Hospital in Torrevieja introduces minimally invasive surgery for gallbladder removal

The hospital facility becomes the first in the province to introduce minimally invasive surgery with a single procedure for bile duct clearance and gallbladder removal.

The General and Visceral Surgery Department of the University Hospital of Torrevieja has become the first center in the province of Alicante to introduce minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of bile duct stones at one time as the technique of choice.

The One procedure

Department of General and Visceral Surgery has become the first center in the province of Alicante to introduce minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of bile duct stones, during which the gallbladder is removed, all using a laparoscopic endoscopic approach. In this way, treatment is comprehensive, and patients suffering from both ailments undergo one safe procedure, resulting in excellent recovery post-surgery. This significantly reduces the length of stay in the hospital, even making outpatient surgery possible.

Speed

Dr. Martínez, coordinator of the Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery unit at the University Hospital of Torrevieja, asserts that "usually patients suffering from stones in the bile ducts are treated with a combination of two or more procedures, when endoscopy is required to clear the bile ducts, followed by surgery to remove the gallbladder". He adds that "this new treatment represents a significant improvement, introducing a single-person intervention to remove the gallbladder and clear the bile ducts using a laparoscopic approach."

Technology

This reduces the number of procedures a patient must undergo, allows for faster resolution of this pathology, reduces hospitalizations and length of stay in the hospital and shortens the recovery period.

With this new technique, University Hospital of Torrevieja joins other hospitals already using this treatment in the Valencian Community, always "in the spirit of pursuing continuous improvement to provide optimal treatment to the population associated with the Torrevieja health area," according to the health center's Communications Department. The purchase of the necessary technology by the Health Department has made the development of this technique possible.

Complications

Dr. Andrés Tomás Gómez, head of the Hospital's General and Visceral Surgery Department, explains that "the presence of stones in the bile ducts is a relatively common complication associated with gallstones, up to 15%." To date, standard treatment has included two procedures: endoscopic removal of the stones, performed by gastroenterologists, followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy, performed by surgeons. "However, it is increasingly advocated that the two procedures be united in this new technique, which, by the way, must be performed specifically by surgeons in the hepatobiliopancreatic area trained in this area," he says - he says.

Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery Unit

The University Hospital of Torrevieja has a Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery Unit that focuses on liver, pancreas and biliary tract surgery. It is composed of doctors Martínez, Galindo, Gil and Ferreras, and has performed more than 20 cases using this technique since April.