What is minimally invasive surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery is a surgical approach that relies on smaller incisions and less tissue displacement to complete surgical repairs or alterations. It differs from traditional open surgery, which requires one or more large incisions to gain access to the surgical site.
There are many benefits to minimally invasive surgery, including:
- Reduced bleeding
- Swifter healing
- Less post-surgical pain and swelling
- Possibility of reduced internal scarring
- Lower risk of complications
- Faster return to normal daily activities
In some cases, minimally invasive surgery also allows for a faster procedure, which means less time under anesthesia and a lowered risk of complications related to anesthesia.
What is laparoscopy?
Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgery that uses a device called a laparoscope. This instrument is a slender surgical tube equipped with a tiny camera and fiber optic light.
The laparoscope collects real-time images of your internal organs and tissues and projects those images onto an external screen. This technique allows Dr. Khamvongsa to “see” the surgical site without having direct access through a large incision.
Laparoscopy is used for diagnostic purposes, but it’s also a method of performing surgery. Slim surgical tools can be inserted through the laparoscope to perform procedures in the targeted area.
Some procedures only require a single laparoscope, while others require two or more inserted through small incisions.
What is robotic surgery?
The term robotic surgery may conjure up images of a clunky robot hovering over a surgical patient performing independent procedures. In reality, robotic surgery is an astounding innovation that allows Dr. Khamvongsa to perform complex procedures through tiny incisions.
Dr. Khamvongsa remains in complete control of the da VinciⓇ surgical platform at all times. He directs all movements from an external control device. The robotic surgical platform performs those movements with a level of precision that not even the most skilled human surgical hand can achieve.
Another benefit of robotic surgery is the ability to maneuver in ways the human hand cannot. The robotic device has a nearly unlimited range of motion and can bend and adjust to virtually any angle. It can also perform minute motions to make incisions or repairs.
What types of surgery do we perform this way?
The Miami Institute for Women's Health conducts a wide range of procedures via robotic and minimally invasive surgery.
In the office:
- Hysteroscopy with dilatation and curettage
- Endometrial ablation
- Labioplasty
- Vulvar biopsies
In the ambulatory surfery center:
- Hysteroscopy with dilatation and curettage
- Endometrial ablation
- Labioplasty
- Vulvar biopsies
- Hysteroscopy with dilatation and curettage myomectomies and polypectomy
- Diagnostic and operative Laparoscopic procedures (e.g. cystectomies, endometriosis, myomectomies, sterilization)
- Anterior and posterior repair, sling placement, and cystoscopy
In the main operating room:
- Hysteroscopy with dilatation and curettage myomectomies and polypectomy
- Diagnostic and operative Laparoscopic procedures (e.g. cystectomies, endometriosis, myomectomies, sterilization)
- Anterior and posterior repair, sling placement, and cystoscopy
- Robotic hysterectomy
- Robotic myomectomy
- Robotic sacrocolpopexy
- Robotic cystectomies and endometriosis cases
- Robotic Essure removal
- Pelvic and vaginal reconstruction
- Burch urethopexy
- Sacrospinous ligament fixation
What is the recovery like after robotic and minimally invasive surgery?
The Miami Institute for Women's Health uses an approach called Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, or ERAS, to ease the post-surgical process. This approach involves customized planning to help you recover faster and with a lower rate of complications after any surgical procedure.
Elements of ERAS include:
- Extensive presurgical patient education
- A customized pain management plan
- Presurgical optimization to get your body ready for the demands of surgery/recovery
- Proper presurgical fasting and prepping
- Discharge and recovery planning
- Carefully constructed drug therapy to reduce pain, nausea, and infection
- Post-surgical nutrition planning
- Close monitoring in the post-surgical phase
- Proper follow-up care
This level of planning is shown to yield multiple benefits after your surgical procedure. Learn more during a consultation with Dr. Khamvongsa at The Miami Institute for Women's Health, which you can book online or by phone in just minutes.
