New York Metropolitan Area
Surgery Lite: Understanding Endoscopic Surgery
When is minimally invasive surgery better than traditional surgery? What are the risks?
It's not often that a surgical technique becomes a national craze. But endoscopic or minimally invasive surgery has, albeit a minor one. It's in the newspaper. It's on the lips of your uncle, who can't resist showing off his tiny scars at every family function. Even on your commute to work, billboards trumpet the minimally invasive surgery centers at competing local hospitals.
"For patients, 'minimally invasive' are the hot buzzwords," says Michael Argenziano, MD, director of minimally invasive cardiac surgery and arrhythmia surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital. "And surgeons are responding to their patients' demand. I don't think that there's a single surgical field that hasn't tried some sort of minimally invasive approach."
While the term is pretty vague, "minimally invasive" - or endoscopic or "keyhole" surgery - generally means operations that are less traumatic than traditional surgery. By using special instruments, the approach can allow for smaller incisions, quicker recovery, and fewer side effects. Since it was first used in the late 1980s, minimally invasive surgery has changed the standards for how many operations are done.
It makes intuitive sense to patients. Why get cut open if you can avoid it?
But minimally invasive surgery isn't right for everyone. Despite what you hear, "minimally invasive" doesn't always mean "better."
"People have this idea that minimally invasive surgery is not painful or that it's not really surgery," says Marshall Z. Schwartz, MD, professor of surgery in pediatrics at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. "Neither is true. It's not Star Trek technology, where we wave a wand over someone and they're healed."
Getting the Facts on Minimally Invasive Surgery
When it comes to deciding whether to get minimally invasive surgery, the key is to make an informed decision.
Local Search Results in New York
- Malignant Pleural EffusionSignificance Malignant pleural effusions are a common complication of malignancy,and malignancy is a common cause of pleural effusions in general. Malignancy accounts for roughly 40% of symptomatic pleural effusions,with congestive heart failure and infection being the other leading causes.[ 1 ] Lung cancer,breast cancer,lymphoma,and leukemia account for approximately 75% of all ...WebMD Public Information from the National Cancer Institute
- General InformationNote: A separate PDQ summary on Prostate Cancer Treatment is also available. PC-SPES is a patented herbal mixture that was sold as a dietary supplement and used as a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatment for prostatecancer. It is a combination of eight herbs: baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi),chrysanthemum (Dendranthema morifolium [Ramat.] Tzvelev [synonym ...WebMD Public Information from the National Cancer Institute
- Potential Roles for the Family CaregiverCaregivers of cancer patients are expected to function broadly,providing direct care,assistance with activities of daily living,case management,emotional support,companionship,and medication supervision.[ 1 ] Caregivers of cancer patients generally undertake multifaceted responsibilities for tasks such as the following:[ 2 ] Administrative tasks (case management,management of insurance ...WebMD Public Information from the National Cancer Institute
- General InformationAcupuncture,a complementary and alternative (CAM) therapy used in cancer management,[ 1,2,3,4 ] has been used clinically to manage cancer-related symptoms,treat side effects induced by chemotherapy or radiation therapy,boost blood cell count,and enhance lymphocyte and natural killer (NK) cell activity. In cancer treatment,its primary use is symptom management; commonly treated ...WebMD Public Information from the National Cancer Institute
- Macular DegenerationMacular degeneration is a degenerative disease affecting the macula or center of the retina of the eye. It results in progressive loss of central vision. Occurring most often among older people,it is the most common cause of vision loss in people over age 55. It is believed that both genetic and environmental factors influence this disease. ...WebMD Medical Reference from the National Organization of Rare Disorders
Other Top US Cities
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
©2005-2013 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.