General surgeons at Summit Health treat a variety of illnesses and injuries for patients in the New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area. Our highly qualified surgeons have expertise in open surgery and laparoscopic surgery. Depending on your needs, your surgeon will decide which approach is best for you.
Open Surgery
For open surgery, your surgeon must make an opening, or incision, by cutting the skin and tissues. Open surgery incisions vary in size and depth depending on the type of surgery. How quickly you heal after open surgery depends on many factors, including the type of surgery you have as well as your overall health.
Laparoscopic Surgery
Laparoscopic surgery often is called minimally invasive surgery because it requires small (typically up to half an inch) incisions. Small tubes containing a video camera and surgical tools are inserted though the incisions. The surgeon then uses the image from the video camera inside the body to perform the procedure.
Patients who have laparoscopic procedures often heal more quickly and experience less pain than patients who have open surgery procedures. For this reason, laparoscopic surgery has become popular. Despite its advantages, laparoscopic surgery is not an option for all patients. Your surgeon can tell you whether you are a candidate for open or laparoscopic surgery.
Other Advantages with Laparoscopic Surgery Include:
- Less bleeding
- Less risk of infection
- Smaller external scars
- Less internal scarring
- Quicker return to regular activities
Before and after you have open surgery or laparoscopic surgery, your general surgeon and nurse will explain how to care for your incisions so that they heal quickly and properly.
If You Need General Surgery to Remove Skin Cancer
If you have skin cancer, we offer the latest in surgical techniques to manage and cure skin cancer with the least damage to healthy tissue.
Mohs micrographic surgery is considered the single most effective skin cancer surgery. It is frequently used for patients who have basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. An extremely precise method, Mohs micrographic surgery allows surgeons to remove a thin layer of tissue and examine it during rather than after surgery. As a result, surgeons know exactly when tissue is free of skin cancer cells. The approach allows them to preserve more healthy tissue compared with traditional skin cancer surgery. Mohs surgery scars also are generally minimal.
Learn more about Mohs micrographic surgery.
General Surgery Services
Our most common procedures include those for the:
- Esophagus
- Stomach
- Liver
- Gallbladder
- Intestines
- Hernias
If You Need Bariatric (Weight Loss) Surgery
Although overeating and inactivity contribute to being overweight and obese, research shows that family history and genetics have a significant role in risk for the conditions. In addition, you might have had little or only short-term success with low calorie diets and exercise if you are obese. For these reasons, weight-loss (or bariatric) surgery might be the best option for helping you achieve a healthy weight and protect your health.
If you are struggling with obesity, learn more about our Bariatric Surgery service and how surgery for weight loss might help you.
