Endoscopic Surgery or Minimally Invasive Surgery
Many procedures are now available via less invasive surgery options with many benefits
What are the benefits of minimally invasive surgery?
When compared to traditional surgery, minimally invasive surgery can result in much less pain and swifter recovery while providing an alternative for repairing and preventing a wide range of conditions. Depending on the procedure, patients may leave the hospital the same day, or in a few days, and return to normal activities more quickly than patients recovering from open surgery.
What happens during a minimally invasive procedure?
During a minimally invasive procedure, a surgeon makes several small incisions (often less than an inch) or even no incisions by performing a procedure through the mouth or rectum. A miniature camera (usually a laparoscope or endoscope) is then placed through one of the incisions, the mouth, or rectum. Images from the camera are projected onto monitors in the operating room so surgeons can get a clear and magnified view of the surgical area. Specialized surgical tools inserted through small incisions or an endoscope are used to perform the procedure.
What are some common minimally invasive procedures?
Minimally invasive surgery is the optimal choice for patients for a significant number of surgical procedures, including:
- Hernia repair
- Colon resection
- Appendectomy
- Procedures to prevent heartburn
- Gallbladder removal
- Oophorectomy and gynecological emergencies
- Surgical biopsy samples
- Thoracoscopic procedures
- Bariatric or weight-loss surgery
- Other advanced hybrid procedures involving endoscopy
- What should every patient know?
Patients should be informed by their physician or surgeon when making any healthcare decision. If you are a patient considering minimally invasive surgery (MIS), we encourage you to review informative brochures to learn if you may be a candidate, for additional questions to ask your surgeon or physician, and to learn more about common procedures, how to prepare, what happens during the operation, and what is expected after the surgery.
What do the latest studies say about minimally invasive surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery has been shown to shorten hospital stays, decrease pain, and provide patients with a more rapid recovery, therefore cutting down cost. A recent study showed that 170,000 fewer hospital days, 4,306 fewer postoperative complications, and $337M in annual savings would occur if surgeons at hospitals increased their number of minimally invasive procedures to just the average of high performing MIP hospitals.
Is minimally invasive surgery underutilized?
Yes. What this means is that for many common medical procedures, the majority are still being conducted as open procedures. As a result, patients may be experiencing unnecessary pain and undergoing prolonged recovery times.
Dr. Ricardo Montero
General Endoscopic Surgery with Subspecialty in Gastric and Bariatric Surgeries
Grupo Médico Costamed
