Advanced minimally invasive procedures offer alternatives to traditional surgery

At Southwest General, advanced minimally invasive surgery, including robot-assisted surgery, is being used to address a growing variety of surgical procedures. An alternative to traditional "open" surgery, minimally invasive surgery provides significant patient benefits.

Minimally invasive surgery is performed using much smaller incisions or openings than traditional surgery. The openings, sometimes called "ports" or "keyholes," can be as little as one or two centimeters in length. Specially designed surgical instruments are inserted through the openings and include endoscopes, laparoscopes or thorascopes.  These are lighted tubes with tiny magnifying cameras, which project images onto a monitor that a surgeon views while performing the surgical procedure. 

For patients, minimally invasive surgery offers significant benefits such as:

• Minimal tissue damage with less scarring and improved cosmetic appearance
• Substantially less post-operative pain and discomfort
• Less risk of infection
• Less blood loss and fewer transfusions
• Shorter recovery
• Faster return to normal activities

Providing a Wide Range of Minimally Invasive Procedures

Highly skilled surgeons on Southwest General's Medical Staff perform a variety of complex, minimally invasive surgical procedures in:

• Gastric surgery
• General surgery
• Gynecological surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic surgery
• Podiatric surgery
• Surgical oncology
• Thoracic surgery
• Urological surgery
• Vascular surgery

State-of-the-Art Robotic Surgery

Surgeons at Southwest General use the Single-Site^TM da Vinci ^R Surgical System -- the most advanced technology available for minimallly invasive robotic surgery.  Robotic surgery provides less invasive, more precise procedures, which may improve patient outcomes in a variety of cases. This state-of-the-art technology is designed to extend the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to the broadest possible range of patients.  Robotic surgery procedures performed at Southwest General include, but are not limited to:

• Single-Site Gallbladder Surgery
  Southwest General is currently the only community hospital in northeast ohio to use the Single-Site™ da Vinci® surgical system for gallbladder removal. This state-of-the-art tecnology allows surgeons to reduce the traditional number of incisions needed for minimally invasive gallbladder surgery from three to five down to one. This procedure is performed through a single incision in the navel (belly button) using state-of-the-art precision instruments. Because the surgery requires only a single incision less than an inch long, scarring is dramatically reduced and patients experience a virtually scarless procedure.
• Prostatectomy
  Approximately 16 percent of American men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. One of the most common treatment options for prostate cancer is prostatectomy, the surgical removal of the prostate gland.Traditional prostatectomy requires a large eight-to-10-inch incision, which can result in substantial blood loss and a long, uncomfortable recovery. Also, because of the gland's location in the male reproductive system, surgery poses the risk of impotence and incontinence.
  
  da Vinci prostatectomy is less invasive than open prostatectomy and is setting a new standard for surgical treatment of prostate cancer. It produces smaller incisions, and studies suggest it may reduce the risk of post-surgical urinary incontinence and impotence because of improved visualization and precision.
• Hysterectomy
  Hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus and sometimes the ovaries, is the treatment of choice for many conditions affecting the uterus. Traditional hysterectomy is performed using a six-to-12-inch incision, which may result in significant blood loss and a long recovery period. da Vinci hysterectomy may be an option offering a more precise, minimally invasive procedure and a faster return to normal activities.
   

We Look Forward to Helping You

For information on our minimally Invasive surgical procedures, including procedures performed with the daVinci S Surgical System, please call 440-816-5050.