1975
- Monmouth Medical Center opens the
region's first surgicenter. Michael
A. Goldfarb, M.D., chief of surgery
at Monmouth, introduces day stay surgery
to central New Jersey.
1988 - Plastic surgeon Stephen
Dudick, M.D., performs Monmouth Medical
Center's first transverse abdominal
flap (TRAM) breast reconstruction
- a procedure still considered the
state-of-the-art in breast reconstruction.
The TRAM procedure uses muscle, skin
and fat tissue from the abdomen rather
than a saline implant to recreate
a breast lost to mastectomy relatively
symmetrical in size and shape to the
existing breast.
1989 - Cochlear implant surgery,
which involves placing an electrical
device in the inner ear to help improve
the hearing of the profoundly deaf,
is performed at Monmouth, making it
one of only three hospitals in New
Jersey to offer the procedure.
1990 - Dr. Goldfarb leads a
team of Monmouth-affiliated surgeons
who are the first in the state to
perform laparoscopic cholecystectomy
- the removal of gallbladders through
minimally invasive surgery.
1992 - This year saw Monmouth
maintain its leadership position in
surgery among area hospitals by bringing
new minimally invasive procedures
to the region. For example, orthopaedic
surgeon Cary Clastein, M.D., was the
first in New Jersey to perform laser-assisted
spinal endoscopy for treating disc
problems. A team of MMC urologists
were the first in Monmouth County
to perform video laser ablation prostatectomy
to treat prostate enlargement. Several
of Monmouth otolaryngologists introduced
endoscopic sinus surgery as a new
means of restoring sinus function.
And the Department of Surgery formed
the Section of Laparoscopic Surgery
in recognition of the important role
of minimally invasive surgery.
1993 - The Pain Management Center
- led by Harris Bram, M.D., an anesthesiologist
fellowship-trained in pain management
- opened its doors. The region's first
pain management center, it was designed
to evaluate and treat patients with
acute and chronic pain ailments. In
1996, Dr. Bram would team with orthopaedic
surgeon Cary Glastein, M.D., to perform
Monmouth's first surgical implantation
of a spinal cord stimulation system,
a state-of-the art procedure to treat
chronic pain through an implant that
stimulates nerves through tiny electrical
pulses.
1994 - A multidisciplinary team
of MMC surgeons comprising Dr. Gordon
Donald, M.D., orthopaedic surgeon;
Dr Goldfarb, M.D., and vascular surgeon
George S. Constantinopoulos, M.D.,
set a milestone by becoming the first
in New Jersey and the New York metropolitan
area to perform laparoscopic spinal
fusion surgery, which involves entering
the patient's body laparoscopically
through the abdomen. The minimally
invasive procedure causes less damage
to the surrounding tissue and muscle
than if the surgery was performed
through the back or through a larger
abdominal incision using traditional
surgical techniques.
1994 - Dr. Goldfarb introduces
a state-of-the-art ultrasound device
that allows them to enter and examine
the patient's body through a tiny
incision in the abdomen. Monmouth
was the first hospital in the region
to acquire the leading-edge system.
1995 - MMC neurosurgeon Jonathan
Lustgarten, M.D. - who was later joined
by his associate David Estin, M.D.
- teams with neurosurgeons from Columbia-Presbyterian
Medical Center's renowned Department
of Neurosurgery to create a center
of excellence in the treatment of
brain tumors and disorders of the
nervous system.
1995 - A new reconstructive surgical
technique performed at MMC enables
men who lose their urinary bladders
to late-stage bladder cancer to return
to a more normal lifestyle. This surgical
breakthrough allows urologists to
replace a cancerous organ with a new
bladder that functions almost normally,
making it possible for these men to
urinate without the use of outside
devices. The surgery, performed first
at MMC by urologist Arnold Grebler,
M.D., is refined so that a new bladder
can be created from a patient's bowel
and attached to his urethra so that
he can urinate in a normal manner.
1996 -Monmouth Medical Center
pediatric surgeon Saad A. Saad, M.D.,
and Dr. Goldfarb introduced an innovative
surgical procedure that eliminates
the need to make a second incision
when performing hernia surgery on
a child. Through the use of a bronchoscope
- a telescope with working channels
used to look inside the windpipe -
he can explore the abdomen on the
opposite side through the single incision
used to repair the hernia.
1996 - Monmouth becomes the first
hospital in the United States to perform
a new incisionless surgical procedure
that unblocks tear ducts of individuals
whose eyes continuously water. The
technique, performed by MMC ophthalmologist
Ronald W. Kristan, M.D., is a new
laser approach to dacryocystorhinostomy
(DCR), the surgical creation of an
opening between the lacrimal (tear)
sac and the nasal cavity to create
normal drainage of tears.
The procedure takes half the time
of conventional surgery, and patients
recover much more quickly and are
less likely to suffer from bleeding,
scarring, infection or other complications.
1997 - Monmouth Medical Center
became a trial site to investigate
a new form of chemotherapy for recurring
malignant brain tumors - a major step
in developing an effective therapy
for brain cancer and improving the
quality of life for these patients.
The treatment involves placing a wafer-thin
chip that delivers chemotherapy directly
on the site where the brain tumor
is removed, slowly dissolving into
the surrounding brain tissue in an
effort to delay or stop the development
of additional tumors. Dr. Lustgarten
was the principal investigator for
the Monmouth Medical Center site of
the trial of the drug, the Gliadel
wafer.
1997 -
An advanced laser procedure to correct
nearsightedness was introduced to
central New Jersey by ophthalmologist
Daniel Goldberg, M.D. The new laser
surgery, Lasik, offers rapid visual
recovery, reduced discomfort and fewer
side effects such as temporary blurred
or hazy vision and makes it possible
to correct higher degrees of nearsightedness
than existing techniques.
1997 - Through the renowned Jacqueline
M. Wilentz Comprehensive Breast Center,
Monmouth offers advanced breast surgery
led by a team of the region's finest
general and plastic and reconstructive
surgeons. Monmouth-affiliated surgeons
were the first in the region to offer
protocol-tested sentinel lymph node
procedure - an alternative to major
surgery in determining whether a woman's
breast cancer has spread to her lymph
nodes. Dr. Goldfarb served as principal
investigator for the clinical research
study of sentinel lymph node biopsy
- a minimally invasive surgical technique
that removes one or two lymph nodes,
rather than the cluster of lymph nodes,
in the armpit.
1998 - Orthopaedic surgeon
Robert Grossman, M.D., performs a
meniscal transplant - surgery that
replaces the deteriorated c-shaped
piece of cartilage in the kneecap
with cartilage from a tissue donor
- marking the first time this innovative
procedure was performed at a New Jersey
hospital outside of the medical school
at the University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.
2000 - Monmouth is the first
hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties
to introduce image-guided neurosurgery
using a technology known as the StealthStation.
The system helps surgeons plan and
perform delicate procedures in the
cranium and spine with greater accuracy,
less patient trauma and in a less
invasive manner. Also in 2000, Drs.
Estin and Lustgarten would introduce
an innovative minimally invasive surgical
procedure to remove tumors from the
base of the brain without making an
incision. Monmouth was the first hospital
in the tri-state area to introduce
endoscopic surgery for the removal
of pituitary and other tumors from
the base of the brain. With this cutting-edge
procedure, neurosurgeons and otolaryngologists
(ear, nose and throat doctors) can
use an endoscope - a surgical instrument
that uses small fiberoptic tubes to
visualize the tumor - to remove growths
from this delicate cranial region
through the nasal cavity.
2000 - Monmouth Medical Center
becomes the first hospital in Monmouth
and Ocean counties - and among a handful
in the state - to introduce the new
LandmarX Image Guidance System, making
sinus surgery a more viable option
for a growing number of adults and
children. This ENT navigational tool
allows otolaryngologists to better
navigate the air-filled cavities within
the fragile bones of the face during
sinus surgery.
2001 - Monmouth introduces
hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy
- a minimally invasive surgical technique
which allows surgeons to remove the
kidney through a three-inch incision
- an opening large enough for a surgeon's
hand to manipulate the diseased organ.
This is an alternative to standard
surgery, which requires a 10- to 20-inch
incision in the abdomen and, frequently,
the removal of the patient's 12th
rib. Introduced at Monmouth by urologist
Y. Samuel Litvin, M.D., and surgeon
Frank J. Borao, M.D, director of the
Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery
at Monmouth, the procedure has proven
very effective for treating the cancer
while causing minimal discomfort to
patients, who recover much quicker
than those undergoing open procedures.
Monmouth Medical Center is the first
hospital in central New Jersey to
offer patients this treatment option
for kidney cancer.
2002 - Monmouth introduces
the Center for Minimally Invasive
Surgery. Led by fellowship-trained
laparoscopist Frank J. Borao, M.D.,
the center brings cutting-edge surgical
treatment options for morbid obesity,
severe heartburn, benign and malignant
colon disease, and a host of other
disorders. Also in 2002, Monmouth
unveils its Institute for Advanced
Reconstructive Surgery - the only
facility of its kind in the state.
Led by plastic surgeon Andrew Elkwood,
M.D., the institute offers a multidisciplinary
approach to complex reconstructive
and head and neck surgery. Through
a joint effort of The Center for Minimally
Invasive Surgery and Institute for
Advanced Reconstructive Surgery, Dr.
Borao performs the region's first
grafting harvested from the patient's
leg for use in a surral nerve transfer.
2003 -
Dr Goldfarb completes a five-year
study titled "How Good Are We?
How Do We Know?" This review
of surgical outcomes is one of the
most complete investigations to analyze
and implement changes to limit surgical
complications. It has been adopted
by other institutions already.
From its earliest days, Monmouth Medical Center has been
a leader in surgical advances. With a statewide reputation for excellence in the
field, Monmouth has been and remains on the cutting edge as high technology has
entered the operating room.
For more information on surgical
services, or for a referral to a Monmouth-affiliated surgeon, please call our
physician referral service at 1-888-SBHS-123 or 1-888-724-7123.
