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s a father of three children, I know surgery of any kind can be a scary word for parents. If your child is in need of surgery, understanding your options goes a long way to easing your mind. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques have made enormous strides from the earliest bulky instruments and limited capabilities and are safe procedures for even the smallest patients.
It was once thought that only adults could withstand MIS and only very simple procedures could be attempted, but new techniques and capabilities have changed this perception. If your child is in need of a surgical procedure, here are a few answers to questions you may have about their MIS options.
What is minimally invasive surgery?
MIS is not limited to a single procedure, but is a technique applied to many different operations. MIS techniques improve surgical precision, and aim at minimizing the physiological “costs” of an operation.
MIS uses specially designed scopes equipped with small high-resolution video cameras and instruments to perform surgeries with small incisions. This type of surgery is less disruptive to your child’s body, and places their well being at the highest level of importance.
MIS technology also makes visualizing tiny structures inside the body easier by remote than by direct vision, allowing both the surgeon and staff to evaluate in real time how your child is responding to the procedure.
What are the benefits?
Minimally invasive surgery, as the name suggests, is much less intrusive than “open” surgery. These techniques can be safely performed on even the smallest patients weighing as little as two pounds and have numerous benefits including:
- Smaller, more precise surgical movements
- Decreased pain
- Reduced scarring
- Lower complication rates
- Faster recovery times – often 2-3 times faster than open surgery
Who conducts minimally invasive surgical procedures?
Rocky Mountain Pediatric Surgery (RMPS) is the only practice in the Rocky Mountain region that is fully committed to performing every procedure using MIS techniques if at all possible. As the head of RMPS, I always assure my patients that we are uniquely qualified to perform these procedures.We are home to world-class industry pioneers who have not only invented many MIS techniques, but also helped develop instruments now used by surgeons around the world.
Our state-of-the-art facilities affords Rocky Mountain Pediatric Surgery even more capabilities, and includes:
- Advanced operating rooms
- Leaders in research and innovation
- The highest patient satisfaction in the Rocky Mountain Region (Press Ganey)
- Unparalleled access to pediatric specialists
The safety of your child is of the utmost importance to our team. If you have any questions or concerns about MIS, or would like to schedule a consultation to simply determine if MIS is an option for your child, call 303.839.6011 or visit our website.
As the head of Rocky Mountain Pediatric Surgery, Dr. Steve Rothenberg has more than 20 years of experience as a pediatric surgeon and is one of the leading minimally invasive surgery specialists in the country, having performed the world’s first MIS repair of tracheo-esophageal fistula and duodenal atresia in newborns. In addition to being recognized as the “SAGES Pioneer in Surgical Endoscopy” for 2015, he has authored over 150 publications and has given over 300 lectures on minimally invasive surgery in children both nationally and internationally.
