As an academic medical center, Creighton University Medical Center (CUMC) is able to provide you with surgical options you may not have at some other hospitals. One of these is minimally invasive surgery, which can allow patients to undergo surgical procedures with smaller incisions, minimal blood loss and a shorter hospital stay with quicker recovery.

Minimally invasive surgery generally refers to laparoscopic surgery of the abdomen and pelvis, although it also is used in surgeries of the chest and heart. This type of surgery employs a telescope, video monitor and specially designed surgical instruments that allow a surgeon to perform major surgery through several tiny openings, rather than a large incision. These small incisions require only a stitch or two to close, and patients may need less pain medication than those who undergo traditional major surgery.

The benefits of minimally invasive surgery typically include:

• Less pain
• Shorter recovery time
• Less scarring
• Faster return to normal activities and work

In addition, hospital stays after minimally invasive surgery are typically much shorter. For example, a minimally invasive gall bladder surgery may require just one day in the hospital, rather than the traditional three days.

CUMC’s minimally invasive surgery specialists have an international reputation as innovators in this field and travel all over the world sharing their knowledge of these techniques. We are one of the few hospitals in Nebraska to utilize the Da Vinci ™ robot, which allows a surgeon to perform extremely complex operations through small incisions.

If you would like to learn more about minimally invasive surgery options, please call: 402-449-4000.