– Greenwich Hospital Surgeon Teaches Single-Incision “Scarless” Technique
Newswise — Minimally invasive surgery, using smaller incisions to speed recovery time for patients, has taken a leap forward with a new “SIMPLE” surgery technique being used at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut.
SIMPLE stands for Single Incision Multi-Port LaparoEndoscopic surgery. There are about two dozen surgeons in the United States with broad experience in this technique, according to Bruce Molinelli, MD, director of minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at Greenwich Hospital.
Molinelli helped develop and advance the single-incision technique with his colleague Athanassios Petrotos, MD. Together they have used it in more than 500 cases over the past four years, well ahead of the national trend. With most routine minimally invasive surgical procedures, three to six small incisions are made, each being a port where an instrument is passed.
“Now, we can do many laparoscopic surgeries by inserting all instruments through just one incision, usually through the belly button,” said Molinelli. “This is cosmetically superior for people who do not want visible scars on their abdomen,” he added. Beyond the cosmetic benefit, this “almost scarless surgery” may lead to faster healing and recovery time, and minimal trauma to the body.
“The concept is easy to understand, but in terms of passing multiple instruments through a single incision, the instruments have not been readily available – until now,” explained Molinelli, who has talked about the SIMPLE procedure at national conferences for the American College of Surgeons, Society of Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Molinelli has also led workshops for surgeons who specialize in laparoscopic surgery. He and his team at Greenwich Hospital have received international recognition with visiting surgeons coming from as far as Serbia to learn the procedure and watch cases be performed.
SIMPLE surgery may be used for patients who need gallbladder, colon, appendix, small intestine, adrenal/endocrine, stomach, bariatric, gynecologic, urologic and essentially all major abdominal procedures.
“It’s not so much about a patient being a good candidate as much as finding a doctor who is familiar and proficient with this technique,” said Molinelli.
About Greenwich HospitalGreenwich Hospital is a 206-bed (includes 32 bassinets) community hospital serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. It is a major academic affiliate of Yale School of Medicine and a member of the Yale New Haven Health System. Since opening in 1903, Greenwich Hospital has evolved into a progressive medical center and teaching institution representing all medical specialties and offering a wide range of medical, surgical, diagnostic and wellness programs.
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