What is gastrointestinal surgery?
In Latin, “gastro” means stomach, “entero” means intestine. Nowadays, the term “gastroenterology” should be understood as a branch of medicine that deals with all diseases of the digestive tract. Gastrointestinal surgery is the branch of medicine that aims to find a remedy for diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, liver, biliary tract and pancreas requiring surgical treatment. Gastrointestinal surgeons are selected among general surgeons and refer to surgeons who receive special training on the aforementioned surgeries and focus on these surgeries.
How to become a gastrointestinal surgeon?
As in the world’s other leading countries, the first subspecialty officially accepted in the field of general surgery in Turkey is gastrointestinal surgery. In order to become a gastrointestinal surgeon, a second specialization is required after completing the specialization in general surgery. Among the general surgeons, those who achieve success in the exam held by the central system are trained for 2 or 3 years in the centers determined by the ministry of health and learn the specifics of gastrointestinal surgery and to struggle against challenging diseases. At the end of the study period, those who pass the exam assume the title of the gastrointestinal surgeon.
What are the advantages of a gastrointestinal surgeon?
The digestive tract functions as a whole. From another perspective, when we swallow a bite of food, each organ from the esophagus to the large intestine, the liver, and the pancreas should do its part. Unfortunately, diseases often involve not only an organ but the whole system. Having full control over the whole system allows physicians to be equipped for unexpected situations that may arise during the surgery or in the postoperative period.A gastrointestinal surgeon is also fully competent in the diagnosis and treatment with endoscopic methods. Today, the rate of endoscopic interventions is increasing. We can endoscopically treat many diseases that had to be operated in the past.
