Need 2 Know: Single Site Surgery

DAYTON, OH (WDTN) - No one likes having surgery.. but now.. a new laproscopic procedure means fewer risks for the patient.. and a much faster recovery period. Here's what you need to know about this surprising, new innovation.

"It's nothing. No scar at all." says Susan Lightle. "I feel wonderful. I highly recommend it." says Brittany Matthews. Not exactly what you'd expect to hear from patients just 17 days after having a hysterectomy. "Getting back to work this week, I worried I might get a little tired. Although I eased into it , it has been just fine. I feel absolutely fantastic." says Lightle. That's because both these women had hystercomies with a new laparoscopic technique using a single site. So, instead of three small incisions, or four or five with robotic surgery, the surgeon makes one incision, about a centimeter and a half in the curve of the belly button. "The recovery for a laparoscopic surgery the patients in the hospital one day, for abdominal two to three days at least. Infection rates are much higher for abdominal surgeries as well. Right now as far as hysterectomies in Dayton, there are two thousand done a year and about 50 percent are still done abdominally." says Dr. Leesa Kaufman of Lifestages

Dr. Kaufman is the only doctor in Dayton performing laparoscopic surgeries with a single incision, and one of only ten state-wide. Dr. Kaufman says it's hands down the best choice for patients. It's less painful, has a faster recovery time, and virtually no scarring. "I am surprised I really am, because I didn't expect to be up and moving like I am. I highly recommend doing it this new way that doctor Kaufman is recommending it." says patient Matthews. "I just can't believe I don't have any pain. I keep thinking, did she really remove my uterus? Because I don't have any discomfort." says Lightle.

But Dr. Kaufman warns, not everyone is a candidate. She recommends anyone needing a hysterectomy or any type of surgery should explore their options. "There are still some patients who need abdominal hysterectomies and can't have minimally invasive. But as an ob-gyn community I think we can get that number down considerably if everyone was trained appropriately for that." says Kaufman.

This procedure can also be used for some general surgeries and other gynecological issues as well, and is covered by most major insurance companies.