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Do you accept insurance?
We accept most major insurance and Medicare. Please call our office to find out if we participate in your plan - frequently, membership books are not up to date.
Do you offer financing?
Copays and deductibles are payable at the time of service. Payment plans may be evaluated on an individual basis.
Where will my surgery be done?
Dr. McMullen works primarily at the Surgical Hospital of Oklahoma, as he believes it is the optimal facility available for his patient's needs. However, if insurance dictates, other facilities are available. Please refer to the "Hospital Affiliations" section located under "About Dr. McMullen" for more information.
Who will actually perform the surgery?
Dr. McMullen performs all surgery himself. Although he does have visiting medical students on rotation, only Dr. McMullen performs the surgical procedures.
Laparoscopic Surgery
Who is a candidate for the laparoscopic approach vs. the open technique?
It is up to the surgeon's judgement to decide who the best candidates are for each approach. For example, a patient who has never had surgery on the abdomen is a better (and safer) candidate for the laparoscopic approach than someone else who has had many abdominal surgeries and has scar tissue, adhesions, and thus a higher risk of potential injury to the bowel or other organs because of that past surgical history. But there are other factors involved also, so it is up to your surgeon to consider these and other factors when planning a surgery.
What are the advantages of the laparoscopic approach?
Usually, a procedure done with the laparoscopic approach is considered "minimally invasive" in that multiple tiny incisions are made for the scope and instruments to do the work. In return, the patient experiences less pain, shorter recovery time and faster return to normal activities.
What is Laparoscopic Surgery?
Laparoscopic surgery is a technique which allows the surgeon to look into the abdomen, pelvis or chest by inserting a long thin scope through a one inch incision, rather than making a larger more painful incision. The scope is attached to a camera which shows the surgeon the operative field on a TV screen in the operating room. This is also referred to as "closed" or "laser" surgery, as oposed to "open" surgery.
What procedures are done with this approach?
Today, many common procedures utilize the laparoscope, including gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy), hiatal and inguinal hernia repairs, splenectomy, and gynecologic surgeries, as well as lung and chest procedures.
Gallbladder Surgery
What does the gallbladder do, and how would I know if I need mine out?
Gallbladder removal is one of the most common procedures done today. The gallbladder is a storage bag for bile, a digestive juice, and it can cause pain, nausea, bloating, cramping and other problems when it stops working correctly. You can also form gallstones within the gallbladder if it does not empty its bile stores regularly, and these stones can cause additional problems by blocking up the main bile duct from the liver to the small bowel. When the gallbladder starts causing problems, it is time to think about removing it.
How is the gallbladder removed?
Today, almost all gallbladder surgery is done with the laparoscopic, or minimally-invasive, approach, using 3-4 tiny incisions, while under general anesthesia. Patients usually go home the same day, and are eating a light diet within a day or two. Full activity and return to regular eating habits takes between 5-10 days.
What are the risks of gallbladder surgery?
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a very safe procedure. It has many advantages for the patient over the "open" approach, but the potential complications are the same - possible bleeding, possible injury to the main bile duct, and the possibility of leaving some gallstones behind in the bile duct. These can be removed without another operation in most cases, however, by a special endoscope that goes down the throat, into the small bowel and up into the bile duct to pull the stones out.
Any other risks?
Just like any surgery, there is a small risk of infection, and possible injury to other organs or the bowel from the laparoscope or instruments. Overall, however, the risk of any of these problems is less than 1%.
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