GENERAL SURGEON DARWIN
DR MANIMARAN SINNATHAMBY
GENERAL SURGICAL PROCEDURES
Dr Sinnathamby is very experienced in a wide range of general surgical procedures.
“If you have any questions, please contact my rooms. I will ensure you fully understand your diagnosis and treatment options.”
Dr Sinnathamby – MBBS, MS, FRACS.
General & Breast Surgeon.
Access the buttons below to find out more about Dr Sinnathamby’s surgical procedures
(Please note some items do not have a description):
LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY (OR KEYHOLE SURGERY)
Traditional abdominal surgery requires a large incision into the abdominal cavity that may be between 15 to 30 centimetres.
Laparoscopic surgery (also known as keyhole surgery) uses smaller incisions. The surgery takes its name from the laparoscope, a slender medical device that is mounted with a light and camera that transmits images to television monitors allowing the surgeon to view the area in fine detail.
Laparoscopic surgery uses several incisions that are only a few centimetres long into the abdomen. Each incision is called a “port.” At each port an instrument known as a trochar is inserted. The laparoscope is passed through the trochars during the procedure.
Laparoscopic surgery allows the surgeon to perform the same operations as traditional surgery but with smaller incisions. Compared to traditional open surgery, patients often experience less pain, a faster recovery, and less scarring with laparoscopic surgery.
HERNIA REPAIR
A hernia occurs in the body when an internal organ or tissue is pushed through a weakened section of the muscle wall. One of the main symptoms is a visible lump or bulge in the affected area.
If left untreated the muscle can widen and greater amounts of tissue are pushed through the opening.
Approximately 40,000 Australians a year have their hernias surgically repaired, making it very common operation.
Statistics – Better Health.
Dr Sinnathamby operates on all four types of hernia repair:
Inguinal – Occurring in the groin.
Femoral – Occurring high on the thigh, where the leg joins the body.
Umbilical – A portion of the gut pushes through a muscular weakness near the navel, or belly button.
Incisional – After abdominal surgery, the site of repair will always be structurally weaker. Poor healing after abdominal surgery results in structural defect in the abdominal wall.
CHEMOPORT – INSERTION OR REMOVAL
(In relation to chemotherapy)
A chemoport (also known as a “port-a-cath”) is a small device that is implanted under your skin to allow easy access to your bloodstream.
A chemoport can be used to draw blood and infuse chemotherapy drugs into your bloodstream. Some chemotherapy medications are better given through a port, as they are too caustic to be delivered into a small vein.
GASTROSCOPY
Gastroscopy is an examination of the upper digestive tract, the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum, using an endoscope.
An endoscope is a long, thin, flexible tube that contains a camera and a light.
The endoscope allows your surgeon to view the lining of these organs to investigate the cause of symptoms such as heartburn, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, vomiting or bleeding from the digestive tract.
A gastroscopy is very useful in helping to make or confirm a diagnosis.
COLONOSCOPY
A colonoscopy is a procedure that allows for the examination of your bowel (colon and rectum) to help investigate potential abnormalities within the bowel, including cancer, inflammation, bleeding, polyps, and adenomas,
The procedure takes its name from the colonoscope, a long, thin, flexible medical device, that contains a camera with a light. The camera in the colonoscope transmits an image from inside the bowel to a computer screen to help the surgeon identify potential problems.
During the procedure, the surgeon spends most of the time looking for changes to your bowel lining. The colonoscope allows the surgeon to sample or remove tissue, without the need for surgery.
Source – Bowel Cancer Australia.
Dr Sinnathamby is a GESA accredited surgeon.
GALLBLADDER SURGERY
The gallbladder is a small sac that holds bile, a digestive juice produced by the liver that is used in the breakdown of dietary fats.
Gallstones: Gallstones are a common disorder of the digestive system, and affect around 15 per cent of people aged 50 years and over. They are small stones made from cholesterol, bile pigment and calcium salts, usually in a mixture that forms in the gallbladder.
In most cases, gallstones don’t cause any problems. However, you might need prompt treatment if stones block ducts and cause complications such as infections or inflammation of the pancreas.
Gallbladder removal (called a cholecystectomy): Surgeons may remove your gallbladder if gallstones (or other types of gallbladder disease) are causing problems. The gallbladder is not a vital organ, so your body can manage without it.
Techniques to remove the gallbladder include:
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (keyhole surgery): The surgeon makes a number of small incisions (cuts) through the skin, allowing access for a range of instruments. The surgeon removes the gallbladder through one of the incisions.
Open surgery (laparotomy): The surgeon reaches the gallbladder through a wider abdominal incision. You may need open surgery if you have scarring from prior operations.
GASTROINTESTINAL SURGERY
Gastrointestinal surgery is a treatment for diseases involved involved in digestion that may including the:
- Esophagus
- Stomach
- Small intestine
- Large intestine
- Rectum
- Liver
- Gallbladder and;
- Pancreas.
Gastrointestinal surgery may be used to remove a cancerous or noncancerous growth or a damaged part of the intestine. It may also be used to repair a problem like a hernia (a hole or weak spot in the wall of the abdomen).
Below are gastrointestinal conditions that may be treated with surgery:
Appendicitis: When the appendix becomes infected and inflamed, it may be removed (called an appendectomy).
Colon cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers: Surgery is done to remove cancerous tumors in the digestive system and parts of the digestive system that have cancer. For example, a surgeon may remove a tumor as well as part of the pancreas, liver, or intestine.
Diverticular disease: A diverticulum is a small pouch or pocket in the colon (or large intestine). Sometimes they can become inflamed and cause pain (called diverticulitis).
Gallbladder disease: When there is a problem with the gallbladder — usually gallstones — the gallbladder can be removed. Surgery to remove the gallbladder is also called a cholecystectomy.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): GERD, or acid reflux is when the acid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus (food pipe) and causes heartburn. This is when the stomach pushes through the diaphragm, a muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen.
Hernia: Visit hernia information.
Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis): With inflammatory bowel disease, the immune system attacks the intestines and causes pain and inflammation. This can lead to damage in the intestine. Sometimes the damaged parts are removed and the healthy parts are reconnected. This is called bowel resection.
PERIANAL SURGERY
Perianal Surgery is a broad term covering a large number of different conditions of the anal/rectal region that may require surgery including but not limited to:
Haemorrhoidectomy: When haemorrhoids are extensive, prolapsing or very painful, they may require removal by surgery. This is done under anaesthesia by removing a small amount of skin and inner lining of the anus and the piles tissue which consists of the swollen blood vessels.
Abscess drainage: A perirectal abscess is a collection of pus located in the deep tissues surrounding the anus. In most cases the abscess needs immediate attention to prevent the condition worsening. For drainage of abscess, the skin is cut open to allow any discharge left inside to drain out.
Fissures / Fistula: An anal fissure is a tear in the skin inside the anal canal. This may cause pain with each bowel movement and passing of blood and leave the wound open to infection causing an abscess. Certain type of abscesses may result in a tunnel from the anus to the skin. This is a fistula. A fistula can cause pain and fever.
Sphincterotomy surgery allows a fissure to heal. A small part of the anal sphincter muscle is cut to open the anal canal. This relieves pressure when you move your bowels and allows a fissure to heal.
Fistulotomy/Fistulectomy is surgery for Fistula.
Polpypectomy: This is is a procedure to locate and remove polyps from the bowel using a colonoscope. Polyps are small growths on the bowel lining that are most often benign, but can sometimes contain a small area of cancer. Polyps also have the potential to develop into bowel cancer at a later stage.
The early removal of polyps stops them from becoming malignant, making it a key way to protect people from bowel cancer.
ENDOCRINE SURGERY
Endocrine surgery refers to operations on one or more of the endocrine glands. These glands secrete hormones into the bloodstream, and have an important influence over the functions of almost all cells in the body.
Thyroidectomy: A thyroidectomy is surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid gland. If a person has the entire gland removed, they will need to take tablets to replace the thyroid hormone for the rest of their life.
Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck. It produces hormones that regulate every aspect of your metabolism, from your heart rate to how quickly you burn calories.
Thyroidectomy is used to treat thyroid disorders, such as cancer, noncancerous enlargement of the thyroid (goiter) and overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).
A thyroidectomy may be recommended for conditions such as:
Thyroid cancer: Cancer is the most common reason for thyroidectomy. If you have thyroid cancer, removing most, if not all, of your thyroid will likely be a treatment option.
Noncancerous enlargement of the thyroid (goiter). Removing all or part of your thyroid gland is an option if you have a large goiter that is uncomfortable or causes difficulty breathing or swallowing or, in some cases, if the goiter is causing hyperthyroidism.
Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism): Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine.
Parathyroidectomy: Parathyroidectomy is the surgical removal of one or more parathyroid glands.
The parathyroid glands are four rice-sized glands located on back of the thyroid gland in the neck. The parathyroid glands make parathyroid hormone (PTH), which controls the levels of calcium in the body.
SKIN LESION EXCISION
Skin lesion excision is a procedure in which the surgeon removes a cancerous skin lesion and an area of surrounding tissue called the margin.
There are three types of skin cancer: Basal cell cancer is the least invasive with the least amount of margin removed; squamous cell is more aggressive with a wider margin required. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, occurring in the cells that produce pigment.
Many types of benign skin growths may look like malignant tumors and are removed for a biopsy. If a lesion looks precancerous it may be removed as a precaution.
There are three types of skin cancer:
Basal cell cancer is the least invasive with the least amount of margin removed;
Squamous cell is more aggressive with a wider margin required.
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, occurring in the cells that produce pigment.
Many types of benign skin growths may look like malignant tumors and are removed for a biopsy. If a lesion looks precancerous it may be removed as a precaution.
OTHER MINOR SURGICAL PROCEDURES
Vasectomy: Vasectomy is minor surgery which cuts the tubes that carry the sperm from the testicles to the penis. This method of contraception is sometimes also called sterilisation or ‘the snip’.
Ingrown toe nails: An ingrown toenail happens when the edges or corners of the nail grow into the skin next to the nail and break the skin.
It is a common condition, and it can be painful, causing swelling, redness, and sometimes infection. It usually affects the big toe, either on one or both sides of the toe.
Circumcision: Male circumcision is an operation to remove the foreskin that covers the tip of the penis.
Hydrocele: A hydrocele (HI-droe-seel) is a type of swelling in the scrotum that occurs when fluid collects in the thin sheath surrounding a testicle. Hydrocele is common in newborns and usually disappears without treatment by age 1. Older boys and adult men can develop a hydrocele due to inflammation or injury within the scrotum.
GENERAL SURGEON DARWIN
Dr Sinnathamby is a general surgeon based in Darwin. He has a wide range of experience in general surgery including hernia repair, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, gallbladder removal, laparoscopic surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, perianal surgery, endocrine surgery, skin lesion excisions, vasectomy, ingrown toe nails, circumcision and others.
Dr Sinnathamby is a highly experienced general surgeon who consults with patients from all over Darwin including Tiwi, Muirhead, Lyons, Nakara, Wanguri, Casuarina, Leanyer, Alawa, Wagaman, Wulagi, Rapid Creek, Nightcliff, Millner, Coconut Grove, Jingili, Moil, Anula, Malak, Karama, Holmes, Bagot, Ludmilla, Fannie Bay, The Narrows, Parap, Winnellie, Coonawarra, Hidden Valley, Yarrawonga, Palmerston City, Grey, Gunn, Johnston, Bakewell, Moulden, Archer, and Rosenbery.