Great River Medical Center :: Blytheville, AR

About Minimally Invasive Surgery

An Attractive Alternative for Patients Who Need Surgery

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) offers important advantages over traditional surgical techniques, including reduced trauma to the body, less post-operative pain, shorter recovery time, and quicker return to normal activities. Since first introduced in the late 1980s, minimally invasive procedures have been developed to replace traditional surgical methods used on many parts of the body. And more patients now seek out minimally invasive options when they need surgery.

What is Minimally Invasive Surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery refers to a surgical technique that is performed by using a small video camera and a few specialized instruments to perform surgery with minimal tissue injury. This modern technique has revolutionized surgery.

By using a long, thin surgical instrument with a tiny video camera attached to it, the surgeon is able to enter the body through a series of tiny incisions (5 to 10 millimeters) to view and explore the body and perform the operation. The video camera is attached to a monitor with magnification up to 20X so the surgeon can maneuver the instrument with exacting precision.

Because minimally invasive surgical procedures cause minimal tissue, skin and muscle damage, recovery time is reduced and the patient can return to normal activity more quickly.

First utilized to remove gallbladders in the mid 1980's, the benefits of this advanced technique quickly spread to other surgical sub-specialties including orthopedics, thoracic, vascular, and gynecology, to name just a few.

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Why Consider Minimally Invasive Surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery offers many attractive advantages over traditional surgery. Professional athletes often return to the game shortly after undergoing minimally invasive surgery, such as arthroscopic surgery on knees and shoulders.

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Minimally Invasive Surgery Benefits

Smaller incisions
Less blood, less scarring
Less pain during recovery
Same procedure performed on an outpatient basis
Faster recovery
Quicker return to everyday activities
Shorter hospital stays
Better clinical outcomes
Fewer complications due to infection

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Types of surgery to remove the Gallbladder

Surgery time, anesthesia time, blood loss, and infection rate are all significantly reduced. As seen in the picture, cosmetically three small finger width cut is much more appealing than the traditional large abdominal incisions.

Postoperative pain from these small incisions is significantly less and can be easily managed with oral analgesic rather than intravenous narcotics. Moreover, the risks of wound separation, wound infection or hernias are rare to non-existent.

Patients typically go home a few hours after their surgery. And, time out from work is usually one to two weeks.

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Minimally Invasive Surgery Center at Great River Medical Center is proud to announce that following Advanced Laparoscopic procedures are being performed.

Laparoscopic Appendectomy (Removal of Appendix)

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (Removal of Gallbladder)

Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair

Laparoscopic Splenectomy (Removal of Spleen)

Laparoscopic Hiatal Hernia Repair (Hernia that causes severe heartburn)

Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication (Surgery for severe GERD)

Laparoscopic Gastric Resection (Stomach surgery)

Laparoscopic Colon resection (Large bowel surgery)

Laparoscopic surgery for Bowel obstruction