Laparoscopy Bariatric Center Alan Geiss, M.D.

For more information on laparoscopic hernia repair or colon surgery, please contact our practice serving New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and beyond.






Laparoscopy Bariatric Center
at Syosset Hospital, the Center for Surgical Specialties, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

221 Jericho Turnpike
Syosset, NY 11791
(516) 714-5431

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Laparoscopic Colon Surgery, Hernia Repair, and More at Our New York Practice

Laparoscopic colon surgery and hernia surgery are just two of the many procedures our physicians provide to residents of the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area. In addition to LAP-BAND® System surgery for patients who are morbidly obese, Dr. Alan Geiss and Dr. Colin Powers can use innovative laparoscopic surgery techniques to treat patients with hernias, gallstones, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other conditions.

Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ located under the liver. Its function is to store bile, aiding in fatty food digestion. Sometimes, the amount of bile and other chemicals inside the gallbladder becomes imbalanced, leading the chemicals to take a solid form (gallstones). Gallstones can irritate the wall of the gallbladder or be "silent" and cause no symptoms. However, they can also travel to the cystic duct and block it, causing upper abdominal pain, heartburn, back pain, nausea, and vomiting. When this occurs, the gallbladder will become infected and lead to more problems. Also, if a gallstone gets stuck in the common bile duct, or has trouble passing through, it causes pain and conditions such as jaundice, pancreatitis, or cholangitis.

Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery at our New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut-area practice can repair or remove the gallbladder with state-of-the-art medical techniques. A tiny camera is inserted through small incisions so that our physician can visualize the area and then conduct the procedure with long, narrow instruments. If the gallbladder must be removed, it is brought through a small incision in the navel. The entire surgery lasts about an hour, and patients typically go home the same day.

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Laparoscopic Hernia Repair

Laparoscopic hernia repair is a remarkable solution to traditional hernia treatment, with less pain and less recovery time than open surgery. A hernia is a tear or weakness in the abdominal wall that occurs when a loop of intestine or fatty tissue pushes against the wall's lining. This pressure forms a hernia sac, which appears as a bulge along the abdominal wall. Hernias can be extremely painful, prevent patients from carrying out daily activities, and even affect basic body movement. Laparoscopic hernia repair allows Dr. Geiss and Dr. Powers to conduct the procedure through small incisions while visualizing the hernia site on a video monitor. This technique can be used treat hernias in a number of areas, including:

One of the best advantages to laparoscopic hernia repair, available to our New York, Connecticut, Long Island, and New Jersey-area patients, is that recovery is much faster than if the procedure is performed as an open surgery. In fact, laparoscopic hernia repair only takes about an hour to complete, and patients can often go home the same day.

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Laparoscopic Reflux Surgery/GERD

For patients experiencing a pattern of heartburn, difficulty swallowing, or sour-tasting fluid in their throats, the problem may be more serious than they think. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a common condition that can be treated with laparoscopic reflux surgery, offered at our New York center. GERD occurs when the opening leading from the esophagus to the stomach fails to close when it should. This allows food and fluids to wash back up to the esophagus, a process known as reflux. The problem can be exacerbated when coupled with a hiatal hernia.

Using laparoscopic reflux surgery, our team can solve the problem fairly quickly, with minimal recovery time and less pain than a traditional surgery. Using small incisions, a tiny camera, and long, slender instruments, our physicians wrap the top of the stomach around the esophagus, ensuring the one-way valve does not reopen into the esophagus after eating or drinking. The procedure lasts about one-and-a-half hours and patients typically go home after one to two days.

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Laparoscopic Colon Surgery

The laparoscopic colon surgery performed at our center, serving the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut region, is designed to be a minimally-invasive treatment for conditions involving the colon. Laparoscopic surgery involves the use of a laparoscope (a small camera) and narrow instruments inserted into the abdomen through small incisions. During the operation, Dr. Geiss or Dr. Powers can visualize the inside of the patient’s body by means of a video monitor, and conduct the procedure without having to make large incisions at the surgery site. This allows for much less pain and trauma for the patient, as well as faster recovery times and lower healthcare costs. Some common problems that can be treated with laparoscopic colon surgery include:

Polyps – These tissue growths along the linings of the colon can increase in size and become cancerous. Early polyp removal can decrease the risk of colon cancer.

Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis – These are conditions involving small pouches that form along the lining of the colon. The pouches can become infected, inflamed, or broken, necessitating surgery.

Colon/Rectal Cancer or Tumors - Characterized by abnormal, benign or malignant growths.

Laparoscopic colon surgery is designed to treat conditions such as those above without causing further problems. With laparoscopic surgery, the affected piece of colon (resection) is removed and the remaining ends of the colon are stapled together. This also works to remove cancer, surrounding tissue, and lymph glands to reduce the chance of recurrence. The procedure aims to keep the colon's original shape so waste can pass through and normal bowel function can be maintained. The surgery typically takes about two to three hours to complete, with minimal pain during recovery. Contact Dr. Geiss and Dr. Powers for more information on laparoscopic colon surgery.

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Additional Laparoscopic Procedures

In addition to treatments designed to facilitate weight loss, Dr. Alan Geiss and Dr. Powers also perform a number of other laparoscopic surgery procedures for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut-area patients. These include:

Our experienced physicians and staff offer a comprehensive array of treatments for a range of conditions. We aim to help patients with minimally-invasive procedures geared toward quick recovery time and as little pain and discomfort as possible.

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