Robotic Surgery for Liver, Pancreas, and Complex GI Conditions
Furrukh Jabbar, MD, FACS, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained general surgeon practicing in Denton County and Collin County. His practice includes robotic and open surgery for cancers and complex digestive conditions of the liver, pancreas, stomach, esophagus, and colon. He also takes on complicated benign cases that are often referred elsewhere, including recurrent hernias and severe reflux that has not responded to medication.
What Dr. Jabbar Treats
Patients are often referred to Dr. Jabbar after imaging or a biopsy has already identified a problem. Liver tumors, pancreatic masses, gallbladder cancer, bile duct cancers, stomach and esophageal cancers, colon and rectal cancers, and cancers of the small intestine are all part of Dr. Jabbar’s practice. So are several benign conditions that can become serious if left untreated, including complicated gallstone disease, paraesophageal hernias, and hernias that have been repaired once or twice before without holding.
A meaningful share of patients come for a second surgical opinion. That means an independent review of the imaging, the pathology, and the operative history by a surgeon who treats that specific type of case every week.
Robotic Surgery in Dr. Jabbar’s Practice
When the anatomy and the disease allow it, Dr. Jabbar performs these operations on a robotic platform. Many operations that traditionally required a larger incision can now be performed through several small incisions. The number and size of incisions depend on the procedure, and a larger extraction incision may sometimes be needed.
For selected abdominal cancer operations, robotic and laparoscopic approaches may offer smaller incisions and fewer wound-related complications than open surgery. Results vary by procedure, patient selection, and surgical expertise; robotic surgery is not consistently superior to laparoscopy, and no universal cancer-survival advantage has been established.
Robotics is not the right choice for every case. Large tumors, prior abdominal surgery that has scarred the field, and unstable medical conditions can all tip the decision toward an open operation. Dr. Jabbar trained extensively in both approaches and chooses based on the anatomy and the patient.
The Surgeon’s Role on the Care Team
Most cancer patients are also seeing a medical oncologist, often a radiation oncologist, and the gastroenterologist who made the diagnosis. The surgeon is one role inside that larger team. Dr. Jabbar’s job is to handle the surgical portion effectively and to make sure the other doctors have what they need from the operating room to carry out their part of the treatment plan.
Where Dr. Jabbar Practices
Dr. Jabbar operates at three hospitals across Denton County and Collin County: Medical City Denton, Medical City Plano, and Texas Health Plano. He also participates in surgical education with North Texas general surgery residents.
Languages Spoken in the Practice
Dr. Jabbar speaks English, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu.
