Plastic webbed fingers or toes separation surgery (syndactyly) in Hirslanden Clinic Meggen

About the department

The Department of General and Abdominal Surgery at the Hirslanden Clinic Meggen offers the full range of surgical treatment for abdominal diseases, including the gallbladder, colon and small intestine, liver, esophagus, bile ducts, stomach, pancreas, endocrine pathologies, as well as proctological diseases. The department has state-of-the-art medical equipment for surgical procedures of any complexity – from major open operations to the most sparing, minimally invasive laparoscopic and laser interventions. After the surgical treatment, each patient receives appropriate care, which contributes to the complete recovery of the body. The Chief Physician of the department is Dr. med. Walter Gantert.

The department's specialists keep pace with innovations in medicine, thanks to which they offer their patients the most effective treatment with minimal trauma to healthy tissues. As of today, one of the most advanced surgical techniques is SILS (single incision laparoscopic surgery). In contrast to the classical laparoscopic surgery, during which the surgeon usually makes 3-5 small skin incisions up to 5-12 mm in size in different parts of the anterior abdominal wall in order to form an access, the SILS technique allows the doctor to carry out an effective operation, performing only one incision of 15-20 mm at the navel. The key advantages of the innovative surgical technique are minimal tissue trauma, rapid postoperative recovery and lack of scars. In addition, the risk of complications and infection is practically equal to zero. The SILS surgery requires a special miniature, about 5 mm in size, optical equipment and laparoscopic instruments. All this is available in the department and is successfully applied for the benefit of patients. One of the most effective fields of application of this technology is the operation to treat gallstones (cholecystectomy).

The department's competence includes the treatment of various types of hernias – inguinal, umbilical, femoral, epigastric, incisional, etc. One of the most common pathologies is an inguinal hernia. To treat it, the department uses a modern, sparing operation TEEP (total endoscopic extraperitoneal hernioplasty). The TEEP technique is ideal for the treatment of primary inguinal hernias, especially in the case of bilateral hernias or recurrent hernia after open surgery. The operation requires only three small skin incisions. The main difference from transabdominal hernioplasty (TAPP) is that during the TEEP operation the peritoneum is not opened – the intervention is performed in the preperitoneal space. Working area is created in the preperitoneal space with the help of a special balloon dissector, where a video camera and two surgical instruments up to 5 mm in size are placed. After the necessary therapeutic manipulations, a mesh is placed at the exit point of the hernia to strengthen the weak areas of the inguinal canal. After gas desufflation, the mesh is firmly pressed in the peritoneum. The main advantage of the TEEP technique is minimal pain during the postoperative period. In addition, the patient can leave the clinic within one day after the operation. Total endoscopic extraperitoneal hernioplasty (TEEP) minimizes the risk of damage to the abdominal organs and the development of adhesions, since the operation is performed outside the abdominal cavity.

The treatment of colon cancer is also one of the priority clinical tasks of the surgeons. The pathology requires accurate diagnostics using colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy. If colon polyps are detected during colonoscopy, the doctor removes them immediately, as polyps are often precursors of cancer. The removed material is sent for histological examination. If a malignant process is detected, the patient is prescribed surgery. Before the operation, CT or MRI scans of the abdominal organs, as well as chest X-ray are necessarily performed to determine the exact location, size of the tumor, and search for metastases. The purpose of the surgery is the total removal of the bowel tumor. The surgeons remove the intestinal area affected by the cancer process and then form anastomosis (manually or with a medical stapler). In some cases, a minimally invasive intervention is possible. In most cases, the period of hospitalization after the surgery is 5-7 days.

The surgical spectrum of the department includes:

• Endocrine surgery
  • Thyroid and parathyroid surgery
    • Intraoperative neuromonitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerves
    • Rapid intraoperative parathyroid hormone assay in the blood
  • Laparoscopic interventions on the adrenal glands
• Diagnostic laparoscopy
• Laparoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernia
• Surgical interventions on the stomach
  • Open and laparoscopic interventions
• Surgical interventions on the gallbladder and biliary tracts
  • Open and laparoscopic SILS cholecystectomy
• Surgical interventions on the liver, pancreas and spleen
  • Open and laparoscopic interventions
• Small bowel surgery
  • Meckel's diverticulum
  • Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Bowel cancer
    • Open and laparoscopic interventions
• Colorectal surgery
  • Diverticulitis
  • Polyps
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Rectal prolapse
    • Open and laparoscopic interventions
• Anorectal surgery
  • Hemorrhoid
    • Longo procedure (stapled hemorrhoidopexy)
    • Closed hemorrhoidectomy (Ferguson technique)
  • Chronic anal fissures
  • Fistulas and abscesses
  • Pilonidal sinus
• Hernia repair surgery
  • Inguinal hernias
  • Umbilical hernias
  • Femoral hernias
  • Epigastric hernias
  • Incisional hernias
    • Total endoscopic extraperitoneal hernioplasty (TEEP)
    • Transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair (TAPP)
    • Liechtenstein operation
    • IPOM laparoscopic hernia repair surgery
    • Rives-Stoppa hernia repair surgery
• Port system placement
• Minor outpatient surgical interventions
• Emergency surgery
• Other surgical options