Minor surgical procedures are used to screen and diagnose problems of the digestive system

• Appendicitis

  When the appendix becomes infected and inflamed, it may be removed (appendectomy).

• Colon cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers

  Surgery is done to remove cancerous tumors in the digestive system and parts of the digestive system that have cancer.

• Diverticular disease

  A diverticulum is a small pouch or pocket in the colon (large intestine). Researchers are not sure why these develop. Sometimes they can become inflamed and cause pain (diverticulitis). This is often managed without surgery. If someone has a lot of diverticula that often become inflamed, the doctor may recommend bowel resection surgery to remove that part of the intestine.

• Gallbladder disease

  When there is a problem with the gallbladder — usually gallstones — the gallbladder can be removed. Surgery to remove the gallbladder is also called a cholecystectomy.

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and hiatal hernias

  GERD, or acid reflux is when the acid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus (food pipe) and causes heartburn. Sometimes it happens because of a hiatal hernia. This is when the stomach pushes through the diaphragm, a muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. A surgeon can do a surgery called fundoplication (fun-doh-pluh-cay-shun) to fix it. The surgeon will fix the hernia if there is one and then wrap the top of the stomach around the bottom of the esophagus to strengthen the sphincter, which keeps acid out.

• Hernia

  Hernias in the groin (inguinal), umbilical and other parts of the body occur when the abdominal wall is weakened and this may result in some abdominal contents such as the intestines bulging out. In laparoscopic surgery, the hernia is repaired from behind the abdominal wall. A small piece of surgical mesh is placed over the hernia defect and held in place with surgical staples.

• Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis)

  With inflammatory bowel disease, the immune system attacks the intestines and causes pain and inflammation. This can lead to damage in the intestine. Sometimes the damaged parts are removed and the healthy parts are reconnected. This is called bowel resection.

• Rectal prolapse

  Surgery is used to treat rectal prolapse, a condition in which part of the intestine comes through the anus.

• Weight loss

  Different types of bariatric surgery (for example, gastric bypass) may be done to treat obesity. This surgery is usually done by a specialist in bariatric surgery.