The Section of Laparoscopy/Minimally Invasive Surgery performs endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures for diagnosis and treatment of a variety of conditions which were previously treated by open surgical procedures.

The procedures most commonly performed by this service are laparoscopic cholecystectomy, Nissen fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease, repair of inguinal hernias, and laparoscopically-assisted colon resection and, more recently, laparoscopically assisted repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Additionally, laparoscopy is frequently used in the staging and management of intra-abdominal malignancies, including laparoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsies and tumor ablation.

Services

Our division offers a full spectrum of advanced laparoscopic (minimally invasive) procedures.  All of these can be done through several small (1/4 inch) incisions which causes less pain, makes recovery faster and is cosmetically more appealing.  We also offer of a variety of laparoscopic procedures that can be done with the help of a surgical robot (da Vinci).

 The following is a partial list of the laparoscopic operations performed by our surgeons last year.  All of these were done for a variety of benign conditions as well as for cancer.

• General procedures:
  • Diagnostic (exploratory) laparoscopy: examination of the abdomen to make a diagnosis.  More patient information can be found here.
  • Laparoscopic biopsy: sampling of the tissues and organs to obtain or confirm the diagnosis
  • Laparoscopic lysis of adhesions: removal of the scar tissues from the inside of the abdomen to alleviate abdominal pain or blockage
     
• Hernia procedures:
  • Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair: repair of the groin hernias (including recurrent hernias).  More patient information can be found here and here.
  • Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair: repair of the hernias in the middle or on the side of the abdomen (usually resulting from a congenital defect or prior surgeries).  More patient information can be found here.
  • Laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair: repair of the hole in the diaphragm muscle usually causing heartburn.  More patient information can be found in this brochure, here and on this website.
     
• Gallbladder and liver procedures:
  • Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: removal of the gallbladder for a variety of reasons, such as stones.  More patient information can be found here and here.
  • Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration: removal of the stones that escaped the gallbladder and are now lodged in the bile ducts
  • Laparoscopic liver resection: removal of the diseased part of the liver for an infection, growth or cancer
     
• Procedures on esophagus:
  • Minimally invasive esophagectomy: removal of the entire esophagus for a variety of benign conditions or cancer
  • Laparoscopic Heller myotomy: treatment for achalasia
  • Laparoscopic fundoplication: treatment of heartburn (gastro-esophageal reflux disease).  More patient information can be found in this brochure, here and on this website.
  • Laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair: repair of the hole in the diaphragm muscle usually causing heartburn.  More patient information can be found in this brochure, here and on this website.
     
• Procedures on the stomach:
  • Laparoscopic gastrectomy: removal of the part of the stomach for tumors or ulcer disease
     
• Procedures for obesity:
  • Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: decreasing the size of the stomach and bypassing part of the intestine to help with weight loss.  More patient information can be found here.
  • Laparoscopic gastric banding: placement of an adjustable band around the stomach to help with weight loss.  More patient information can be found here.
     
• Procedures on the small intestine:
  • Laparoscopic small bowel resection: removal of the diseased portion of the small of the intestine for bleeding, tumors or inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease)
  • Laparoscopic small bowel bypass: bypass around the intestinal blockage
  • Laparoscopic Meckel’s diverticulectomy: removal of a Meckel’s diverticulum
  • Laparoscopic small bowel tumor excision: removal of the part of a small bowel containing a mass or tumor
     
• Procedures on the large intestine (colon):
  • Laparoscopic colectomy (colon resection): removal of the diseased part of the colon (or the entire colon) for cancer, infection, inflammation (including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) and bleeding.  More patient information can be found here and here.
  • Laparoscopic appendectomy: removal of the appendix for appendicitis or other conditions
     
• Procedures on other organs:
  • Laparoscopic splenectomy: removal of the spleen.  More patient information can be found here.
  • Laparoscopic adrenalectomy: removal of the adrenal gland.  More patient information is here.
  • Laparoscopic appendectomy: removal of the appendix for appendicitis or other conditions
  • Laparoscopic pancreatectomy: removal of the diseased pancreas for cysts, tumors or inflammation

Our Staff

Our surgical staff has many years of experience in performing even the most advanced laparoscopic operations.  We have presented our successes at numerous national and international conferences.  Our staff consists of:

• Dr. Dominick Gadaleta  – Chief of Laparoscopic Surgery 
• Dr. Matthew Bank
• Dr. John Platz