Minimally invasive surgery, also called laparoscopic surgery, is any procedure that is performed through one or more small incisions in the abdomen, as opposed to laparotomy, which involves a large incision and is more invasive.
Advantages of laparoscopic surgery over laparotomy include minimal scarring, less pain, reduced risk of hemorrhaging, fewer potential infection sites, and a shorter recovery period. A minimally invasive surgical procedure uses the least invasive means to correct the problem demanding surgery in the first place.
Minimally invasive surgery has been around since the early 1900s, but recent advancements in the field have led to the SPIDER Surgical System, a groundbreaking flexible laparoscopic platform that allows multiple surgical instruments to be used through one small incision. The SPIDER Surgical System is a new and exciting development in the surgical world, and Beverly Hills Physicians is one of few organizations capable of using it (more on that in a minute!).
All about the SPIDER Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic Surgical Platform
The SPIDER laparoscopic platform is a flexible platform, which means it employs both rigid and flexible surgical tool manipulation through a unique four-hole entryway to hollow tubes called trocars. The trocars are used for access of the surgical tools to the surgery site. A rigid platform requires multiple incisions and has fewer capabilities, while a flexible one allows multiple tools that are used through a single incision, gives the surgeon better dexterity, and has true right- and left-hand tool handling.
How it works. SPIDER creates multiple working channels through a single incision site, giving surgeons more options for multiple tasks and increased instrument manipulation. SPIDER limits the number of necessary incisions to decrease risk, pain, and recovery time. SPIDER creates little to no noticeable scarring, because the incision is made on or near the belly button. The platform is unique because it opens up inside the abdomen to maximize the surgeon’s working room and dexterity.
Flexible characteristics of the SPIDER laparoscopic platform include:
- Open platform
- Multiple working channels
- Single operator capabilities
- Multiple, flexible instruments
- True right and left instrument handling
- Triangulation through a single access site
At Beverly Hills Physicians, bariatric surgery is one of our specialties. The SPIDER Surgical System makes performing weight loss surgery simpler, less invasive, and safer. Weight loss surgery with the SPIDER platform is called the STARR Treatment.
All about the STARR Treatment
STARR stands for Surgical Tiny Access and Rapid Recovery. STARR is specifically a weight loss surgical technique using the SPIDER platform that can be used for gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy procedures.
Gastric banding is the most common type of weight loss procedure. It places an adjustable band, often called a lap band, around a portion of the stomach to make it smaller. The surgery is adjustable and reversible. In gastric sleeve surgery, a large portion of the stomach is removed to create a permanently smaller sleeve-shaped stomach.
The STARR treatment produces the following results:
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- Minimal pain and scarring
- Rapid recovery
- Good aesthetic results through successful weight loss
The STARR treatment allows gastric band and gastric sleeve surgeries to be performed through a barely visible incision. Minimal pain at only one incision site—as compared to the 4 to 6 incisions usually required for other laparoscopic procedures—allows for a quick return to work and other daily routines.
During the procedure, the SPIDER surgical platform is inserted into the abdomen through one incision. The SPIDER surgical instruments are all contained within a tube only as wide as a dime. Once inside the abdomen, the surgeon is able to control which instruments are needed with extreme precision. The STARR procedure is easier for surgeons and safer for patients. A patient can expect to be released from the hospital or surgery center the same day as the procedure to rest and recover at home.
Beverly Hills Physicians and the SPIDER Surgical Platform
Our very own Doctor Misra is paving the way with the SPIDER Surgical System, not only for our network of surgeons, but for the industry as a whole. This highly specialized surgical technique requires specific training that, currently, very few surgeons have—but Doctor Misra is a frontrunner in bariatric surgery advancements.
We’re proud that we are able to offer this exciting option for people seeking the safest, least invasive, and most effective bariatric surgery possible. Please contact us for a free consultation if you’re interested in the STARR treatment via the revolutionary SPIDER Surgical System.
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