Gastrointestinal (GI) surgery treats diseases of the GI tract (esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon), pancreas and liver.
Digestive system surgery can be divided into upper GI surgery and lower GI surgery.
Upper GI surgery focuses on treating the upper parts of the gastrointestinal tract, such as stomach and small bowel.
Lower GI surgery focuses on treating the lower gastrointestinal tract, such as the colon or rectum.
Patients at St. Vincent’s Medical Center see surgeons for management of a variety of benign and malignant (cancerous) GI disorders via open surgery or laparoscopic (a flexible fiberoptic instrument) surgery, including:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatal hernias and achalasia
- Gallbladder disease, as well as complex pancreatic and hepatobiliary disorders
- Colon and rectal cancer
- Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- Anorectal disease including rectal prolapse, incontinence
Charles Cha MD, FACS is now the Chief of Surgical Oncology at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Director of Surgical Oncology for Fairfield Region, as well as Medical Director of the Digestive Health Center, Fairfield Region. He specializes in minimally invasive surgery for patients with liver, pancreas, biliary, small bowel and gastric disease, both benign and malignant, and built the largest liver (HPB) surgery practice in the state of Connecticut.