The laparoscopic revolution conquered the medical world in the early 1990’s. Prior to that time, nearly every surgical operation required an incision large enough for the surgeon to fit one or both hands in, sometimes even other surgeon’s hands as well! The result was long hospital stays, prolonged periods of post operative pain, and patients who often missed long periods of time from work as they recovered both in hospital and at home. It was the price one paid for needing surgery.

Nowadays the price need not be so high. By using a laparoscope (for the abdomen) or a thoracoscope (for the chest), a surgeon now has the capability of doing a very large, very major surgical procedure without necessarily making more than a ¼ or ½ inch incision. The technology that makes this possible is the ability to place a very small pencil sized telescope inside the body. This scope is attached to a TV camera and a very bright light source, so that the surgeon and the entire surgical team can have a detailed view of internal structure without having to make any larger incision in the patient than that which would be required to insert a #2 pencil. Often the largest incision a patient has in a laparoscopic operation is one just big enough to remove the target tissue, very much smaller than used to be required for the same operation done in the old fashioned “open” way. There is less pain, less trauma to tissues, and consequently a much quicker return to normal activities after an operation done this way.

At CRL Surgical Associates we can offer a surgical team with extensive experience in minimally invasive surgery of all kinds. Laparoscopic gall bladder surgery has become the standard of care for symptomatic gallstones. Dr. Latham Murray has been performing gallbladder surgery this way since the early days of laparoscopy. All types of hernias can be repaired laparoscopically as well, offering a faster recovery with less pain in many cases. The Martha Jefferson Hospital has been a regional leader in minimally invasive surgery for all sorts of bowel problems, from appendicitis to diverticulitis and, in particular, colon cancer. CRL Surgical Associates has been a part of that effort from the start.