Minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery is an excellent solution for many gastrointestinal problems. Benefits include a shorter hospital stay, smaller incisions, less pain and scarring, a lower risk of infection or bleeding, and a quicker return to regular activities. Find out whether your gastrointestinal problem may benefit from this approach from Steven Matous, MD, FACS.

What happens during laparoscopic surgery?
Laparoscopic procedures are done using general anesthesia, so you're not awake during the surgery. The laparoscope is a thin, lighted scope that magnifies images from the inside of the body and sends those images to a video screen.

To begin laparoscopic surgery, we make a small incision usually near the belly button. Next, we fill the abdomen with a harmless gas, carbon dioxide, which expands the abdominal cavity and makes it easier to see with the laparoscope.

Other small incisions are made so that other surgical instruments, such as scissors and forceps, can be inserted. For instance, in gallbladder surgery we make three other openings in the abdomen, usually less than a half inch each. Then we perform the operation through these small incisions while viewing a magnified image of the gallbladder on a video monitor.

After we close the incisions, you are taken to a post-operative recovery area. Often you can go home the same day as the procedure.

What can laparoscopic surgery be used for?
Laparoscopy has many uses, from diagnosing problems to treating them surgically; for example:

• Removing diseased gallbladder or appendix
• Removing sections of the colon
• Stopping esophageal reflux
• Removing organs such as the kidney or spleen
• Treating obesity (bariatric surgery)
• Repairing hernias
• Diagnosing and treating gynecological problems

The list is growing!

Am I a good candidate for laparoscopic surgery?
Laparoscopic surgery can't be used in every situation, but your doctor can help decide if it's right for you. For example, it may not be a good option if you've had certain abdominal surgeries in the past, which can leave scar tissue and make laparoscopy difficult to do.

Also, during some laparoscopic procedures the doctor may decide that it's necessary — for medical or safety reasons — to switch to an open surgery right on the spot. Your doctor can explain ahead of time why this could become necessary.

How can I learn more about laparoscopic surgery?
Pacific Surgical Specialists is located on the third floor of the south side of the Medical Center Physicians' Building, 505 NE 87th Ave. (off Mill Plain Blvd.) in Vancouver. For more information, go to www.pacificsurg.com, or call 360.213.9955 or 503.808.9803 from Portland.

About Dr. Matous Steven Matous, MD, FACS, has worked as a general surgeon in the Vancouver/Portland metropolitan area since 1996. In addition to his work at Pacific Surgical Specialists, he is the Chief of Surgery at Southwest Washington Medical Center.

Dr. Matous graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas A&M University and went on to earn his MD degree at Baylor College of Medicine. While completing his surgery residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Dr. Matous served as the Chief Surgical Resident. Along with his core surgical training, this program exposed him to advanced breast cancer care, intensive care medicine, colorectal surgery, and trauma surgery.

Dr. Matous undertook advanced training in Minimally Invasive Surgery at the University of Maryland Baltimore. Here he gained experience in laparoscopic surgeries such as antireflux surgery, colon removal and hernia repair. He was also trained in gastrointestinal endoscopy.

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