Minimally Invasive Surgery Specialist

What is minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery is an advanced method of carrying out operations without the need to make any large incisions like those used in open surgery.

In many cases, your provider can access your reproductive organs through your vagina. Where this isn't suitable, they make one or more small cuts just big enough for their specialized instruments to fit through.

Your provider views the inside of your body using a monitor that receives images from a camera at the end of the laparoscope. They can then perform the surgery by following the images on the screen instead of having to view your organs directly.

What advantages does minimally invasive surgery offer?

Minimally invasive surgery has some significant advantages over traditional open surgery, such as:

• It's less painful
• The risk of infection is lower
• You're less likely to suffer any complications
• You won't lose as much blood
• Tissue damage is minimal
• You recover far more quickly
• Your scars (if any) are much smaller
  
  

You might only need a regional anesthetic rather than a general, and your hospital stay is far shorter. You can often go home the day after some procedures, and you can have certain minimally invasive surgeries as an outpatient. Minimally invasive surgery is also suitable for patients who can't have open surgery.

When might I need minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery can address numerous gynecological disorders and is standard practice for many women's health problems. Conditions the team at Obstetricians & Gynecologists, PC, treat using minimally invasive surgery include:

• Pelvic pain
• Endometriosis
• Uterine fibroids
• Ovarian cysts
• Menorrhagia (painful periods)
• Metrorrhagia (irregular periods)
• Gynecologic cancer
• Pelvic organ prolapse
  
  

Procedures the team performs include oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries), pelvic reconstructive surgery, tubal ligation (sterilization), and hysterectomy (removal of the uterus).

What techniques does minimally invasive surgery use?

There are three ways in which the Obstetricians & Gynecologists, PC, team can perform your minimally invasive surgery:

Vaginally

Vaginal surgery is the least invasive approach. There are no visible incisions as your provider accesses your uterus through your vagina. This type of procedure typically causes very little postoperative pain.

Laparoscopically

The laparoscopic approach is where your provider makes several incisions of around half an inch in your abdomen to access your reproductive organs. Using a laparoscope with a camera enables your provider to perform your operation quickly and safely.

Robotically

Robotic technology enables your provider to perform your surgery through a few tiny incisions, just like a laparoscopy. However, the robot arm that your provider uses enables them to carry out the procedure more accurately and with less tissue damage than any other method. You can also have robotic surgery as an outpatient.

To find out more about the minimally invasive surgery options at Obstetricians & Gynecologists, PC, call your nearest office or book an appointment online today.