By Nicole Miller, MD, FACS Associate Professor, Department of Urology, and Fellowship Director for Endourology and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville COVID-19 has drawn many aspects of medicine into a different focus. Now, months after the pandemic made its initial impact on our hospital, we are able to reflect on all the […]

Camran Nezhat, MD, FACOG, FACS Inventor and pioneer of modern-day minimally invasive and robotic surgery; Fellowship Director of Camran Nezhat Institute, Center for Special Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery in Palo Alto, California. The goals of minimally invasive surgery remain the same as laparoscopy – achieve the desired outcomes with less destruction, pain and recovery […]

By Jessica Carlson, MD Curry Health Network, Gold Beach, Oregon Here in rural southwest Oregon, I am the only general surgeon in my county. It’s a challenging position that keeps me on my toes. Because there can be unexpected demands on my time, I need to work as efficiently as possible. That means keeping an […]

By Kenny R. Sinervo, MD, FRCSC Medical Director, Center for Endometriosis Care, Atlanta Endometriosis is a progressive condition where endometrium-like tissue grows outside the uterus in the pelvis, abdomen and thorax. The condition causes chronic pain, inflammation, endometriomas, fibrosis, adhesions, bowel or bladder dysfunction, endocrine and immune problems and infertility. Endometriosis affects 0.7% to 8.6% […]

By Antonio R. Gargiulo, MD Dr. Gargiulo is a reproductive endocrinologist and reproductive surgeon at the Center for Infertility and Reproductive Surgery and the Boston Center for Endometriosis at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He is the Medical Director of Robotic Surgery for Brigham Health, and an Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive […]

Trialing an in situ lens cleaning option that reduces both time and stress in the OR By Matthew Brunson Martin, MD, FACS Surgeon, Central Carolina Surgery, PA, Greensboro, North Carolina Impaired visibility is a major frustration during laparoscopic surgery. Blood, smoke and steam impair our view, and we can’t safely continue with surgery until we […]

Surgery can be smooth and relaxed, even as personnel rotate and change. By Misty Tuttle Lead Surgical Technologist Cone Health, Wesley Long Hospital, Greensboro Laparoscopic surgery is a team effort. In the OR, in addition to the surgeon, we generally have one or two surgical technologists, a circulating nurse performing documentation, and a CRNA or […]

With quality education and consistent standards, every hospital can ensure laser procedures safely produce the desired outcomes. By Raymond J. Lanzafame, MD, MBA, FACS Regardless of specialty, you have likely used or heard about the use of laser technology in surgery. Virtually every surgical procedure has been accomplished with laser techniques. However, adequate skills, training, […]

Today’s options make challenging cases easier and reduce the risk of hernia. By Dieter Bruno, MD, FACS Urologist, Peninsula Urology Center, Redwood City, California A surgeon can perform a complex laparoscopic procedure exceptionally well, but if the patient develops a port-site hernia postoperatively, that will be the enduring impression of their surgery. Port-site hernias can […]

By Samit D. Soni, MD Urologist, Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, Houston, Texas In my recent move to a new position at a different hospital, I knew I was leaving behind some surgical tools I had spent 4 years using and teaching to residents and fellows. It can be unsettling to start using different […]

By G. Richard D. Batstone, MA, MB, BChir, MD (Cantab), FRCS (Urol), FRACS, FRCSC Because of the risks and facility requirements for some common urological procedures, such as treatment of large kidney stones and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), small hospitals in rural areas will often refer those cases to larger facilities. For the last 6 […]

By Sallie Sarrel, PT, ATC, DPT On March 3, 2019, over 350 patients, specialists, activists, and industry leaders collaborated in person at the first-ever Endometriosis Summit, a patient and practitioner town hall meeting that demanded understanding of the disease, addressed state-of-the-art therapies, and raised future directions in its treatment. Another 20,000-plus viewers watched and participated […]

By Thiers Soares Raymundo, MD In gynecologic endoscopy, two technologies – the CO2 laser and surgical robot – are changing how we approach an increasing number of procedures. I have been using these technologies for two years for several surgeries, including myomectomy for uterine fibroids, endometriosis and cystectomy. The benefits of using these technologies in […]

By Antonio R. Gargiulo, MD Dr. Gargiulo is a reproductive endocrinologist and reproductive surgeon at the Center for Infertility and Reproductive Surgery and the Boston Center for Endometriosis at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He is the Medical Director of Robotic Surgery for Brigham Health, and an Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive […]

by Maurice K. Chung, RPh, MD In my decades of practice, I have embraced the transformation from open surgery to laparoscopy and finally to every-smaller, less invasive laparoscopic approaches such as mini lap. As a pelvic pain specialist who performs many endometriosis and urogynecological procedures, I know how these surgical technologies can improve both outcomes […]

By Harry Reich, MD, FACOG, FRCOG, FACS The ideal treatment for endometriosis is a single surgery that removes all abnormal endometrial cells, thus resolving the ensuing condition. Success means choosing the right surgery, so repeated procedures are not necessary. The challenge for surgeons is that when symptoms of endometriosis begin, it is difficult to see […]

We focused on the most common reasons for retreatment and found new ways to address them. By Michael Maddox, MD Ideally, we would like to treat a condition once and allow our patients to return to normal, healthy activities. In my field, patients sometimes require repeat treatment for kidney stones. A second treatment means a […]

By Jessica Opoku-Anane, MD, MS Forty to 50% of patients with endometriosis experience a recurrence of endometrial cell growth and pain within 5 years after surgical treatment, even with medical suppression. (Guo 2009) Recurrence is much higher in patients whose endometriosis is advanced at the time of surgery. Once the symptoms return, patients often need […]

by Mona Orady, MD Obstetrician-Gynecologist Director of Robotic Surgery, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, San Francisco     I learned to perform mini-laparoscopy surgery about five years ago, and I have been performing it regularly for the last two years. Now I can use this modality for almost every gynecologic laparoscopic surgery that I perform, including […]