What is minimally invasive surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery is a surgical approach that "minimizes" damage to the human body due to surgical incisions (cuts). While open or traditional surgery may still be the best option for some patients, many doctors are now performing a majority of their operations minimally invasively with these methods:
Laparoscopically with a tiny camera and instruments that travel through a .5- to 1.5-centimeter incision, usually in the abdomen
Endoscopically with a camera that can examine the inside of an organ and instruments that may be introduced through the nose, throat, rectum or another body opening
Minimally invasive surgical techniques often result in:
- Less pain
- Faster recovery time
- Less scarring
- Less blood loss
- Less chance of the condition returning
- Fewer readmissions to the hospital
- Less chance for damage to healthy organs
When you need complex surgery, it's important to consider who will do the procedure and where it will be done. You also want to know how many procedures the surgeon has performed and the results of those surgeries. Is the surgeon skilled in the latest technologies and minimally invasive techniques? And how far will you have to travel for high-level surgical expertise?
We thought you should know you don't have to go far for surgical excellence and innovation. We have it all right here at Main Line Health. Expert care that's easy to get to.
Here at Main Line Health we have a longstanding commitment to innovation in surgical care and to always being ahead of the curve. This commitment includes early adoption and exploration of minimally invasive surgery techniques, including robotic-assisted surgery, which enables greater precision for our surgeons and in many cases improved outcomes for patients.