Minimally-Invasive Procedures

Used to treat abnormal uterine bleeding, endometrial ablation treatment permanently hinders the endometrium’s (lining of uterus) ability to grow. The minimally invasive procedure decreases the amount of menstrual bleeding, makes periods lighter, or stops them completely. Women can freely return to normal activity the next day. However, this treatment is not intended for women who wish to become pregnant in the future.

Laparoscopic tubal ligation is a surgical sterilization procedure in which a woman’s fallopian tubes are either clamped and blocked or severed and sealed. Both methods prevent eggs from being fertilized. Tubal ligation is a permanent method of sterilization.

Traditional hysterectomy procedures can be uncomfortable, require a hospital stay of three to five days, and a healing time of six weeks. On the other hand, a minimally-invasive hysterectomy utilizes state-of-the-art technology for faster recovery times and a shorter hospital stay.

In a vaginal hysterectomy, no incision is made as the uterus is removed vaginally, and does not leave a visible scar. Furthermore, abdominal muscles are not stretched during the procedure, allowing for less pain and discomfort after the surgery.

In a laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH), the surgeon uses a laparoscope to gain a better view of the uterus and surrounding organs. With the added view, surgeons can easily and safely remove the uterus, and recovery time is quick and relatively painless. In a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LSCH), the surgeon uses laparoscopic tools to safely separate the uterus from the cervix and remove it through a small abdominal incision. With an LSCH, the cervix is left in place, and recovery time is comparable to our other procedures.

An outpatient surgical procedure, tubal reversal involves the repairing and restoration of a woman’s previously cut fallopian tubes by suturing them back together. A small incision (roughly 3 cm) is done in the lower abdomen to allow access to the tubes and repair them. This will make it possible for the patient to become pregnant by once again allowing the egg (ovum) to unite with the sperm and allow a fertilized egg to pass through into the uterus. The patient will be able to go home the same day following the procedure.

Vaginal prolapse occurs when the upper vagina drops down into the vaginal canal or outside of the vagina causing pelvic heaviness or pressure. Vaginal prolapse surgery corrects this issue by re-attaching the top of the vagina to the supporting ligaments.

Incontinence surgery is an option for women experiencing stress incontinence or overactive bladder. It can provide a long-term solutions in severe cases where symptoms haven’t responded to conservative treatment or are disrupting your daily life. One such cause of incontinence is pelvic prolapse which can be treated through pelvic reconstructive surgery. Our physicians have extensive experience with pelvic reconstructive surgery, which involves the surgical repair or replacement of the supportive tissues surrounding the sagging organ. Performed through the vagina, prolapsed organs are repositioned during the procedure. In addition, we provide a sling procedure to correct incontinence.

The preferred treatment for women who desire to become pregnant, a myomectomy is a surgical procedure that allows uterine fibroids to be removed while keeping the uterus intact. Myomectomies are also used to remove tumors if the fibroids are causing heavy bleeding and give pelvic pain.

• Our Surgical Techniques
• Operative Laparoscopy

Our minimally-invasive operative laparoscopy surgery makes a small incision to reduce patient discomfort and pain. Using a set of small instruments, a tube with a camera is inserted carefully to evaluate causes of our patient’s pelvic pain. This technique is used in laparoscopically assisted hysterectomies and laparoscopic tubal ligation, In addition is used to diagnose endometriosis and develop ways of treating it.

Specially trained in the da Vinci® surgical system, Plaza OB/GYN’s use the da Vinci robot, a proprietary advanced minimally-invasive tool to perform gynecological procedures with great precision. The da Vinci® tool gives our physicians greater flexibility and mobility. The da Vinci® tool also incorporates 3-D imaging, giving surgeons the ability to focus on you rather than looking back and forth between the tools and a monitor. This da Vinci® advanced surgical technology is used in:

• Total and partial hysterectomy
• Uterine fibroids removal
• Pelvic prolapsed (urinary incontinence)

Minimally invasive procedures offer many benefits over traditional open surgeries. All MIPs result in faster recovery, less time in the hospital, less pain, and less scarring. If you have any questions, please contact us.