Laparoscopic Surgery

Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), or laparoscopic surgery, is an alternative to traditional open surgery for many conditions.  Simple cases like hernias and gallbladder problems as well as complex conditions like esophageal cancer and adrenal tumors can be treated with laparoscopic surgery.  Surgery done this way accomplishes all the goals of the open operation but uses smaller incisions.  This means less pain, shorter recovery times and a decreased risk of developing a hernia, as well as a better looking abdomen when all is said and done. 

In addition to conventional laparoscopic surgery, our surgeons offer single incision or single port surgery for selected procedures.  Single port surgery is a technique that maximizes the cosmetic outcome of laparoscopic surgery. 

Drs. Carl Westcott, Adolfo (Fuzz) Fernandez, and Stephen McNatt, are board certified surgeons who specialize in the field of Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS/laparoscopic surgery).  Each year the service performs in excess of 1200 cases; 75% are elective laparoscopic cases who are worked up in the clinic and operated on as outpatients or with a brief hospital stay.  In addition, the laparoscopic service performs a large number of foregut (hiatal hernia, GERD/reflux, and esophageal cancer) and solid organ surgeries like splenectomy, adrenalectomy, esophageal cancer surgery, achalasia surgery, hiatal hernia surgery, and living donor nephrectomy.