A new laparoscopic alternative
to standard surgery for treating kidney cancer reduces patient discomfort in many
important ways
Adrenal Surgery 'Tops' the Kidneys | | Situated
directly above the kidneys, hormone-producing adrenal glands also can be removed
through minimally invasive surgery when tumors are present. Rather than making
one large incision to remove the gland, several small incisions are made to perform
an adrenalectomy by utilizing a laparoscope and slender surgical instruments. "The
tiny camera attached to the laparoscope allows us to visualize the area so that
we can remove the gland without affecting the adjacent structures, including the
pancreas, liver and spleen," explains surgeon Frank J. Borao, M.D., FACS,
medical director of The Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery. "In the past,
large incisions needed to be made to give us the exposure we needed to prevent
any injury to those vital structures." This
state-of-the-art approach also reduces the risk of scarring, hernia and postoperative
pain, and leads to a shorter hospital stay and a recovery period that lasts several
days, instead of several weeks. Adrenal tumors
- the majority of which are benign - develop on the gland when it produces an
excess amount of hormones, which can lead to metabolism problems and high blood
pressure. | |
A state-of-the-art
approach to the removal of
cancerous kidneys at Monmouth
Medical Center is benefiting
patients by significantly
reducing pain and potential
complications, as well as
their hospital stays.
Hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy
allows surgeons to remove a 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 The Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery at Monmouth by urologist Y. Samuel
Litvin, M.D., and medical director Frank J. Borao, M.D., the procedure has proven
highly 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.
"Hand-assisted
laparoscopic nephrectomies are a lot more patient friendly and represent a real
change in the approach to renal carcinomas," Dr. Litvin says. "The ability
to manipulate the diseased kidney by hand gives us the tactile information and
depth perception that were missing with the standard laparoscopic procedures."
For patients
requiring urologic surgery, the benefits of the laparoscopic approach are numerous,
Dr. Borao explains. "Compared to conventional surgery, the laparoscopic approach
permits smaller skin incisions, less pain medication, faster healing, shorter
recovery time and a quicker return to normal activities or work."
For
more information on laparoscopic nephrectomy for kidney removal or laparoscopic
adrenalectomy, call Monmouth Medical Center at 732-870-5500.
