Treating

Exploratory laparotomy is surgery to open up the belly area. Read on to learn all about the procedure.

Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication is done to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD happens when food or stomach acid backs up (refluxes) from your stomach into your esophagus.

It may take a few weeks or longer to heal from the surgery. Find out how to care for yourself once you're home.

You have been told you need a colostomy. Or you have recently been given one. Once you heal from surgery, you can still live an active life. In fact, if you had a chronic disease such as Crohn's disease, your quality of life may be better now than before surgery. In most cases, it's your choice how much having a colostomy limits your life.

Fecal transplant is used for treat an infection in the large bowel (colon) caused by C. diff bacteria.

The G-J tube sends liquid food directly to your stomach or small intestine. You have been given this tube specifically to get liquid food into your small intestine.

Constipation is a common and often uncomfortable problem. Constipation means you have bowel movements fewer than 3 times per week. Or that you strain to pass hard, dry stool. The good news is that it can often be treated and controlled.

Diarrhea happens when you have loose, watery, or frequent bowel movements. See your healthcare provider if your symptoms don't improve in a few days.

When you have GERD, stomach acid feels as if it's backing up toward your mouth. These suggestions may help you get relief from your symptoms.

Follow your healthcare provider's advice about caring for your hemorrhoids at home. Some treatments help relieve symptoms right away. Others involve making changes in your diet and exercise habits. These can help ease constipation and prevent hemorrhoid symptoms from coming back.

Changing your diet and managing stress are 2 of the most important lifestyle changes to control Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Follow your healthcare provider's instructions and try some of the suggestions here.

Here's what you need to know about caring for yourself after gallbladder surgery.

You can often go home the same day as surgery. If you had surgery to fix a ventral or incisional hernia, you may need to stay in the hospital overnight. To speed healing, take an active role in your recovery.

Learn about the different types of medicines that can be used to treat GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

Abdominal ultrasound is an imaging test that uses sound waves to form pictures of your abdominal organs. It can help detect organ problems, such as gallstones, kidney stones, or liver disease.

Your healthcare provider has told you that you have acid reflux. This condition causes stomach acid to wash up into your throat. Medicines can help control acid reflux and limit your risk of future problems.

To control acid reflux, you'll need to make some basic diet and lifestyle changes. Read on for some simple steps to help ease your discomfort.

An appendectomy is surgery to remove the appendix. The goal is to remove the appendix safely. Here's what you need to know.

Most people recover quickly after an appendectomy. Here's what you can expect after the surgery.

After a medical evaluation to find the cause of your dysphagia, your healthcare provider will create a treatment plan for you. You may need to take medicines. In some cases, your provider may suggest an esophageal dilation or surgery.

With gastrostomy tube feeding, you need to keep the tube from getting clogged by flushing it with warm water after each feeding and before and after giving any medicines.

The gallbladder is an organ that stores bile. This is a substance that helps with digestion. Deposits in bile can clump together, creating hard, pebble-like stones. Here is information on treatment choices.

A medical evaluation will be done to find out the cause of your symptoms. The evaluation may include your health history, a physical exam, and some tests. Once your evaluation is done, treatment can begin. It may include taking certain medicines and making some lifestyle changes. Follow your healthcare provider's advice.

When you have rectal bleeding, tests may be done to help confirm your diagnosis and plan your treatment. Read on to learn more about these procedures.

Information on cleaning the skin, checking under the bolster, and caring for the mouth when tube feeding.

Vomiting and diarrhea can make you feel awful. To get back to normal, start with self-care to ease your discomfort.

A helpful guide to understanding surgery for appendicitis.

You have been diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Your pancreas is inflamed or swollen. Here's what you need to know about caring for yourself at home.

Long-term (chronic) pancreatitis is caused by repeated cases of inflammation of your pancreas. It results in permanent scarring of the pancreatic tissue. The pancreas is an organ that makes chemicals and hormones that help you digest food and use sugar for energy.

You just underwent a procedure that required a colostomy. This is a life-saving procedure that involves removing or disconnecting part of your colon (large intestine).

You have Crohn's disease. Your digestive tract is swollen and inflamed. All layers of your digestive tract may be affected. There is no cure for Crohn's disease. But you can get treatment for the symptoms. Help manage your symptoms by following your healthcare provider's advice and watching what you eat.

You have been diagnosed with diverticulitis. This is a condition in which small pouches form in your colon (large intestine) and become inflamed or infected. Follow the guidelines here for home care.

You had a procedure called esophagectomy. This means that part or all of your esophagus was removed. It will likely take a few months for your eating habits to get back to normal. Here's what you can do at home to help with your recovery.

Gallstones form when liquid stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material. Stones in the gallbladder may or may not cause symptoms.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is when acid flows back from the stomach into the swallowing tube (esophagus).

You had surgery to remove hemorrhoids. These are large, swollen veins inside and outside the anus. After surgery, it may take a few weeks or longer to recover. This sheet tells you how to care for yourself once you're home.

During an ileostomy, a surgeon removes the colon (large intestine) and part of the last section of the ileum (small intestine) if they are diseased.

Learn how to care for yourself at home after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy to remove your gallbladder.

A hernia is a defect in the tough tissue covering the musculature of the abdominal wall (fascia). During laparoscopic hernia surgery, a surgeon inserts a telescope attached to a camera as well as surgical instruments through tiny incisions in your abdomen. The surgeon repairs the hernia with a mesh, which patches the tear or weakness in the fascia.

You have had surgery to remove your spleen (splenectomy). The spleen was in the upper left part of your abdomen. Your spleen stored red blood cells, filtered your blood, and helped your body fight infection. To take it out, your healthcare provider made 3 or 4 small incisions in your abdomen. Surgical tools were then inserted through these incisions. This sheet will help you take care of yourself at home.

Learn about guidelines for home care after an open cholecystectomy.

You had a procedure called open hernia repair. Also called a rupture, a hernia is a tear or weakness in the wall of the belly. Hernias may get worse with time or with physical stress. But surgery can help repair the weakness and eliminate symptoms.

Your healthcare provider performed an open splenectomy, the surgical removal of your spleen through a single incision in your belly. Located in the upper left portion of your belly, your spleen stored red blood cells, filtered your blood and helped your body fight infection. Here's what you need to do at home following an open splenectomy.

A total abdominal colectomy is surgery to remove your colon. It is done to remove disease, such as cancer, polyps, and inflammatory bowel disease, and to relieve the symptoms you have been having, such as bleeding, blockage, and pain.

You have been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Read on to learn how to care for yourself at home.

Detailed information on how to care for your G-tube at home.

A J-tube is used when you aren't able to eat or drink enough to keep your normal body weight. Here's what you need to know to care for your J-tube at home.

The NG tube will give you food, fluids, and medicine. Read on for helpful information about when to call your provider.

You were shown how to flush and care for your tube in the hospital. This sheet helps you remember the steps when you are at home.

You are going home with a feeding tube in place. If you normally take any medicines by mouth, you will need to take them through your feeding tube. You can make this easier by calling your pharmacist to see whether any of your medicines are available in liquid form. If they are, ask that your prescriptions be filled with liquid medicines.

Follow these tips to help you take care of your incision when you get home.

IA detailed look at irrigating your colostomy. This is a way of emptying your colon at scheduled times. It may help control your bowel movements.

Irrigating a colostomy allows you increased control over the timing of your bowel movements. Once a day, or once every other day, you irrigate by flushing the colostomy with warm water. Read on for clear step-by-step instructions.

If your symptoms persist, your healthcare provider may recommend removing the hemorrhoid. This can be done in your healthcare provider's office or at a surgical center.

You may need surgery for hemorrhoids if they cause severe symptoms. Or you may have it if your hemorrhoids come back after you have tried other treatments. Read on to learn what to expect.

A hernia won't heal on its own. You'll need surgery to fix the defect in the abdominal wall. Read on to learn what to expect before, during, and after surgery.

Read on to learn what to expect before, during, and after hernia surgery with a patch repair.

Surgery treats a hernia by fixing the weakness in the abdominal wall. Read on to learn details about a traditional repair, including what to expect before, during, and after the surgery.

After your surgery, you will be moved to a recovery room. Here you will be carefully watched. Your blood pressure, pulse, and breathing will be checked. You'll also get pain medicine to keep you comfortable. When you're ready, you'll be moved to a normal hospital room. You'll then be watched closely to be sure you're healing well. Your hospital stay may last from a few days to a week, or longer. Once home, follow instructions to help make sure you have a full recovery.

After a colostomy, stool is most often collected in a pouch that attaches to your body around the stoma. An adhesive skin barrier holds the pouch in place and keeps stool from leaking onto the skin. Most pouches are made of lightweight, odor-proof plastic. They lie flat against the body so they don't show or make noise.

You can lead a full life even if you have Crohn's disease. Read on for some helpful diet and exercise tips. And find ways to cope--and help others--by joining a support group.

You don't have to eat a special diet just because you've had an ileostomy. Most foods, chewed well and eaten slowly, won't give you problems - unless they did before. But you may need to be more aware of foods that make your stool more watery than normal and foods that cause gas or odor. You also need plenty of fluids and vitamins.

After an ileostomy, stool is collected in a pouch. This pouch attaches to your body around the hole (stoma). Read on to learn about the different kinds of pouches.

You can lead a full life even if you have ulcerative colitis. Focus on keeping your symptoms under control with diet, exercise, and stress relief. And don't let this disease isolate you. Read on to learn more.

Your child is going home with either a G-tube or a G-J tube in place. This sheet will help you remember the steps to take for feeding your child through this tube at home.

This surgery (also called pancreaticoduodenectomy) is used to treat cancer of the pancreas. During the surgery, parts of the pancreas, parts of the small intestine, and certain other organs are removed.

Neurogenic bowel is the loss of normal bowel function. It's caused by a nerve problem in the lower part of the colon.

You have had a procedure called laparoscopic appendectomy to remove your appendix. Here's what you need to know to take care of yourself at home.

An open appendectomy is a surgery to remove your appendix. Here are guidelines to follow once you are home.

You are going home with a nasogastric feeding tube in place. You will need to check the tube regularly to make sure the tip of the tube stays in your stomach. You were shown how to care for your tube in the hospital. This sheet helps you remember those steps when you are at home.

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a special kind of MRI test. Your healthcare provider uses it to look at the pancreatic system. This includes the pancreas, the bile ducts, gallbladder, and liver. The procedure uses a combination of magnets, radio waves, and a computer to make detailed images. A contrast dye may be used for even better images.

A hiatal hernia happens when part of your stomach pushes up into an opening (hiatus) in your diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle between your stomach and your chest. You may not need surgery. But if your case is serious, you will need a hiatal hernia repair. This is often a laparoscopy, but, in some cases, you may need open (traditional) surgery.

A nasojejunal (NJ) tube is a thin, soft tube. It goes down through the nose, into the stomach, and to the jejunum.

Here are the steps for bolus tube feeding.

Here you will find information on filling and connecting the bag and turning on the pump for continuous tube feeding.

Healthcare providers use PEG tube feeding (also called percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) when you can't swallow food safely or there is a blockage in your esophagus or stomach.