Dr. Truong Dinh Khoi

If you have chronic abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, difficulty swallowing, jaundice, or if you have been diagnosed with gallstones, hernias, or gastrointestinal cancers, you should see a GI surgeon.

GI surgeons often treat gastric ulcers, gallstones, colorectal cancer, hernias, inflammatory bowel disease, tumors in the liver or pancreas, GI bleeding, and obesity.

GI surgeons perform surgeries such as laparoscopic appendectomy, cholecystectomy (removing the gallbladder), hernia repair, colectomy, surgery for gastric and colorectal cancer, liver resection, pancreatic surgery, and bariatric (obesity) surgery.

No. Many digestive diseases can be treated with medications, dietary changes, or endoscopic procedures. Surgery is only performed when more conservative methods cannot be used to treat the disease or when the disease is too dangerous to health to not have surgery.

The preparation includes fasting before the surgery, stopping certain medications, and doing preoperative tests, like blood work or imaging. Your doctor will provide specific instructions that are relevant to your situation.

Yes. GI surgeons have an important role in managing cancer and removing tumors of the stomach, colon, liver, and pancreas, often in combination with the oncology and radiation teams for continuous cancer care.