Minimally Invasive Surgery
Minimally Invasive Surgery at Children's Hospital New Orleans
The Children’s Hospital New Orleans Pediatric Surgery team recognizes the benefits of using minimally invasive surgical techniques and advanced technology to perform certain surgical procedures. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) uses small portals, or a smaller incision, rather than the larger incisions used with the conventional surgical method. Our team of providers are specially trained in minimally invasive surgical procedures including robotic surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and single incision laparoscopic surgery which can be used for nearly all routine procedures. These minimally invasive surgeries benefit the patients by offering the following:
- Reduced recovery time
- Reduced hospital time
- Reduced pain and scarring
- Reduced risk of infection and surgical complications
- Reduced blood loss
Robotic Surgery
One approach for minimally invasive surgery uses robotic arms to perform the surgery through small incisions. The da Vinci surgical system is a robotic surgical system that provides surgeons with an alternative to both traditional open surgery and conventional laparoscopy by putting a surgeon's hands at the controls of a state-of-the-art robotic platform. This equipment offers the most precise and least invasive surgical options available, and Children’s Hospital is the only hospital in Louisiana and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast to have this technology dedicated solely to the care of children.
Laparoscopic Surgery
Laparoscopic Surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery that has evolved rapidly in recent years and is often the preferred method in pediatric patients. This minimally invasive surgery technique uses small incisions and a thin, flexible tube with a camera and light source, or laparoscope to perform the surgery within the body. This type of procedure is most used for abdominal and pelvic procedures involving the stomach, liver, spleen, intestines, appendix, colon, gallbladder, and ovaries.
Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS)
The Pediatric Surgery team offers the latest technique in minimally invasive surgery known as single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS). By using a single incision, most commonly at the umbilicus, there is virtually little or no scarring and the patient has decreased post-operative pain and recovery time. This technique is most often used for cholecystomy (gallbladder removal), splenectomy and appendectomy.
