Surgery


At Mount Carmel, we offer a wide range of minimally invasive surgeries that can help patients experience less pain, heal faster, scar less and enjoy shorter hospital stays.

Mount Carmel currently offers more than a dozen minimally invasive procedures in the field of general surgery, including:

Adrenalectomy

An adrenalectomy is the removal of one or both adrenal glands through several small abdominal incisions.

Appendectomy

In a minimally invasive appendectomy, the appendix is removed through several small abdominal incisions.

Cholecystectomy

The most common way that gallbladders are removed today is laparoscopic surgery in which several small incisions are made in the abdomen. Patients generally have an overnight stay in the hospital and usually return to normal activities within two weeks. This procedure can also be performed robotically using the da Vinci Surgical System.

Gastric Bypass

Gastric bypass surgery is used to make the stomach smaller and allow food to bypass part of the small intestine for patients who are morbidly obese and other weight loss techniques have been unsuccessful. A Roux-en-Y procedure is usually done using six small incisions in the abdomen. The stomach is partitioned into two parts using a surgical stapler. The upper part forms a small pouch which will receive food. The pouch is then connected to the roux limb of the small bowel, resulting in a bypass of the stomach and small intestine. The hospital stay is usually 2 days.

This procedure is available on the da Vinci Robotic Surgery System.

Gastrostomy

Gastrostomy is a minimally invasive surgery in which a tube is placed through the abdomen into the stomach to provide a route for feedings or to allow the stomach to be drained.

Heller Myotomy

Heller Myotomy is a surgical procedure to treat achalasia which is a rare disorder of the esophagus that makes it difficult for food and liquid to pass into the stomach. This procedure, which involves cutting the esophageal sphincter muscle can be done laparoscopically using small incisions.

Hernia Repair

A hernia is a weakness in a muscle wall through which organs can protrude. Most hernias occur in the groin, although some may occur in the navel, upper inner thigh, diaphragm or along previous abdominal incisions. In laparoscopic procedures, the hernia is repaired using several small incisions.

LINX® Reflux Management System

The LINX® Reflux Management System is an FDA-approved device that may be recommended for patients experiencing symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a chronic, often progressive disease caused by a weak lower esophageal sphincter (LES).

Liver Resection

In a minimally invasive liver resection, a portion of the liver along with healthy tissue on either side is removed using several small incisions in the abdomen. If the right side of the liver is removed, the gallbladder which is attached to the liver is also taken out. Up to half of the liver can be removed as long as the rest is healthy.

Nissen Fundoplication

Nissen Fundoplication is a minimally invasive surgical treatment for patients with severe cases of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) also known as acid reflux or chronic heartburn. During fundoplication surgery, the upper curve of the stomach (the fundus) is wrapped around the esophagus and sewn into place so that the lower portion of the esophagus passes through a small tunnel of stomach muscle. This procedure can be done through the abdomen or the chest. The chest approach is often used if a person is overweight or has a short esophagus.

This procedure is available on the da Vinci Robotic Surgery System.

Pancreatectomy

A pancreatectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the pancreas. One of the following types of minimally invasive surgeries can be used to perform this surgery:

  • Whipple procedure: the head of the pancreas, gallbladder, part of the stomach, part of the small intestine and the bile duct are removed. Enough of the pancreas is left to produce digestive juices and insulin.
  • Total pancreatectomy: the entire pancreas, part of the stomach, part of the small intestine, the common bile duct, the gallbladder, the spleen and nearby lymph nodes are removed.
  • Distal pancreatectomy: the body and the tail of the pancreas and usually the spleen are removed.

Radiofrequency Liver Ablation

In radiofrequency liver ablation, tumor cells are destroyed by inserting a probe.

Splenectomy

A splenectomy is the surgical removal of the spleen and can be performed laparoscopically. Laparoscopic splenectomy has become a standard procedure for elective removal of the spleen.

Please Note: Minimally invasive procedures aren’t appropriate for every condition – or every patient – so please discuss your options with your physician.