Types of gastrointestinal surgery

Our Bariatric Surgery and Weight Management specialty offers several leading weight-loss surgery options. Surgeons at Penn Medicine perform the most minimally invasive bariatric surgeries in the Philadelphia region. Because every patient is unique, our program offers a full range of bariatric surgical options, ensuring that you receive the bariatric surgery that’s right for you.

All bariatric surgery procedures we perform use a minimally invasive approach with either laparoscopy or robotic surgery. Both surgical approaches offer many benefits, including shorter recovery times and less post-operative pain.

Our board-certified surgeons at the Hernia Center have decades of experience treating both common and complicated hernias of all types. Our collaborative team often performs hernia repair surgery using minimally invasive or robotic techniques, offering multiple recovery benefits.

Our gastrointestinal surgeons are experienced in upper gastrointestinal surgery, treating routine and rare concerns of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Less-invasive techniques (such as tiny incisions and high-tech surgical robots) promote healing and help you get back on your feet quickly. In addition to bariatric surgery and hernia surgery, we offer:

• Esophagus surgery: We perform a very high volume of esophagectomies (esophagus removal surgery), with excellent results. We treat a wide range of esophageal and swallowing disorders, often with less-invasive techniques that shorten your recovery.
• Foregut surgery: We have a wide variety of options to treat stomach and small intestine ailments. Penn is one of few centers along the East Coast to offer gastric stimulation, an advanced type of gastroparesis surgery.
• GERD surgeries: We perform multiple minimally invasive procedures to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). These options, such as Nissen fundoplication, are considered a safe, long-term cure for chronic heartburn and acid reflux.
• Surgical nutrition: We deliver nutrition in liquid form directly to the intestine (via a feeding tube) or to the bloodstream (via an IV, called parenteral nutrition). We use the latest advances to perform all types of surgical nutrition procedures with precision and compassion.

Our fellowship-trained colon and rectal surgery specialists expertly treat routine and rare problems of the large intestine (colon, rectum, and anus). Advanced laparoscopic colorectal techniques enable us to protect healthy tissues and preserve more of your body’s natural functions and your quality of life.

Through our Gastrointestinal Cancer Care specialty, Penn Medicine offers elite surgical expertise for all types of cancers affecting the digestive tract. Our GI cancer surgery team includes acclaimed surgeons who specialize in treating certain types of GI cancers, such as esophageal cancer. We perform a high volume of intricate procedures to remove hard-to-treat tumors when other centers can’t.

Penn’s hepatobiliary surgeons perform complicated liver, pancreas, bile duct, and gallbladder surgeries at volumes that rival most institutions in the Philadelphia region. We regularly remove hard-to-treat tumors and handle difficult cases that are referred from other centers. We offer elite expertise and specialized options in:

• Gallbladder surgery: We treat gallbladder cancer as well as complex problems, such as bile duct injuries and severe gallbladder disease.
• Liver and bile duct surgery: We treat all types of liver and bile duct tumors, including primary and metastatic bile duct cancer and liver cancer.
• Pancreas surgery: We treat benign problems like pancreatitis as well as precancerous pancreatic cysts and pancreatic cancer. Our team features leading experts in technical procedures, such as the Whipple surgery (pancreaticoduodenectomy).