Minimally invasive surgery often best for patients

New surgical techniques mean smaller incisions and faster recovery.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. June 5, 2006.

Washington -- It's difficult to find an area of health care where primary care physicians don't need at least a basic knowledge of the latest treatments and techniques, and that includes surgery. As minimally invasive approaches continue to soar in popularity, patients are very likely to ask about advantages and disadvantages, or they may need to be apprised of the benefits of these new techniques.

As a matter of fact, so many patients ask about alternatives to traditional surgery, especially bariatric surgery, that the American Academy of Family Physicians decided to offer guidance. A monograph: "Guiding the Patient Through Minimally Invasive Surgery," was released in April.

The advances driving this interest are obvious.

Surgeries performed through half-inch incisions using tools the size of a fingernail and smaller are becoming the norm, particularly for some operations. In 2001, for instance, nearly 75% of cholecystectomies were performed using laparoscopy, and last year, the laparoscopic method for performing bariatric surgery was more common than was open surgery, said Philip Schauer, MD, director of Cleveland Clinic's bariatric surgery program.

Techniques are emerging so quickly that open-chest cardiac surgery could become a treatment of the past, predicted Stephen Colvin, MD, chair of cardiothoracic surgery at New York University Medical Center. Dr. Colvin spoke at an AMA media briefing on cardiovascular disease in April.