Digestive Tract Surgery in Uberlândia, Brazil

The gastroenterologist is the physician of digestive diseases: makes the diagnosis, performs endoscopy and treats with medication. The digestive tract surgeon is the one who operates — from the esophagus to the anus, including the liver, bile ducts and pancreas. The coloproctologist is the surgeon dedicated to the colon, rectum and anus; anorectal diseases (hemorrhoids, fissure and fistula) belong to both coloproctology and digestive tract surgery. The three frequently work together.

Yes. Anorectal diseases are part of the specialty. In this section there are dedicated pages on hemorrhoids, anal fissure and anal fistula, with the available techniques — including the laser — and the evidence for each.

It depends on the disease. For the gallbladder and bariatric surgery, the meta-analyses show no clinical advantage of robotics over laparoscopy, which remains the standard. For reflux and hiatal hernia, the results are equivalent and robotics helps in large hernias and reoperations. In oncologic surgery, there are specific scenarios where it stands out. Dr. Solon performs both routes and discusses the choice with each patient, without presenting the robot as a universal solution.

The consultation begins with the history and the physical examination — in anorectal diseases, with the proctological examination. Bring any tests you already have (endoscopy, ultrasound, CT, MRI, blood tests) and the list of medications you take. At the end, the diagnosis and the treatment options are explained, with the numbers the literature offers, and the decision is made together.

At Hospital UMC and Hospital Mater Dei Santa Genoveva, in Uberlândia, Brazil — both large hospitals with intensive care units and a robotic surgery platform. The offices are at Hospital UMC and at the Martins Trade Center, across from Hospital Mater Dei Santa Genoveva.

It varies a lot with the operation: discharge is the same day or the next day in gallbladder surgery and anorectal procedures, 1 to 3 days in reflux, hiatal hernia and bariatric surgery, and longer in oncologic operations. Each page in this section gives the expected times for hospital stay, return to work and physical effort.

I do operate through the SUS. I am a Professor of Surgery at the School of Medicine of the Federal University of Uberlândia and I operate on patients at the university hospital, HC-UFU. The route, however, does not go through my private practice: to be operated on through the SUS you must go to the health post or Basic Health Unit nearest your home, be assessed by a doctor and, if surgery is indicated, be placed in your municipality's regulation queue. The surgeon does not choose who gets operated on through the SUS — the queue is followed strictly, according to SUS rules.