Minimally Invasive Surgery = Improved Outcomes With advancements in technology and the advanced training of physicians, many surgeries can now be preformed minimally invasively. Our team of medical experts reviews each case and works to ensure each patient receives the option best suited to him or her.
Minimally invasive surgery is also known as laparoscopic or arthroscopic surgery because most of the work is done through scopes and tiny incisions rather than through a large, open incision.
Benefits of minimally invasive surgery are significant, including:
- less post-operative pain
- less scarring
- shorter hospital stay
- faster recovery and, in many cases, a better overall outcome
How does minimally invasive surgery work?
In minimally invasive procedures, a surgeon will insert an endoscope - a long thin tube with a lighted camera at its tip - through a small incision. The camera sends a two-dimensional image of the surgical site to a high-definition monitor, which the surgeon watches throughout the operation.
Specially designed surgical instruments are placed through the original cut or through other small incisions and allow the surgeon to cut, stitch, cauterize and perform other tasks with minimal damage to skin, muscles and organs. Generally, patients require only an overnight hospital stay and heal with very little scarring.
Minimally invasive techniques have been used by St. Joseph medical staff surgeons and specialists for surgeries of the abdomen, breast, colon, eyes, esophagus, gall bladder, heart, hernia, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, reproductive organs, pancreas, prostate, urologic system, and more.
In addition, arthroscopic procedures – another form of minimally invasive surgery – are performed by St. Joseph orthopedic surgeons for appropriate ankle, knee, wrist and shoulder procedures.
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