Advertisement

7 dangerous emergency surgeries

Some of the most common emergency surgeries can also be the riskiest.

room of doctors and nurses performing surgery
1 / 9

Over half a million Americans undergo emergency general surgery (EGS) every year-- and that can come with serious risks. When researchers looked at national data on EGS, they realized that over 78 percent of complications and over 80 percent of patient deaths were linked to just seven of the procedures, according to a study published in JAMA Surgery.

“Now that we haveShow More

man in hospital bed after surgery holding his abdomen in pain
2 / 9
Partial colon removal

A partial colectomy involves taking out part of your colon because of a serious infection, a tumor, bleeding or inflammation. You might need this procedure if you have a condition like colon cancer or Crohn’s disease, an immune system disorder that affects the gut.

Infections are a commonShow More

closeup of medical instruments during a surgery
3 / 9
Small bowel removal

You may need a small bowel resection, or surgery to take out part or all of your small intestine if it becomes sick or blocked due to:

  • Cancer
  • A hernia
  • An infection

“Typically, this surgery—along with many of the surgeries on this list—is not terribly complicated. But if you have other medicalShow More

woman sitting on her bed holding her side from appendix pain
4 / 9
Appendix removal

If your appendix becomes infected, you’ll most likely need an appendectomy, or surgery to remove it. This procedure can save your life by preventing the small organ from bursting and leaking infected liquid into your abdomen.

This is another surgery that’s not too complicated on its own and mostShow More

Doctor using a pen to point to an ultrasound printout of a bladder stones
5 / 9
Gallbladder removal

Your gallbladder sits below your liver and releases bile, a liquid that helps your body digest fats. Sometimes the contents of bile, like cholesterol and bilirubin, clump together to form gallstones. Gallstones may block the channel that sends bile into your digestive system, potentially causingShow More

woman sits on her couch holding her stomach due to ulcer pain
6 / 9
Surgery to fix a peptic ulcer

A peptic ulcer is a sore that forms when acid from your stomach wears away at the lining of your esophagus, stomach or small intestine. An ulcer can develop if you overuse NSAID drugs, which include pain medications like Ibuprofen. The stomach bacteria, H. pylori, is another cause of peptic ulcers.Show More

man on bed with stomach pain
7 / 9
Surgery to remove intestinal scars

A peritoneal adhesion is a scar that forms between your intestine and the inside lining of your abdomen—it’s also possible to form an adhesion between other organs. The scar may form after a prior surgery or radiation treatment. It can become life threatening if it causes a bowel blockage or stopsShow More

An Image
8 / 9
Surgery to locate the source of another problem

Surgeons might perform a laparotomy if they need to find the source of abdominal pain or an explanation for another problem you’re having. There are many possible conditions that a laparotomy might reveal. Some examples include:

  • Inflammation of the pancreas, or pancreatitis
  • Cancer of the liver or
  • Show More
doctor checking the lungs of a senior female patient following surgery
9 / 9
Taking care of yourself after surgery

Take these steps to lower your risk of complications after any operation:

  • Prevent blood clots by walking as soon as possible afterwards and by wearing compression stockings to keep the blood flowing in your legs.
  • Avoid pneumonia by taking deep breaths to expand your lungs every hour. Ask your
  • Show More

More On

How do you prompt difficult conversations about end-of-life medical care?

video

How do you prompt difficult conversations about end-of-life medical care?
Conversations about end-of-life healthcare should begin long before decisions need to be made, says HealthMaker Bill Crounse, MD. They should involve ...
What makes for good critical care?

video

What makes for good critical care?
Consistency and coordination among teams makes for good critical care. In this video, HealthMaker Henry Masur, MD, chief of the National Institutes of...
What does it mean to be in critical condition?

video

What does it mean to be in critical condition?
Being in critical condition is a medical term used by healthcare professionals to communicate the severity of a patient's condition.Here are some key ...
Is there a fee to talk to a counselor or psychologist?

video

Is there a fee to talk to a counselor or psychologist?
It seems like nothing is for free these days, but time spent with a counselor may be worth every penny. In this video, Dr. Judi Hollis discusses what ...