Minimally Invasive Surgery

With so many physicians and patients looking for quality care through evidence-based medicine, adoption of minimally invasive procedures is increasing, with approximately 3 million performed in the U.S. every year.²¹

The reasons are typically:

• smaller incisions
• less pain and scarring
• fewer complications
• shorter hospital stays
• faster recoveries

Who wouldn't prefer a minimally invasive procedure to traditional open surgery?

These innovative techniques have been scientifically validated as an alternative to conventional surgery for many patients. For some procedures like appendix removal (appendectomy) and gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy)²¹, a minimally invasive approach has become the “gold standard.” But while a minimally invasive approach is an option for most surgical procedures, there are still a large number of these procedures that are performed with the open approach.

Value-Based Healthcare

The need for clinical evidence along with the demand for value-based medicine is driving change in the health care industry. At the same time, patients are also becoming more aware of their treatment options.

Minimally invasive surgery, which includes laparoscopic procedures, has been shown to provide long-term outcomes that are as good as those of traditional "open" surgeries. The key difference in this type of approach is that there is no need for major incisions. These procedures typically cause less pain after surgery, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times. It's no surprise that more and more patients are asking their doctors about these less invasive techniques. Evidence shows that minimally invasive procedures provide superior short term clinical and economic outcomes resulting in fewer complications and can even lower overall cost per procedure.^{20, 48}

Each of the stakeholders – patients, clinicians, providers, and payors – benefit from minimally invasive surgery. Shorter hospital stays and faster recovery allow patients to return to their life sooner. Shorter hospital stays may also save on hospital expenditures, including nursing, pharmaceutical, and other associated care costs.

This site provides more detailed information about the options for a minimally invasive approach in a variety of specialties. These include:

Minimally Invasive Surgery for:

General Abdominal Surgery
Gynecology (GYN)
Colectomy
Hemorrhoids
Bariatric Surgery

Site References