About Surgical Gastroenterology

Surgical Gastroenterology is a relatively new surgical speciality. This speciality became a necessity with rapid progress in diagnostic and interventional Gastroenterology requiring surgeons specially trained in operating on the gastro-intestinal tract. The two rapid advances in the field of surgery namely “Minimal access surgery” or “Key hole surgery” and organ transplantation both so relevant to abdominal surgery further widened the horizons of surgical Gastroenterology.

This speciality encompasses surgery of the entire gastro intestinal tract starting from esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, rectum, liver and pancreas. Advanced surgery on each of these organs requires very specialized training and skill which is taught in a very few surgical units in the country and abroad.

To be a trained surgical gastroenterologist a surgeon, after general surgical training needs prolonged stay and training in the field of surgical Gastroenterology in one of the above mentioned units. The present day surgical gastroenterologists are also well versed in advanced laparoscopic surgery as most of the abdominal surgeries at present are done laparoscopically.

Complicated operations like Total Esophagectomy, Total Gastrectomy, WHIPPLE’S Procedure, Liver Resections, Bowel Resections, Surgery for Portal Hypertension are usually dealt by surgical gastroenterologists with good results.

Surgical Gastroenterologists are also adept at diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy and most practicing interventional gastroenterologist in India are surgeons by training.

Dr Manubhai V. Pipalia has also been trained well in advanced laparoscopic surgery and has been performing surgeries like Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy, Appendicectomy, Hernia Repair, Heller’s Cardiomyotomy, Fundoplication, Rectopexy, Colonic rescetions, Splenectomy, Hydatid excision for many years now with excellent results.