical removal of the appendix: a laparoscopic appendectomy is performed through three incisions, half to one centimeter long, and the patient returns home 24 hours after surgery.

Signs of a possible strangulated hernia include severe abdominal pain or abdominal distention, nausea and vomiting, and redness, tenderness or pain at the site of the hernia bulge. A strangulated hernia can block the bowel, and surgery is needed no later than six hours after the symptoms begin, because otherwise the bowel is at risk of necrosis. That is why abdominal wall hernias should be treated in a timely manner.

The spleen is located in the left upper abdomen and is the most fragile of the intra-abdominal organs. Apart from abdominal injury, rupture can result from an enlarged spleen, for example after a viral infection, such as mononucleosis, or with certain cancers, such as lymphomas, that make the spleen swell. Like several other spleen disorders, a ruptured spleen is treated with splenectomy, which can be performed with open surgery or with minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic techniques.