Minimally Invasive Surgery

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is an innovative technique in which small "key hole" incisions are made in the chest (thoracoscopy) or abdomen (laparoscopy).  A small camera is passed through the keyholes and provides the surgeon a high definition picture of the inside of the body.  Long, thin instruments as thin as a matchstick are then used to perform the operation.  

About Minimally Invasive Surgery at All Children's Hospital.

The All Children’s Pediatric Surgery group is the regional leader in providing state of the art minimally invasive surgical procedures.  Our surgeons have specialty training and expertise to perform a wide range of minimally invasive operations on babies, children and adolescents.

Highlights of our program include:

• The first Single-incision Surgery to remove a pediatric patient’s gallbladder in the region was performed at All Children’s Hospital.  This is a method in which a small incision hidden in the belly button is used to perform complex operations, resulting in essentially no visible scar. See videos of Single-Incision Surgery in our Pediatric Surgery Video Library.

• Operations to correct many congenital conditions can be performed using minimally invasive techniques on babies as small as 4 pounds.  The first minimally invasive repair of a congenital diaphragmatic hernia in the region was performed at All Children’s Hospital.

• The most frequently performed operations on children such as appendectomy pyloromyotomy (for pyloric stenosis), cholecystectomy (for disorders of the gallbladder) and inguinal hernia repair can be performed using minimally invasive techniques. See videos of Minimally Invasive Surgery in our Pediatric Surgery Video Library.

What can you expect from Minimally Invasive Surgery?

The benefits of minimally invasive surgery include:

• less injury to tissue
• less pain
• smaller or no visible scars
• less time in the hospital
• quicker return to school, activities and sports

What operations are performed using Minimally Invasive Surgery?

	Instruments used in Minimally Invasive Surgery
	Incision for open CDH repair
	Incision following Minimally Invasive Surgery repair of CDH
	Incision immediately following repair for intestinal atresia on 2 day old baby

Chest (thoracoscopy)

• Repair of pectus excavatum
• Debridement of empyema (complication of pneumonia)
• Pneumothrorax
• Lung biopsy/lobectomy
• Sequestration
• Bronchogenic cysts
• Esophageal duplications
• Resection of pulmonary metastasis
• Aortopexy
• Sympathectomy for palmar hyperhydrosis
• Thymectomy
• Esophageal atresia/fistula
• Diaphragmatic hernia

Abdomen (laparoscopy)

• ACE procedure (antegrade continent enterostomy)
• Appendectomy
• Intestinal/bowel resection
• Liver biopsy/resection
• Choledochal cyst
• Cholecystectomy
• Splenectomy
• Pancreatic resection
• Placement of ventriculo-peritoneal shunt for hydrocephalus
• Placement of peritoneal dialysis catheter
• Evaluation for trauma
• Obesity
• Inguinal hernia
• Adrenalectomy
• Nephrectomy
• Undescended testes
• Ovarian cysts/masses

What is Single-incision Surgery?

	Picture of incision immediately following Single-incision cholecystectomy
	Picture of incision 2 weeks following Single-incision cholecystectomy

Single-incision surgery is a very exciting, innovative technique that allows surgeons to perform many operations and leave no visible scar.  This is accomplished by using a single incision (cut) hidden in the belly button.  Up to four specialized instruments can be passed through this one incision to perform the operation.  Benefits of this approach include less pain, possibly no visible scar and quicker return to full activities.  Operations offered using this approach include cholecystectomy, appendectomy, ovarian cysts and other procedures as recommended by your surgeon. See videos of Single-Incision Surgery in our Pediatric Surgery Video Library.

Links to learn more about Minimally Invasive Surgery

International Pediatric Endosurgery Group (IPEG)
The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES)