Titusville General Surgery

Attentive Surgical Care

Armed with cutting-edge equipment and advanced surgical techniques, the Titusville Area Hospital surgeons are prepared to perform a variety of in-depth surgical procedures. Most of our operations are performed on outpatients, meaning the patients are not admitted to the hospital and are free to return home not long after the surgery. This is both cost-saving and convenient for patients and the hospital, but rest assured that our team would never gamble with your health and will recommend a hospital stay if necessary.

The surgery team is made up of anesthesiologists, general and specialty surgeons, and trained nurses. Below are some of the general surgeries performed at the hospital. For more specialized operations, please visit the page most relevant to what you’re looking for (EX: Orthopedics for joint replacement, eye surgery for cataract removal, etc.).

Laparoscopic Procedures

These are surgeries specifically designed to be minimally invasive and perform diagnostics on the abdomen and pelvis. In the procedure, a long, thin camera is inserted through a small incision and examines the insides of a patient. This provides doctors a chance to see the inside of the body in real time without having to make a large incision. In addition to diagnostics, a laparoscope can be used to assist various operations:

• Gall Bladder Surgery – In this operation, the doctor uses the laparoscope to guide the surgeon so they can makes small, strategic incisions to remove the organ. Primarily used when a patient is suffering gallstones.
• Hernia – Again, this procedure involves the use of the laparoscope to give the surgeon a clear view of the patient’s insides and make incisions to repair the hernia. A mesh may be placed over the affected area to reinforce the internal structures.
• Appendectomy – The appendix can be removed without open surgery through use of the laparoscope. This operation requires as little as 3 incisions as the surgeon observes the procedure through the laparoscope video monitor.

Open Surgery

For patients uncomfortable with laparoscopic operations, or procedures in which a laparoscope will not suffice, our team is prepared to perform open surgery. This is the traditional surgical procedure in which an incision is made over the area in which the surgeon needs to operate and they view the worksite with their own eyes.

A doctor will almost always recommend a laparoscopic operation over open surgery if possible. The former carries less risk of infection and shorter recovery time for the patient.

Breast Biopsy

A breast biopsy is the definitive diagnostic test used to determine whether or not a patient has breast cancer. If a doctor recommends you should have a biopsy, it does not mean you have cancer. This is merely a test to find out once and for all after discovering other indicators that you may have it. There are a few different methods used to perform a biopsy.

• Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy – In this relatively simple procedure, a very small needle is inserted into a breast lump and extracts a tissue sample to determine if it is a cyst or tumor.
• Core Needle Biopsy – These procedures are usually used in conjunction with an ultrasound. The doctor uses the ultrasound to guide a needle into the breast towards a lump that is visible on a mammogram.
• Surgical Biopsy – Though rare, surgery is sometimes required to access the mass for the doctor to extract a tissue sample.

Mastectomy

If a biopsy does prove positive for breast cancer, a mastectomy may be required. Mastectomies may be performed on both men and women diagnosed with breast cancer. It involves the complete removal of the breast to eliminate cancer. Some patients also have a mastectomy on a healthy breast to prevent cancer if they are at high risk for the disease.

In some cases the entire breast does not need to be removed and a lumpectomy can be performed. This operation only removes the cancerous mass in the breast. It is a less drastic procedure, but does come with increased risk of reoccurrence. A mastectomy can still be performed if breast cancer does manifest again.

Hemorrhoidectomy

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the lower rectum and anus that cause severe discomfort and pain for the affected. This procedure removes hemorrhoids. First the doctor will administer an anesthetic, then the hemorrhoids will be tied off and removed. Stiches may be required.

Though done in a surgical setting, patients are usually free to return home the same day. Total recovery from the operation takes anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks.