Surgery

Surgical services in Caldwell, Idaho

West Valley Medical Center is proud to provide a variety of surgical care services to the Canyon County area. Our surgical services include the latest in robotic surgery and other minimally invasive techniques. We are dedicated to providing quality and compassionate care.

For more information about our surgical services, contact us at (208) 459-4641.

Surgical care in Caldwell, Idaho

In addition to the general surgical treatments, West Valley specializes in the following areas:

• Bariatric (weight loss surgery): Procedures such as gastric bypass and sleeve to help promote weight loss
• Cardiology: Procedures to treat conditions such as cardiovascular disease, heart attack, heart structure and heart arrhythmias
• Ear, nose and throat (ENT): Procedures to treat chronic sinus conditions
• Endoscopy: Non-surgical procedure to examine and diagnose digestive tract conditions
• Gynecology: Treatment of conditions such as breast cancer and female-relate reproductive conditions
• Ophthalmology: Treatment for eye conditions
• Orthopedics: Procedures that address joint and spine conditions
• Pain management: Procedures to reduce chronic pain
• Urology: Treatment for conditions including prostate cancer, reproductive conditions in men and urinary incontinence care

Preparing for surgery

Preparing for Surgery Videos

Our goal is to do everything possible to prepare you for surgery. Our preadmission nursing team:

• Takes a medical and surgical history
• Conducts any preoperative testing ordered by the surgeon
• Provides you with information about the admission and discharge process and begins your patient record
• Answers any questions you have about the hospital process and the procedure

Prior to a procedure, one of our anesthesiologists visits with each patient. Together, you and your anesthesiologist will decide on an appropriate anesthetic. Consent forms and other paperwork are completed in the preoperative area.

A certified surgical technologist and/or registered nurse (RN) prepares the operating room for the procedure, and sterile processing technicians prepare the instruments for use. The operating room team consists of one RN and a certified surgical technician, or two RNs, a certified nurse anesthetist and/or an anesthesiologist and the surgeon.

After-surgery care

After surgery, patients usually go to the post-anesthesia care unit, also known as the recovery room. The experienced nurses in this unit will observe and care for you as you emerge from the anesthetic. From this unit, patients are transferred back to the outpatient unit or to one of the inpatient units.

Outpatient surgery patients usually are discharged one to two hours after they leave recovery. They are given postoperative instructions, prescriptions (if ordered by the surgeon) and information about follow-up appointments with their surgeons.

What is enhanced surgical recovery (ESR)?

ESR is a research-based partnership in which you have the ability to take an active role with your clinical care team and help improve your own patient experience and surgical outcomes. We incorporate ESR for all of our surgeries including the Ortho Ethos programs for orthopedic and spine surgeries.

How is this program different?

What makes ESR different is:

• We inform and educate patients so they feel well-prepared for surgery and recovery.
• Patients drink a carbohydrate-rich beverage before surgery, which helps them to recover faster.
• Local nerve blocks often replace the use of general anesthesia, which speeds recovery.
• Our multimodal pain relief plan provides options that keep patients comfortable while avoiding opioids after surgery whenever possible.
• We encourage patients to eat, drink and walk around as soon as they can.

Patient benefits of ESR

Some of the benefits of ESR include:

• Decreased stress response before and after surgery
• Fewer surgical complications
• Reduction of bloating and nausea
• Effective pain management without opioids
• Faster recovery and decreased hospital stay

ESR plans for patients

Recommendations before your surgery include:

• Understanding pain management and mobility by discussing it thoroughly with your clinical care team
• Setting realistic goals with your clinical care team
• Staying well-hydrated in the days before your surgery
• Following your physician's directions for the day before your procedure

Best practices after your surgery include:

• Moving, standing and walking around as much as possible after your surgery
• Clearly communicating your level of pain to the clinical care team on a regular basis
• Revisiting your goals with the clinical care team to ensure surgical recovery success

Laparoscopic surgical procedures

Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that uses smaller and fewer incisions, resulting in less pain and quicker recovery time.

Our board-certified surgeons perform a wide variety of laparoscopic surgical procedures, including:

• Appendectomy
• Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy
• Cholecystectomy
• Colectomy
• Diagnostic laparoscopy
• Gastric banding
• Hernia repair
• Nissen repair
• Ovarian cystectomy
• Umbilical hernia repair
• Vaginal hysterectomy

Robot-assisted surgery

West Valley uses minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery as an alternative to more invasive surgical methods.

Robot-assisted surgery is designed to provide surgeons with enhanced capabilities, including high-definition, 3D vision and a magnified view. The surgeon controls the robotic system, which translates hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside of the body.

Benefits of robot-assisted surgery

Compared to traditional surgery, robotic surgery offers:

• Faster recovery
• Fewer complications
• Less blood loss
• Less need for pain medicine
• Shorter hospital stay
• Smaller incisions for minimal scarring

Robotic surgery options offered

Our skilled surgeons use robotic technology to perform several procedures, including:

• Gallbladder surgery: Using single-site robotic assistance, this procedure requires one incision that is approximately an inch in length to remove the gallbladder.
• Hysterectomy surgery: This is a robot-assisted procedure to remove the uterus (partial hysterectomy) or the uterus and cervix (total hysterectomy), often to treat conditions such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic pain and uterine or cervical cancer.
• Kidney surgery: This procedure removes all or part of the kidney — often to treat kidney cancer.
• Pelvic and vaginal prolapse surgery: Utilizing robotics technology, the procedure repairs tissue and muscles supporting pelvic organs (e.g., uterus, rectum, bladder) that have become loose or weakened.
• Prostate cancer surgery: This procedure removes the prostate as part of prostate cancer treatment.
• Total knee and hip replacement: Robotics technology uses 3D CT-based planning software so your surgeon can know more about your anatomy to create a personalized joint replacement surgical plan. By guiding your surgeon during surgery, the technology allows them to cut less by cutting precisely what's planned to help protect your healthy bone.
• Spine surgery: Pre-procedure planning allows the surgeon to make the procedure predictable and more accurate. The technology offers visibility of navigation with real-time image guidance and decreased use of radiation in the operating room.