Surgery at Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant

When you need advanced surgical care in San Antonio, our team at Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant is here for you. Our expert surgeons provide a full range of surgical procedures for our patients, from kidney transplants to weight loss surgery. In addition, our 26-bed medical/surgical unit emphasizes highly personalized nursing care for patients recovering from operations.

To learn more about the full scope of surgical procedures we offer, please call (210) 575-8110.

Advanced surgical care close to home

Our highly skilled surgeons perform a full range of surgical procedures, including:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Plastic surgery
• Transplant surgery
• General surgery
• Bariatric surgery
• Urological surgery
• Ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery
• Tumor removal surgery
• Retina surgery

We have three dedicated endoscopic/laparoscopic operating suites featuring equipment that allows surgeons to perform traditional surgeries with smaller incisions. This type of surgery offers a number of benefits, including a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery and lowered risk of infection.

Ostomy services

Our hospital offers not only ostomy surgery, but also support pre- and post- procedure. Some of the support services we offer include:

• Preoperative services: stoma site selection and preoperative education – available at all our hospitals.
• Inpatient services: postoperative education with hands-on demonstration, identifying properly fitting products, connecting with resources and community support – available at all our hospitals.
• Outpatient clinic: Troubleshooting leakage and skin breakdown issues, identifying properly fitting products, assessing for changes in weight, abdominal contours or mobility issues and assisting with difficulty obtaining ostomy supplies. We have an additional clinic located at Methodist Hospital.

As part of our inpatient services, we also offer ostomy surgeries, including:

• Colostomy
• Ileostomy
• Urostomy

Outpatient ostomy clinic

After your procedure, our Wound, Ostomy and Continence (WOC) nurses will offer follow up care and help you adjust to life with your ostomy at our outpatient clinic.

Our ostomy team

The WOC team will offer ostomy services including teaching and bag fitting from before your surgery, through your hospital stay and after discharge. Some of the services provided include:

• Careful planning and marking your stoma position so you can see the stoma and be able to take care of it yourself
• Pre-op teaching to prepare you for your upcoming surgery
• Multiple teaching sessions with hands on demonstrations
• Finding the right ostomy products
• Ostomy supply resources
• Community resources
• Outpatient ostomy clinic available for complications

When to call your ostomy nurse

If you experience any of the following issues, you should contact your ostomy nurse.

• A bulge in the skin around your stoma
• A stoma that appears to be getting longer
• Blood in your stool
• Diarrhea with pain and or vomiting
• Excessive bleeding from your stoma
• Persistent diarrhea
• Recurrent leaks under your pouching system or skin barrier
• Skin irritation

How to make an appointment at our outpatient clinic

If you need to make an appointment at our ostomy clinic, your primary care physician or surgeon can send a referral to either of our locations (preferably where your surgery was performed). We will call you to find a time that is convenient for you.

Ostomy support

If you need additional information around discharge support programs, community resources and support groups or need other online resources, you can ask your WOC Nurse or visit Ostomy.org.

Preparing for your surgery

It's important to follow any specific instructions your doctor gives to you before your procedure. You will receive instructions on how to prepare during or after your pre-admission testing.

Visitor information

Our surgery department is located on the first floor of the hospital. We provide multiple waiting rooms for family and friends to wait during their loved one's surgery. In addition, we have an electronic board in each waiting room to give updates throughout the patient's surgery.