MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY
The term minimally invasive surgery (also known as laparoscopic surgery) is frequently used in the medical community, but what does it actually mean? In the past, most procedures required a large opening (several inches) to give the surgeon space to visualize the interior of the body and perform the intended procedure. Today, through the use of specialized training and state-of-the-art technology, surgeons are able to perform many of the same procedures through much smaller (an inch or less) incisions or through one of the body’s natural openings.
Surgeons enter long, thin tubes through these openings in order to insert a special needle that is used to inflate the body’s interior. The surgeon also uses these tubes to insert specialized instruments, including a tiny camera, to visualize the surgical area and perform the procedure quicker and more precise than traditional open surgery. In addition to less visible scarring, minimally invasive surgery provides patients with less trauma to the body, which results in less pain during recovery, reduced length of stay in the hospital and shorter recovery time for better, safer overall outcomes.
Although minimally invasive surgery less complicated for the patient, the procedures themselves are not minor. They require the most state-of-the-art technology and advanced knowledge of the latest surgical best practices in order to avoid potential risks.
At Capital Health Surgical Group, Dr. Francis Rosato is one of the few surgeons in the region to have fellowship training in laparoscopic (minimally invasive) surgery from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. In the past, patients would have to travel outside of the region where Dr. Rosato performed his surgeries. Today, his unique level of surgical expertise is available at the new Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell for patients and their referring physicians in the greater Mercer and Bucks County area.