Gastrointestinal surgeries in children are pretty common. However, there is not much awareness about this kind of surgery and post-operative care. Let’s dive into the details. Read this blog to everything about gastrointestinal surgeries in paediatrics and connect with Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital for the best medical assistance ever. Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital has 24*7 emergency care to provide the best support to the patients.

1. What is Gastrointestinal Surgery?

Gastrointestinal (GI) surgery is a broad term. It is used to describe several surgical procedures that take place in the abdomen (belly). GI surgery is done to treat any issues in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. This is the part of the body responsible for digesting food and extracting the nutrients needed for survival. The GI tract includes the following:

• Mouth, oesophagus (food tube) and stomach
• Pancreas, liver, gallbladder and bile ducts (biliary system)
• Small intestine, large intestine (colon) and appendix
• Rectum and anus

2. What are the most common gastrointestinal surgeries in children?

There are several paediatric GI Conditions that may require GI surgery such as

a. Appendicitis: Appendicitis is one of the most common GI surgery among children. If your children are suffering from belly pain, vomiting, and a fever, connect with a paediatrician soon. Your kid may be suffering from appendicitis.

b. Intestinal obstruction or blockage: When a tumour, scar tissue, or another obstruction occurs in any part of the intestine, it can result in a bowel obstruction. Food and stool may be unable to pass through the intestine, leading to serious complications and it needs surgery.

c. Meckel’s diverticulum: When the child’s small intestine has an outpouching in the wall it results in “Meckel’s diverticulum”. It is the most common congenital intestinal malformation.

d. Hernia repair: Another most common GI surgery in children is hernia repair. When a baby boy is growing in the womb, the testicles first grow in his belly. As the fetus develops, their testicles travel down a tunnel into the scrotum. (This tunnel also exists in baby girls). However, sometimes, the tunnel (called the processus vaginalis) does not close and it results in an opening from the belly into the inguinal canal, where a piece of bowel or an ovary can become trapped. Surgery is required to fix this issue.

3. How do these surgeries get done?

These surgeries get done in 2 ways and the ways are

Open surgery: Many times the doctors feel that there is a larger area involved in the problem and they need to open the belly to correct and they opt for open surgeries. This type of surgery requires a hospital stay and can take several weeks to recover completely.

Laparoscopic surgery: On the contrary to open surgeries, there is a time when doctors opt for laparoscopic surgeries. In this process, the surgeon makes a small incision in the belly and inserts a thin, narrow tube containing a small camera, light (scope) and specialized tools. The scope keeps sending pictures of the affected area which helps the doctor to understand the issue more clearly. At the same time, other small incisions are used to insert additional tools to help the surgeon work. In most cases, this type of surgery can be done on an outpatient basis (no hospital stay required) and it usually takes less time to recover.

Although both processes are quite different from each other. However, in both cases, anaesthesia is used to help your child relax and sleep so that they don’t feel pain or remember the procedure.

4. What are the post-operative cares?

The doctor will prescribe medicines to heal the wound faster and to take care of the other issues and those medicines need to be consumed religiously. Apart from that, it is advised not to do any strenuous activity for 4-6 weeks. The patient should be up and out of bed every day. Lack of appetite is common. However, it is important to eat small, frequent meals and un-caffeinated fluids can be taken.

5. Is there any kind of risk?

Well, it depends on the kind of surgery and the condition of the patient. However, mostly there is no risk associated with GI surgeries in children. Talk to your doctor.

Some common FAQs:

How can I understand that my kid is having gastrointestinal issues?

If your kid is suffering from pain in the belly, vomiting, fever, lack of appetite etc. connect with a doctor fast. He/she may be suffering from gastrointestinal issues.

How much time does it take to heal the wound?

Well, it depends on the wound and the healing capacity of the patient’s body. However, it takes 4-6 weeks to heal commonly.

What am I supposed to do to comfort my child after the surgery?

Your child will need plenty of rest after their procedure. You can support them emotionally and also encourage them to read some story books to keep them engaged.

What are the most common symptoms of gastrointestinal issues?

The most common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, pain, abdominal distention, bloating, and constipation.

What kind of foods should I offer to my child after GI surgery?

You can offer eggs, tofu, lean meat, fish, yoghurt, cheese, soy milk, and peanut butter. However, we suggest you discuss with your doctor on this topic for the best medical assistance.

Final words: GI surgeries are not critical. Most of the patients can recover fully after the surgery. So, do not panic if your doctor has suggested one. However, it is important to diagnose the diseases as early as possible. If your child is suffering from issues like nausea, vomiting, pain, abdominal distention, bloating, and constipation do not ignore it. Connect with your doctor fast. You can connect with Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital as well. Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital has expertise in Paediatric Surgery (General), Laparoscopic paediatric General, Urological Surgery & Paediatric Urology. Here you will be able to get 24*7 emergency care as well.

Disclaimer

Though all attempts are made to provide correct information on the subject, inadvertent & typographical errors arising out of manual intervention cannot be ruled out. It is requested to bring any such discrepancies to the notice of the blogger for correction.