New Surgical Technique Leaves No Scars
SIOUX FALLS (June 1, 2009) - Scars from surgery have usually meant trading in your bikini for a one-piece - until now.
A new surgical technique allows surgeons to perform abdominal procedures like gall bladder removal, appendectomies or gyn procedures through one tiny incision hidden within the belly button.
It's great news for those who love to wear low-rise jeans and cropped tops. But it may also mean less pain and a shorter recovery time after surgery.
"I wasn't too worried about the scars," said Jill Navrkal, who had her gall bladder removed with the scarless technique. "I'm not going to put on a two-piece anytime soon. But I do have a 10-month-old son to take care of and am a nurse, so I needed to get back on my feet as soon as possible."
"My surgery went great with minimal pain. I was a little stiff and sore at first, but after a couple of days I felt back to normal," Navrkal said. The procedure was done on an outpatient basis. "I took it easy the next day, but then was able to be up and around caring for my son, and was back to work a week and a half later." Navrkal took plenty of recovery time due to the physical demands of her job as an ambulatory surgery nurse. "If I had a desk job, I could have been back to work even sooner."
Dr. Brad Thaemert, surgeon with Surgical Institute of South Dakota, performs the scarless technique at Avera McKennan, as does Dr. Luis Rojas, Avera gynecologic oncologist.
Dr. Thaemert says the technique is fairly similar to traditional laparoscopy for patients, only without the two to three additional small incisions for surgical instruments. "This technique is all about the scar - that's the main benefit for patients. There's not a formal study yet to prove it, but we also feel patients will experience less pain and a faster recovery because we're going through less muscle with fewer incisions."
Scarless surgery can be used with gall bladder operations, removal of the ovaries, appendectomies, Lap Nissen procedures to correct acid reflux and even weight loss surgery. Scarless surgery is also called Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS). It was developed about 10 years ago by an Italian surgeon, yet it's only begun to take off in the United States in the past 18 months, Dr. Thaemert said.
Traditional laparoscopic or "lap" surgery involves creating an incision, usually through the belly button for insertion of a small video camera, and two to three small incisions about 5 mm in size for additional instruments.
The SILS technique involves the same incision through the belly button for the camera. However, surgeons slip an additional instrument alongside the camera using the same incision. They also may use a tiny needle stitch, and the thread becomes a "puppet string" to lift and manipulate internal structures like the gall bladder. "It's like having an extra hand or surgical instrument," Dr. Thaemert said.
In terms of pain and recovery there's a "huge difference" between traditional open surgeries and minimally invasive lap procedures. There's less difference between traditional lap and SILS, although patients probably experience even less surgical trauma, Dr. Thaemert said.
Potentially, any abdominal procedure could be done using the scarless technique. Dr. Rojas has performed scarless procedures for gyn procedures like ovary removal. Only a few single-incision hysterectomies have been performed in the nation, yet Dr. Rojas also will be offering these at Avera McKennan using surgical robotics.
"We're always moving toward less invasive techniques for surgery," Dr. Rojas said. "Patients experience fewer effects of surgery, less pain, a quicker recovery and now, no scar."
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