Minimally Invasive Surgery

Overview

Minimally invasive surgery (sometimes called laparoscopic surgery) is done through small incisions. Using specialized techniques, miniature cameras with microscopes, tiny fiber-optic flashlights and high definition monitors, Mayo Clinic surgeons in many specialties perform surgery through an incision that requires only a stitch or two to close.

Robot-assisted surgery is a specialized form of minimally invasive surgery that has a growing use at Mayo Clinic.

For patients, minimally invasive surgery means less trauma to the body, less blood loss, smaller surgical scars and less need for pain medication. Patients leave the hospital sooner after minimally invasive surgery and return to normal activities sooner than with conventional open surgery.

Mayo Clinic has one of the largest and most experienced minimally invasive surgery practices in the United States, performing thousands of procedures each year. Minimally invasive surgery is performed both on an inpatient (stay in the hospital) and outpatient (go home the same day) basis.

The minimally invasive surgery laboratory in Rochester and the Minimally Invasive Surgery Center in Scottsdale promote research and training on new applications of minimally invasive surgery.

Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures

Following are some of the types of minimally invasive surgery performed at Mayo Clinic. This list does not include all the minimally invasive procedures offered at Mayo. Some procedures may not be available at all locations.

Heart Surgery

• Aortic valve surgery
• Mitral valve surgery
• Tricuspid valve surgery
• Atrial septal defect closure, including patent foramen ovale
• Atrioventricular canal defect (also called atrioventricular septal defect) surgery
• Atrial fibrillation surgery (Maze procedure)
• "Off-pump" coronary artery bypass surgery (without a cardiopulmonary bypass machine); also called minimally invasive direct coronary bypass
• Saphenous vein harvest for coronary artery bypass surgery

Colon and Rectal Surgery

• Colon cancer
• Colonic dysmotility — slow-transit constipation
• Crohn's disease
• Diverticulitis — diverticular disease
• Hereditary polyps -- e.g., Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Large polyps that cannot be removed at colonoscopy
• Rectal prolapse
• Ulcerative colitis

Gastroenterologic and General Surgery

• Anti-reflux
• Laparoscopic adrenalectomy
• Laparoscopic appendectomy
• Laparoscopic bariatric surgery
• Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy
• Laparoscopic esophagectomy
• Laparoscopic femoral hernia repair
• Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery
• Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair
• Laparoscopic lymph node biopsy
• Laparoscopic procedure for liver cysts
• Laparoscopic procedure for selected stomach tumors
• Laparoscopic splenectomy
• Laparoscopic treatment for large bowel tumors
• Laparoscopic treatment for small bowel tumors
• Laparoscopic umbilical hernia repair
• Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair
• Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy
• Myotomy
• Repair of hiatal hernias
• Robotic surgery

Gynecologic Surgery

• Complete evaluation of irregular vaginal bleeding
• Endometrial ablation for excessive menstruation
• Hysteroscopic excision of submucosal fibroids
• Hysteroscopic polypectomies
• Hysteroscopic sterilization (no incisions)
• Laparoscopic hysterectomies
• Laparoscopic radical hysterectomy for cervical and uterine cancer
• Laparoscopic/hysteroscopic removal of fibroids
• Laparoscopic removal of benign ovarian cysts
• Laparoscopic repair of vesical vaginal fistulas
• Laparoscopic treatment of pelvic endometriosis
• Robotic surgery
• Uterine artery embolization (UAE) for fibroids

Neurosurgery

• Carotid angioplasty
• Endoscopic resection of pituitary brain tumors
• Endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms and carotid occlusive disease
• Stereotactic radiosurgery for brain tumors
• Percutaneous balloon compression of the trigeminal nerve (PBCTN)
• Treatment of herniated lumbar and cervical disks
• Treatment of hyperhidrosis of the hands
• Volumetric stereotactic resection of brain tumors

Orthopedic Surgery

• Arthroscopy of most joints
• Carpal tunnel release
• Endoscopic spine surgery
• Fractures of the pelvis
• Hip replacement
• Minimally invasive spine fixations, decompression techniques
• Periarticular and intraarticular fractures of the lower extremity
• Release of joint contractures
• Rotator cuff repair
• Shoulder instability repair
• Thermal ablation of benign bone tumors
• Treatment of early joint arthritis
• Unicompartmental knee replacement
• Vertebroplasty

Otorhinolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat)

• Endoscopic removal of nasal/sinus tumors
• Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
• Sentinel lymph node biopsy of malignant head and neck tumors
• Transoral laser resection of malignant oropharyngeal/laryngeal tumors
• Transcatheter laser treatment of vascular malformations

Thoracic Surgery

• Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) for hyperhidrosis
• Laparoscopic fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Laparoscopic myotomy for achalasia
• Laparoscopic repair of large hiatal hernia
• Minimally invasive lung surgery

Urology

• Endoscopic procedures
  • biopsy tumors in carefully selected cases
  • determine the nature of lumps found in the upper urinary tract
  • diagnose and treat a wide variety of upper urinary tract disorders
  • find sources of bleeding or infection
  • treat certain types of benign tumors and lesions in the upper urinary tract
  • treat kidney stones
  • treat stones in the ureters
  • treat strictures in the upper urinary tract
• Laparoscopic procedures
• cyst unroofing or decortication (opening cysts to drain them)
• donor nephrectomy (removal of a kidney from a healthy person to transplant in a recipient; also see kidney transplantation)
• nephrectomy (removal of a kidney)
• partial nephrectomy (removal of part of a kidney)
• pyeloplasty (removing a blockage between the ureter and the kidney)
• Robotic surgery

Vascular Surgery

• Balloon angioplasty and stenting of the carotid, renal, and peripheral arteries
• Endovascular repair of abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms
• Minimal incision aortic surgery for aneurysms or occlusive disease
• Radiofrequency or laser ablation of varicose veins