Patient education: Exploratory abdominal surgery (The Basics)

What is exploratory surgery? — 

This is a way for doctors to see inside the belly or "abdomen." They can look at and treat the organs, muscles, and structures inside the abdomen (figure 1).

Exploratory surgery can be done in 2 ways:

●Open surgery – The doctor makes a cut, or "incision," in the skin. This lets them see directly inside the body. This is called an "exploratory laparotomy."

●Minimally invasive surgery – This lets the doctor make smaller incisions in the skin. They insert long, thin tools through the incisions. One of the tools has a camera (called a "laparoscope") on the end, which sends pictures to a TV screen. The doctor can look at the screen to see inside the body. Then, they use the long tools to do the surgery. This is called an "exploratory laparoscopy."

Why might I need exploratory surgery? — 

Exploratory surgery lets the doctor learn more about or treat many types of problems. Examples include:

●After an accident or injury to the belly

●To treat an infection

●To get rid of blood, blood clots, or other fluids from the belly

●To remove a tumor, or part or all of an organ

How do I prepare for exploratory surgery? — 

You might need surgery right away after coming to the hospital following an accident or injury. In other cases, the doctor can schedule a time.

Before your procedure, your doctor will do an exam. They might send you to get tests, such as:

●Lab tests

●Imaging tests such as an ultrasound or CT scan – These create pictures of the inside of the body.

Your doctor will also ask you about your "health history." This involves asking you questions about any health problems you have or had in the past, past surgeries, and any medicines you take. Tell them about:

●Any medicines you are taking – This includes any prescription or "over-the-counter" medicines you use, plus any supplements you take. It helps to write down and bring a list of any medicines you take, or bring a bag with all of your medicines with you.

●Any allergies you have

●Any bleeding problems you have – Certain medicines, including some herbs and supplements, can increase the risk of bleeding. Some health conditions also increase this risk.

You will also get information about:

●Eating and drinking before your procedure – In some cases, you might need to "fast" before surgery. This means not eating or drinking anything for a period of time. In other cases, you might be allowed to have liquids until a short time before the procedure. The staff will talk with you about when to stop eating or drinking.

●Lowering the risk of infection – You might be asked to wash the area with a special soap.

●What help you will need when you go home – For example, you might need to have someone else bring you home or stay with you for some time while you recover.

Ask the doctor or nurse if you have questions or if there is anything you do not understand.

What happens during exploratory surgery? — 

When it is time for the procedure:

●You will get an "IV," which is a thin tube that goes into a vein. This can be used to give you fluids and medicines.

●You will get anesthesia medicines. This is to make sure that you do not feel pain during the procedure. Most exploratory surgeries are done with general anesthesia. This makes you unconscious so you can't feel, see, or hear anything during the procedure. You might get a breathing tube to help you breathe.

●The doctors and nurses will monitor your breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate during the procedure.

●If you are having open surgery, the doctor will make an incision in your skin. If you are having minimally invasive surgery, they will make smaller incisions and insert tools to let them see inside the body.

●The doctor will look at the organs in the belly. Depending on why the surgery is being done, the doctor can:

•Repair or remove injured organs or tissues

•Take samples of tissues or tumors, and possibly remove a tumor

•Drain fluid or pus and, if needed, remove an organ causing the problem

●In some cases, the doctor will place a drain in your belly to get rid of any extra fluid. The drain is often taken out while you are still in the hospital. If you go home with the drain, the doctors and nurses will teach you how to care for it.

●The doctor will close your incisions and cover them with clean bandages.

●The surgery usually takes 2 to 4 hours.

What happens after exploratory surgery? — 

After your procedure, you will be taken to a recovery room. The staff will watch you closely as your anesthesia wears off. How long you need to stay in the hospital depends on why you had surgery and what the doctors found.

As you recover:

●You might feel groggy or confused for a short time. You might also feel nauseous or vomit. The doctor or nurse can give you medicine to help with this.

●If you had a breathing tube, you might have a sore throat. This usually gets better quickly.

●The staff will help you get out of bed and start moving around when you are ready.

●You will get medicine to help with pain, if needed. You might need other medicines, too.

●When you are ready to eat, you will start with clear liquids. Then, you can start eating as you are able. You might feel better if you start with bland foods.

What are the risks of exploratory surgery? — 

Your doctor will talk to you about all of the possible risks, and answer your questions. Possible risks include:

●Infection

●Bleeding

●Injury to nearby organs

●Needing more surgery in the future

What else should I know? — 

Before you go home from the hospital, make sure that you know what problems to look out for and when you should call the doctor. Make sure that you understand your doctor's or nurse's instructions. Ask questions about anything you do not understand.

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