Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sarasota Memorial
Also called robotic, endoscopic or laparoscopic surgery, minimally invasive surgical tools and techniques are transforming the nation's operating rooms, allowing surgeons to perform a wide range of surgeries through small keyhole-size incisions that require only a stitch or two to close, versus larger incisions required by open surgery.
For patients in Sarasota, minimally invasive surgery means less trauma to the body, less blood loss, less risk of infection, less pain and smaller surgical scars. People who undergo minimally invasive surgery at Sarasota Memorial typically have much shorter hospital stays and recovery periods – and return to normal activities faster than ever imagined 20 years ago.
At Sarasota Memorial, minimally invasive surgery is performed both on an inpatient (stay in the hospital) and outpatient (go home the same day) basis.
Sarasota Memorial’s minimally invasive surgery team consists of more than 200 general and specialty surgeons – the largest and most experienced in the region – offering multidisciplinary expertise that ranges from cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgery to urological, gynecologic and cancer procedures.
In many cases, minimally invasive and robotic surgery at Sarasota Memorial has replaced traditional open surgery as the gold standard in care. Click here to see a list of commonly performed minimally invasive procedures at Sarasota Memorial and Sarasota robotic surgeons.
Advanced Tools & Techniques
From tiny, tube-like cameras that can look inside the body to imaging technology that provides real-time views in the operating room, surgeons have many tools to provide less invasive diagnostic and treatment options for patients.
Although techniques vary from procedure to procedure and among different surgical subspecialties, most minimally invasive surgical procedures employ miniature surgical instruments and video cameras inserted into the area of the body that requires treatment.
Using short incisions – as little as 1/3 of an inch – surgeons insert the cameras and specialized instruments through narrow tubes, or access ports, and maneuver them manually or by remote controls outside the body while viewing real-time images the camera sends out to a video monitor in the operating or procedure room.
 Robotic Surgery at Sarasota Memorial
Sarasota Memorial’s robotic surgery suites equip Sarasota’s minimally invasive surgeons with the latest tools and technology for robotic surgery and single incision surgery. Our robotic surgery suites are equipped with Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci-S robotic surgical system – advanced robotic technology that further expands the application of minimally invasive surgery.
Using high-resolution 3D visualization and computerized instrumentation, the da Vinci robot's remote control system scales, filters and translates the surgeon's hand movements into more precise movements with improved dexterity and increased control. The system's 3D cameras provide magnification 10 times that of the naked eye, while the instruments offer a range of motion and wrist articulation not possible with the human hand. Learn more about Sarasota’s robotic surgery capabilties.
Single Incision Laparascopic Surgery (SILS)
Sarasota Memorial Hospital now offers single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), one of the latest advances in minimally-invasive surgery – and one that leaves behind virtually no physical marks or scarring.
Single-incision laparoscopic surgery employs many of the same tools and techniques as conventional laparoscopic surgery, but instead of four access ports (and four small incisions), SILS uses a single access port that requires less than a half inch incision. The surgery uses a flexible scope and instruments that can easily move around inside the body and produce images from almost every angle.
Currently SILS is being used in gallbladder removal and gynecological procedures, including Laparoscopic Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy.
For more information about SILS procedures or a referral to one of our minimally invasive surgeons, please contact our HealthLine physician referral team at (941) 917-7777. |
