General Surgeon

Dr Lucia SalibaBsc(Med), MBBS FRACS is a General Surgeon with a broad expertise in Breast Surgery, Endocrine and General Surgery.

Dr Saliba’s General Surgical areas of interest include:

Hernia Surgery is one of the most common of all surgical operations. An abdominal hernia is a bulge or swelling that occurs when a part of the abdomen (tummy), such as the intestine, pushes through a weakness in the muscle of the abdominal wall. The aim of a hernia repair operation is to push the contents of the hernia back into place and strengthen the abdominal wall.

Most abdominal hernias generally get larger with time and don’t go away without treatment.

Hernia surgery is generally done as a day surgery under local or general anaesthesia. Dr Saliba will discuss with you what will happen before, during and after your procedure, including any pain you might experience. This is your opportunity to understand what will happen, and you can help yourself by preparing questions to ask about the risks, benefits and any alternatives to the procedure.

What to expect during Hernia Surgery?

Hernia Surgery usually takes between 30 and 50 minutes, depending on whether you have keyhole (laparoscopic) or open surgery.

During the surgery, the hernia will be pushed back into the abdominal cavity and the weakened wall muscle will be repaired.

Recovering from Hernia Surgery

It can take approximately two weeks to make a full recovery from hernia repair surgery; however, this varies between individuals, so it’s important to follow medical advice. The time it takes to recover from keyhole surgery is usually less than open surgery.

Gallstone disease is one of the most common of all digestive diseases. Patients with gallstones and pressure or pain often need surgery to remove the gallbladder if it becomes diseased or damaged. The gallbladder is not a vital organ, so the body copes quite well without it. Gallstones are a common disorder of the digestive system, which affect around 15 per cent of people aged 50 years and over.

Cholecystectomy, or surgical removal of the gallbladder, is therefore recommended if gallstones (or other types of gallbladder disease) are causing problems including

  • Pain caused by inflammation or infection of your gallbladder
  • Jaundice caused by a gallstone blocking your bile duct
  • Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) caused by gallstones
  • Cancer of your gallbladder
  • Rest as much as you can for around three to five days
  • Avoid heavy lifting and physical exertion
  • Expect your digestive system to take a few days to settle down after surgery. Common short term problems include bloating, abdominal pains and changes to toileting habits

Gallbladder removal surgery can be conducted as a keyhole laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery where a number of small incisions are used to remove the gallbladder or as open laparotomy surgery where the gallbladder is removed through a wider abdominal incision.

Gallbladder removal using keyhole surgery is routinely done as a day surgery procedure but you may also need to stay overnight in hospital. Gallbladder surgery is usually done under general anaesthesia, meaning you will be asleep during your operation. In some cases, an operation that starts out as a laparoscopic cholecystectomy turns into open surgery if there are unexpected difficulties, such as not being able to properly see the gallbladder.

What to expect during gallbladder removal surgery?

Gallbladder removal is usually done using keyhole surgery, which means Dr Saliba won’t have to make a large cut in your abdomen.

Keyhole surgery to remove your gallbladder usually takes between 30 and 90 minutes. Dr Saliba will make four small cuts in your abdomen and then inflate your abdomen using harmless carbon dioxide gas to create space and to make it easier to see your internal organs. The laparoscope (a long, thin telescope with a light and camera lens at the tip) will then be passed through one of the cuts to view your internal organs on a monitor.

Specially adapted surgical instruments will be inserted through the other cuts so Dr Saliba can remove your gallbladder. During the operation, X-rays may be taken to check that there are no gallstones in the bile duct.

Recovering from Gallbladder surgery

Most commonly, dissolvable stitches are used with this procedure. The dissolvable stitches will take about two weeks to disappear.

After your Gallbladder surgery, there are some ways you should take care of yourself at home, including:

A colonoscopy is a medical procedure that examines the large bowel. This procedure can be used to look for cancer of the colon or colon polyps, and to help diagnose symptoms such as unexplained diarrhoea or abdominal pain. Colonoscopy with removal of polyps is the best way to prevent bowel cancer.

A colonoscopy may be performed to find the cause of signs and symptoms including:

  • Bleeding from the rectum
  • Blood in the stools
  • Pus or mucus in the stools
  • Unexplained abdominal pain
  • Changes in bowel habits such as unexplained and long-lasting diarrhoea
  • Screening and surveillance for colorectal cancer.

What to expect during a Colonoscopy?

Your bowel will need to be completely empty during the actual colonoscopy so Dr Saliba can clearly see the large intestine for any polyps. Two days before the colonoscopy, you will start preparing for the test by changing diet and by taking laxatives.

The colonoscopy procedure will take 30 to 60 minutes to complete and you will be given a sedative and a painkiller to make sure you’re relaxed and comfortable during the procedure. You will lie on your left side and the colonoscope will be gently inserted into your rectum.

Air is pumped into your bowel to make it expand slightly, which makes the colonoscope pass through your bowel more easily. During the procedure, Dr Salibamay take a biopsy or remove small polyps. This is done using special instruments passed inside the colonoscope, and is quick and painless. The samples will be sent to a laboratory for testing to see if the cells are benign or malignant (cancerous).

When the test is finished the colonoscope is withdrawn quickly and easily, while sucking out the air that has been introduced during the procedure.

Recovering from a Colonoscopy

Most people have no problems after a colonoscopy but you should contact Dr Saliba if you:

  • Have heavy bleeding from your back passage
  • Have a swollen abdomen and abdominal pain that gets worse
  • Feel unwell and develop high temperature

Haemorrhoidectomy is an operation to remove piles, which are swollen and inflamed blood vessels in the anal canal. Surgical treatment may be an option if other treatments haven’t worked or you have severe piles that cause pain, itching or bleeding.

A haemorrhoidectomy is routinely performed as a day surgery and is done under general anaesthesia, which means you will be asleep during the operation. You will be asked to follow fasting instructions, which involves not eating or drinking, typically for about six hours beforehand.

What to expect during Haemorrhoid Surgery?

You may be prescribed a laxative to take in the days leading up to your admission to hospital. This will ensure that your bowel is empty on the day of your operation and will help make your first bowel movements after the procedure easier. At the hospital, you may also have a bowel washout (an enema) before your operation.

Before advising on what type of Haemorrhoid surgery will be most effective, Dr Saliba will examine your piles and then decide the best method of treatment; this will usually depend on the size and location of the piles.

Although piles develop from inside the rectum, they can sometimes hang outside the anus. Conventional haemorrhoidectomy and stapled haemorrhoidopexy are more suitable for piles in these circumstances. Doppler-guided haemorrhoidal artery ligation may be a better option for piles located inside the rectum.

Doppler-guided haemorrhoidal artery ligation may result in less pain after surgery than the conventional technique, as the treatment is done higher up in your bowel, in an area which is less sensitive to pain, and the piles aren’t surgically removed.

Stapled haemorrhoidopexy may also result in less pain after surgery but there is a higher chance of the piles coming back.

Recovering from Haemorrhoid Surgery?

The recovery from a haemorrhoid surgery typically lasts a week or two, depending upon the type of treatment, the severity of the haemorrhoids and the number removed. While some pain and discomfort is expected, most patients begin to feel better on the third or fourth day after surgery and continue to improve each day following.

The typical patient is able to return to non-strenuous activities a week after treatment, and resume all normal activities within two weeks.

Dietary recommendations will be made to help prevent pain, including a diet high in fibre to soften the stool, and instructions to drink adequate water throughout the recovery phase.

Gastroscopy is an examination of the upper digestive tract (the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum) using an endoscope to view the lining of these organs. A gastroscopy is also known as an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and is performed using a narrow, flexible, telescopic camera called a gastroscope. The gastroscope is swallowed and passed down your oesophagus into your stomach and then into the duodenum.

A gastroscopy can help find out what is causing symptoms such as:

  • Indigestion
  • Heartburn
  • Repeated vomiting or vomiting blood
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Long-term abdominal (tummy) pain
  • Weight loss
  • Anaemia

It’s also used to check for certain gastrointestinal conditions such as:

  • Coeliac disease
  • Ulcers
  • Barrett’s oesophagus
  • Early signs of cancer

A gastroscopy can be used to see if there are any growths or ulcers in your oesophagus, stomach or duodenum, and can be used to remove any blockages.

What to expect during a Gastroscopy?

The Gastroscopy procedure takes about 15 to 30 minutes. The gastroscope will be passed through your mouth and you will be asked to swallow to allow the gastroscope to pass into your oesophagus and down towards your stomach.

Air will be pumped into your stomach to make the stomach lining easier to see.  The camera lens at the end of the gastroscope sends images from the inside of your body to a monitor.

If necessary, Dr Saliba will take a biopsy (a small sample of tissue) or remove small growths of tissue called polyps. This is done using special instruments passed inside the gastroscope. The samples will be sent to a laboratory for testing. 

Recovering from a gastroscopy

Most people have no problems after a gastroscopy but you should contact Dr Saliba if you:

  • Cough up or vomit blood
  • Have blood in your faeces
  • Have abdominal pain or shoulder pain that gradually gets worse or is more severe than any pain that you had before the test