Gallbladder surgery
Two weeks ago, I walked into Mercy Medical Center with a gallbladder and was wheeled out without one.
Already, the surgery is minimally invasive. You end up with just a few small scars on your tummy. But this surgeon is among those trying to make the surgery even less invasive than that. He is among the pioneers of single-incision gallbladder surgery -- just one cut into the belly button. That's it. The result is essentially scarless. (I'd take a picture of my navel to show you, but after two children I'm not quite ready to get that personal here.) Aside from the vanity stuff, recovery times are supposed to be better (I was back at work 11 days after surgery and Kelly wants me to tell you I'm doing just fine).
Since the technique is new, lots of docs want to learn how to do it. So my surgeon wasn't the only one in the room that morning. In fact, there were half a dozen surgeons on hand, I am told. They were there for a class and I was the featured guest. Since I am so thin and it is apparently easier to show how to do the procedure on someone with little excess fat, he asked me to be his model. I happily agreed.
You would have read about this on the blog sooner, but he rejected my request to have Kelly come into the operating room so she could write about the surgery. I asked him, "Why can your friends come and mine can't?" He just sort of laughed. I don't think he wanted that kind of audience.
To read more about procedures like the one I had, check out this story I did earlier this year.
Photo/Baltimore Sun
Comments
Pretty cool. I've had two surgeries at Mercy myself and got fantastic care. I've recommended alot of my friends and family to Mercy, having everything from breast surgery to cataract removal to an adrenalectomy done there! Looking forward to when the new hospital being built opens--good to get the word out about that as alot of people seem to think it's a new parking lot! Ha!
Posted by: maxmorf | July 31, 2009 10:21 AM
Very nice site!
Posted by: John1332 | August 1, 2009 6:17 AM
it's really nice that they were able to do the surgery without any scars.
Posted by: gallbladder | August 4, 2009 6:07 AM
Both keyhole style surgery and natural orifice surgery are very impressive advances in surgical technique that are getting patients in and out of hospital faster, with fewer complications, less recovery time and less pain. If that is not a winning combination, I don't know what is.
Posted by: Wellescent Health Blog | November 5, 2009 5:07 PM
Usually surgery goes well, postoperative course of the patient also but a few months after the surgery patient is still not very good.
Posted by: gall bladder symptoms | July 20, 2010 6:56 AM