Trident Health Performs First Single-Incision Gallbladder Removal in Lowcountry
June 6, 2012
Robotic Surgery Procedure Allows the Surgeon to Perform Single-Incision Gallbladder Removal through Belly Button
N. CHARLESTON, SC – June 5, 2012 – Trident Health’s South Carolina Institute for Robotic Surgery has performed the Charleston area’s first ever single-incision gallbladder removal.
Rather than making several incisions to remove the gallbladder, this new robotic process makes just one incision through the belly button. Dr. Jeffrey Lafond, a robotic surgeon with South Carolina Institute for Robotic Surgery, performed the procedure. “The robot offers excellent 3-Dimensional vision, a great improvement over a conventional laparoscopy. The single site technique allows for less trauma, decreased blood loss, and a quicker recovery time for the patient,” said Dr. Lafond.
The South Carolina Institute for Robotic Surgery is the second facility in the state to offer single site robotic surgery. The Institute is located at Trident Medical Center and consists of an advanced team of 15 robotic surgeons. The group performs twice as many robotic surgeries as any other hospital in the Charleston area. The single-incision gallbladder removal is one of several “firsts” the Institute has performed. For a full list please visit SCrobotics.com.
Each year, about one million people in the United States will undergo gallbladder removal surgery. Thanks to this latest breakthrough in robotic-assisted surgery, patients can now have their gallbladder removed through a small incision buried in their belly button, where no visible scar can be seen.
In the past, gallbladder removals have been performed either through open surgery, which requires a large opening in the abdomen, or laparoscopic surgery, which requires multiple incision sites. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ that sits just below the liver on the upper right side of the abdomen. It collects and stores bile — a digestive fluid produced in the liver – and its removal can relieve the pain and discomfort of gallstones. The new surgical method with the da Vinci robotic surgery system is designed for safer outcomes and quicker recovery times.
About Trident Health
Trident Health is an HCA health system comprised of two acute care hospitals – Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center – as well as Moncks Corner Medical Center. The Joint Commission recently named Trident Health to their list of the nation’s top hospitals for quality and safety. In 2011, Trident Health provided almost $45 million in charity and uncompensated care and contributed $38 million in taxes. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Trident Health is committed to providing quality health services along with wellness information and opportunities to the communities it serves. For more information about Trident Health, please visit our website at www.tridenthealthsystem.com or call 843.797.7000.
