Minimally Invasive Surgery

Minimally invasive surgery, also known as laparoscopic surgery, represents one of the most significant advancements in surgical technology in history. As a result of minimally invasive surgical devices and techniques, complications have diminished dramatically, and hospital stays have been reduced significantly. In terms of recovery time and follow-up care, the method has been transformational. Of course, there are still procedures that require open surgery. However, in the weight loss surgery field, virtually all operations are performed in a minimally invasive manner, with or without the assistance of our robotic surgical system.

With improved medical devices and surgical techniques, today’s minimally invasive bariatric procedures require only four or five small incisions in the abdomen. In most cases, the largest of these incisions can be made within the umbilicus or belly button to reduce the appearance of scarring. Traditional laparoscopy requires medical devices with long handles and ergonomic grips to access the abdomen through these tiny incisions. Trocars, which act as passageways for these devices, are used to minimize damage to sensitive skin and abdominal tissue.

Within the field of minimally invasive surgery, robotic surgery represents a new frontier in laparoscopic technique. While it is not available in every facility nationwide, our program is proud to be a nationwide leader in robotically-assisted bariatric surgery. Learn more about this technique.

Because of the unquestionable benefits of minimally invasive surgery (less pain, less blood loss, fewer complications, shorter recovery) over traditional, open, single-incision surgery, our team strives to perform every weight loss surgery in a minimally invasive manner. There are times when an open procedure is necessary, and we will discuss this possibility with you at consultation.