OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

Peoria, Illinois

General Surgery

When medication, lifestyle changes and other non-surgical treatments cannot relieve symptoms, surgery is the accepted treatment for a broad range of conditions.

Surgery can be a scary proposition for a patient, no matter how routine the procedure. If surgery is recommended, you want to learn as much as you can about your surgical options and find the physician and hospital that are right for you.

While surgery is generally the most effective treatment option for a range of abdominal and other conditions, traditional open surgery with a large incision has its drawbacks – pain, trauma, long recovery time and risk of infection. Fortunately, less invasive options are available to many patients facing surgery. The most common of these is laparoscopic surgery, in which smaller incisions are used. While laparoscopy is effective for many routine procedures, it has inherent limitations when more intricate and complex surgery is required.

A New Category in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Thanks to evolutions in surgical technology, physicians now have an effective alternative to traditional open surgery and laparoscopy that allows them to provide patients with the best of both approaches.

With the assistance of the da Vinci® Surgical System, surgeons can operate using only 1-2 cm incisions, but with greater precision and control than ever before. Da Vinci® can help surgeons minimize the pain and risk associated with surgery while increasing the likelihood of a fast recovery and excellent clinical outcomes.

OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center is the first Robotic General Surgery Epicenter in Illinois; second in the nation and one of only a few hospitals to be recognized for excellence in general robotic surgery. Our surgeons and nurses have helped lead the way in robotic-assisted surgery nationwide.

As an Epicenter, OSF Saint Francis acts as a training ground for surgeons across the country to observe and train in robotic surgery with Dr. David Crawford, director of robotic surgery. Dr. Crawford and his surgical team have helped establish OSF Saint Francis as a major player in medical and technological expansion.

While clinical studies support the effectiveness of the da Vinci® System when used in minimally invasive surgery, individual results may vary. Surgery with the da Vinci® Surgical System may not be appropriate for every individual. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits.

  • Surgical procedures

  • Here are some of the surgical procedures performed by OSF Saint Francis physicians:

    Gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy)
    Your gallbladder is a small organ that stores a digestive juice called bile. If it malfunctions, gallstones may form, ranging in size from a grain of rice to a golf ball. The gallbladder also may become inflamed, infected or cancerous. Removal of the gallbladder is among the most common surgeries. Read more.

    Esophagectomy
    A complex surgical procedure to remove a tumor from your esophagus. Incisions are made in your neck, chest or abdomen; size of the incisions depend on the size of the tumor. OSF Saint Francis is among a relative few hospitals that perform this surgery.

    Lung resection
    A thoracic surgeon opens your chest to remove diseased portions of a lung. Sometimes, the entire lung is removed.

    Diverticulitis surgery
    When diverticulitis becomes severe or life-threatening, a colectomy may be required to remove part of your colon, or large intestine.

    Colon resection
    This entails removing part or all of your colon, or large intestine. A colectomy is performed to remove the diseased portion and reattach the healthy sections of your colon. In some cases, a colostomy may be required. The colostomy may be temporary or permanent, depending on the situation.

    LINX
    Surgery to insert a device into your esophagus to manage gastroesophageal reflux disease ( GERD ). The device allows food and liquid into your stomach, then closes after swallowing to prevent regurgitation.

    Hernia surgery
    When tissue in your body bulges through a weak spot in surrounding muscle tissue, it’s called a hernia. A surgeon will push the bulge back in place and close the hole in the muscle.

    Transanal surgery
    This procedure removes rectal tumors while leaving the anus and sphincter intact, preserving bowel function.

    Liver surgery for primary liver cancer
    A partial hepatectomy removes the diseased portion of the liver.

    Robotic hysterectomy
    Your surgeon uses a computer to manipulate the surgical instruments and remove your uterus.  Read more.

    Prostate cancer
    A radical prostatectomy removes your prostate gland to treat prostate cancer that is confined to the prostate gland and the seminal vesicles.

    Kidney/ureter problems
    The ureter is an 8- to 10-inch tube that carries urine from your kidney to the bladder. If a tumor develops in or near the ureter, normal urinary function may be affected and surgery is required to remove the tumor.

    Ureteral implants and reimplantations
    This surgery stops urine from backing up through the ureter and into the kidneys.

    Kidney cancer (adults)
    Surgery is the most common treatment for kidney cancer. The goal is to take out the tumors, but in some cases your entire kidney may be removed.

    Bariatric surgeries
    There are several options for weight-loss surgery: duodenal switch, gastric sleeve and gastric bypass. Learn more about those options, their advantages and disadvantages.

    Thoracic surgeries
    OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute is a leader in chest surgery. Learn more about these procedures.

Contact Us

If you have questions about robotic-assisted surgery, please call our nurse at 1-877-OSF-ROBO  (1-877-673-7626).

For pediatric urology patient referrals, please call (309) 624-5100.