General Surgery

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Considering surgery?

Common (and painful) issues like gallbladder problems, hernias, hemorrhoids can often be taken care of with relatively simple surgeries. In most cases, patients can go home the same day the surgery is performed—allowing them to feel better and get back to their loved ones. So don't delay and get some pain relief -- call today to schedule a consultation at (866) 456-5268.

Tamer Aiti, M.D., FICS, MS
Union County General Surgery
515 N. Main Street, Suite C
Anna, IL 62906
(866) 456-5268
* Member of the Medical Staff

General Surgery often includes the following procedures and treatments:

Abdominal surgeries: laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, open appendectomy, colon resection, gastric surgery, open feeding tube placement, abdominal mass resection, surgical hemorrhoidectomy
Vascular access: Port placement and central line placement
Head and neck surgery: Thyroidectomy, salivary gland tumors, neck mass resection, Lymph node resection and biopsy
Skin cancer: Melanoma excision and sentinel node biopsy, Basal cell and Squamous cell carcinoma including lesions on face, lips, and nose
GI scope: Colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for screening and diagnosis
Breast surgery: Biopsies, cyst or mass excision, lumpectomy, mastectomy, duct lesion excision, sentinel node biopsy, benign and malignant lesions
Soft tissue: Lipoma, sarcoma mass excision and biopsies
Wound care/surgery: debridement, split thickness and full thickness skin grafting

A general surgeon cares for patients needing surgery on the abdomen, skin, breast, soft tissues, esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, gallbladder, and bile ducts, among other organs. General Surgeon, Tamer Aiti, M.D., is on the medical staff at Union County Hospital and partners with patients to develop comprehensive treatment plans. He will take the time to listen and translate medical terms in a way that makes it easier to understand your choices. Call (866) 456-5268 for more information.

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Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are a common issue. In fact about 50 percent of all people will experience hemorrhoids by age 50. Hemorrhoids occur when the veins or blood vessels in and around your anus and lower rectum become swollen and irritated. Hemorrhoids are often a result of straining during bowel movements, pregnancy or have chronic constipation and diarrhea. Many women get hemorrhoids during pregnancy and childbirth. The pressure of carrying a baby in your abdomen strains the blood vessels in your pelvic area.

Symptoms typically include pain and itching, which can usually be treated with over-the-counter medications. For some people, taking in adequate amounts of water, a high fiber diet and over-the-counter remedies are not enough to treat hemorrhoids. However, it is time to see a doctor for hemorrhoids when the pain is severe; you experience rectal bleeding, feel a lump or if you are experiencing recurrent hemorrhoids. Surgery to remove these painful, swollen veins is called a hemorrhoidectomy. The doctor makes small incisions around the anus to remove the hemorrhoids. You may get local or general anesthesia, and it is typically an outpatient procedure.

Hernias

Hernias are caused by a combination of muscle weakness and strain. Hernia surgery is one of the most common procedures in the U.S., with more than one million hernia repairs performed each year in the U.S. Depending on its cause, a hernia can develop quickly or over a long period of time. Hernias are mostly found in the abdomen, but may also be in the upper thigh, belly button and groin areas.

Factors that may cause a hernia include being pregnant, being constipated, heavy weight lifting, fluid in the abdomen, sudden weight gain, persistent coughing or sneezing. If your hernia growing larger or causing pain, your doctor may decide it is best to operate. Hernias can be repaired with either open or laparoscopic surgery.

Surgery to repair a hiatal hernia is either performed using a single incision in the chest wall (thoracotomy) or the abdomen (laparotomy). Laparoscopic surgery uses a tiny camera and small surgical equipment to repair the hernia using only a few small incisions.

Gallbladder Issues

If you suffer from pain in the upper right or upper middle part of your stomach after eating it could be your gallbladder causing the issue. The gallbladder is located under the liver, which stores and collects bile produced in the liver. When your gallbladder is acting up, you will experience pain when eating food -- particularly when eating fat.

Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, fever, yellowing of the skin and eyes and a bloated belly. The main reason for having a gallbladder removed is the presence of gallstones. They can be as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Gallbladder removal (cholecystitis) is a common surgery and is performed using general anesthesia. It can even be performed on pregnant women with low risk to both the baby and the mother. Importantly, gallbladder surgery can eliminate painful gallstones and prevent gallbladder cancer.

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. More than 2 million cases are diagnosed each year. About half of Americans will have skin cancer at least once by the time they are 65. It is linked to sun exposure. If caught early, skin cancer is usually curable. Lymph node assessment might be needed depending on the type and size of the tumor. Dr. Aiti can perform a skin cancer screening to determine if any biopsies are required for further diagnostics.

BreastCancer

Breast cancer can affect both women and men. However, women are at more risk. There are 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Family history can play a role in developing breast cancer. Screening for breast cancer with a mammogram typically begins at the age of 40. Surgery is a common treatment for breast cancer, and its main purpose is to remove as much of the cancer as possible. There are two main types of surgery to remove breast cancer:

Breast-conserving surgery (also called a lumpectomy, quadrantectomy, partial mastectomy, or segmental mastectomy) – in which only the part of the breast containing the cancer is removed. The goal is to remove the cancer as well as some surrounding normal tissue. How much of the breast is removed depends on the size and location of the tumor and other factors.
Mastectomy – in which the entire breast is removed, including all of the breast tissue and sometimes other nearby tissues. There are several different types of mastectomies. Some women may also get a double mastectomy, in which both breasts are removed.

Many women with early-stage cancers can choose between breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy. The main advantage of BCS is that a woman keeps most of her breast. But in most cases she will also need radiation. Women who have mastectomy for early stage cancers are less likely to need radiation. For some women, mastectomy may clearly be a better option, because of the type of breast cancer, the large size of the tumor, previous treatment history, or certain other factors.

To find out if the breast cancer has spread to axillary (underarm) lymph nodes, one or more of these lymph nodes will be removed and looked at under the microscope. This is an important part of figuring out the stage (extent) of the cancer. Lymph nodes can be removed either as part of the surgery to remove the breast cancer or as a separate operation.

The two main types of surgery to remove lymph nodes are:

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) – in which the surgeon removes only the lymph node(s) under the arm to which the cancer would likely spread first. Removing only one or a few lymph nodes lowers the risk of side effects from the surgery.
Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) – in which the surgeon removes anywhere from about 10 to 40 (though usually less than 20) lymph nodes from under the arm. ALND is not done as often as it was in the past, but it might still be the best way to look at the lymph nodes in some situations.

GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid-reflux disease, affects about 50 million people in the U.S. GERD can cause painful swallowing, nausea, heartburn and can even lead to cancer, in some cases. Reflux happens when the valve between your stomach and esophagus do not properly close. Many people suffering from GERD try antacids or prescriptions, which block the production of acid in the stomach and also protect the esophagus from damage. In addition to medication—eating smaller meals, sleeping on an incline and eliminating acidic foods from your diet may alleviate symptoms. However, when medication and lifestyle changes are not providing relief—it may be time to consider surgical treatment.

Diagnosing Esophagitis ( inflammation of esophagus ) is important and requires treatment to avoid progression to Barrett’s esophagus, which can a harmful condition. The most common surgery for GERD is fundoplication, which fixes your hiatal hernia and wraps the top part of your stomach around the end of the esophagus to reinforce the lower esophageal sphincter. The incision is typically made in the upper abdomen.”