Minimally-invasive Surgery

Director: Stephen Merola, M.D.

Minimally Invasive Surgery is viewed as a major advance in General Surgery. Laparoscopy is a surgical approach that allows surgeons to operate on patients without making large incisions.   Surgeons can perform the same operations traditionally done through an 8 to 10 inch incision through 4 or 5 1 — centimeter cuts. As a result, patients experience less pain and recover more quickly. For instance, over the last 10 years laparoscopy has revolutionized the removal of the gall bladder (90% of patients have gone home 6 hours post surgery).

The Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery at New York Hospital Queens has been on the forefront in the use of this technology for operations including: obesity surgery, colon surgery, hernia surgery, removal of spleen or adrenal gland, gallbladder surgery, and removal of appendix.

In addition, the division is responsible for educating future surgeons in various laparoscopic techniques. To this end the division has a fully functional skills laboratory to allow surgeons in training and in practice to further hone their laparoscopic skills.