Upper Gastrointestinal and Laparoscopic Surgery

The Upper GI service at Barnsley Hospital provides the following services:

• laparoscopic cholecystectomy
• laparoscopic fundoplication (anti-reflux)
• laparoscopic hiatus hernia repair
• laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernia
• laparoscopic repair of incisional hernia
• laparoscopic splenectomy
• laparoscopic appendectomy
• diagnosing and staging laparoscopy
• exploration of common bile duct

A laparoscopy is a commonly-performed operation where the surgeon uses a special telescope-type instrument called a laparoscope to examine the internal organs.  This type of surgery is sometimes known as ‘keyhole surgery’.

Upper GI cancer services

For patients with malignant or cancerous conditions, a comprehensive care and treatment plan is discussed at a multi-disciplinary meeting. Many patients will then need to be seen by our colleagues at either Doncaster Royal Infirmary or Sheffield Teaching Hospitals for specialised treatment. Our local nurse specialists provide a key link and are available to help patients throughout their care.

Upper GI specialist nurse 

The department's upper GI specialist nurse, works alongside the medical and surgical consultants, and nursing teams throughout the hospital. The upper GI specialist nurse supports patients that have suspected upper GI cancer, or a confirmed diagnosis. In addition to working alongside the other hospital teams, the upper GI specialist nurse links in with local GPs and community healthcare teams.

The role of the upper GI specialist nurse is to support patients at the initial clinic visit when the diagnosis is being discussed. They are the first point of contact for patients if their cancer is causing problems.

Related links

• National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)
• Laparoscopy (keyhole surgery) - nhs.uk