Talking to a general surgeon online before or after an operation

Who general surgeons help

General surgeons commonly treat conditions of the abdomen and the wall around it. You might be sent to one for:

• A hernia, where part of an organ pushes through a weak area in the muscle. Some improve on their own, and others need surgery.
• Gallstones that are causing pain. Most people who have gallstones get no symptoms at all.
• Appendicitis, which needs urgent treatment in hospital.
• Lumps and bumps, or problems with the bowel, depending on the surgeon’s training.

What a video consult is good for

Surgical decisions depend on feeling the lump or the tummy, reading scans and judging how fit you are. Both main UAE telehealth standards reflect this. The DoH standard excludes invasive clinical interventions from tele-consultation and says such patients must be referred for face-to-face examination. The DHA standard includes pre and post-operative assessments among the things a physician can consider suitable for telehealth.

In practice, a video visit can help when you want to:

• Understand a diagnosis or a scan report you have already been given.
• Ask whether surgery is the only option, and what happens if you wait.
• Get a second view before you agree to an operation.
• Talk through a recovery question, or show a healing wound if the surgeon agrees.

Questions to take with you

1. What exactly is the operation, and how will it be done?
2. What are the main risks and benefits for someone like me?
3. What is likely to happen if I do not have it, or if I wait?
4. How long is recovery, and when can I go back to work or drive?
5. Who should I contact if something feels wrong afterwards?

Have your scan reports, blood results, operation notes, allergies and a full list of your medicines ready. Mention anything that thins your blood. Do not stop any medicine before surgery unless your doctor tells you to.

Tummy pain that cannot wait

Call 998 or go to an emergency department for severe pain in your abdomen, sudden severe tummy pain, pain that spreads to your back with vomiting, a high temperature with shivering, or yellow skin or eyes. Do not drive yourself. Get urgent help too if you have a known hernia with pain, vomiting, a bloated tummy or constipation.

Appendicitis usually starts as pain around the belly button that moves to the lower right side of the tummy and gets worse. It can look different in pregnancy, in young children and in older people, so seek help if you are unsure.

Finding a surgeon through medicAI

General surgeons appear in the medicAI doctor list and practise at independent facilities licensed by DHA or DoH. Any examination or operation happens at that facility or another hospital, and medicAI takes no part in clinical decisions. You can read more about treatment abroad if you are thinking of travelling for an operation.