Minimally Invasive Surgery

For a quicker recovery

If your doctor recommends surgery for you, one of the minimally invasive procedures available at Lakewood Regional Medical Center could mean a quicker recovery with less pain and scarring. Advantages include:

New surgical techniques that mean shorter stays and quicker recovery
Several procedures possible throughout the body
Da Vinci^® robotic surgery for more complex, minimally invasive procedures

At Lakewood, the goal is to reduce your pain, risk, recovery time and scarring. Advanced techniques and equipment, like the da Vinci robotic surgery system, make this possible with smaller incisions and other minimally invasive techniques.

"Minimally invasive means incisions are kept very small and that there is little trauma to muscle and other tissues during the operation,” says Dr. Viken Konyalianlyan, a surgeon at Lakewood.”There’s less pain during recovery and healing is quicker."

In some procedures, a person can go home the same day or the next day after surgery. And, in many cases, people can return to work and other activities within a week or two.

Endoscopes make it possible

Years ago, large incisions were needed for many surgeries so that surgeons could reach — and see — the areas being treated. But today, nearly every part of the body is reachable using endoscopes.

These long, narrow tube devices can be inserted into the body through small incisions or through a natural opening such as the mouth or nose. The tube includes a light and sometimes a miniature camera. A surgeon can look directly through the scope or at images transmitted to a video screen. Small surgical instruments also can be passed through the endoscope or through additional small incisions, eliminating the need for large incisions and the cutting of surrounding tissue.

"A lot of people pay attention to the fact that there’s a smaller incision than in traditional, open surgery,” says Dr. Elias Ramy, an orthopedic surgeon at Lakewood. “And that’s a cosmetic advantage — there’s a smaller scar. But what really makes the difference is that there’s less cutting because the scope and the instruments can go exactly where we need them. We don’t need to do as much cutting of surrounding muscle and tissue under the skin. That’s why recovery is so much faster."