The prospect of surgery—and the downtime needed to recover—can be daunting. But minimally invasive surgery makes having a gynecologic procedure much easier, with less pain and a faster recovery time.
At the Women & Infants Center, our gynecologic surgeons have dedicated their careers to minimally invasive surgery for conditions that affect women’s reproductive organs. Because they are solely focused on these types of surgeries, their experience and results are unrivaled in the St. Louis region.
Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at the Women & Infants Center
If your gynecologist has recommended surgery, it’s important to explore your treatment options before moving forward. Our gynecologic surgeons can give you a second opinion, discuss nonsurgical alternatives and explain surgical procedures.
Minimally invasive surgery can provide benefits such as less pain and a quicker recovery than with traditional open, abdominal surgery. At the Women & Infants Center, our gynecological surgeons most often perform laparoscopy, which is a type of minimally invasive surgery that goes through the abdominal wall.
Our surgeons also perform hysteroscopy, a type of minimally invasive surgery that goes through the vagina into the uterus (no incisions required), and other minor vaginal procedures.
Conditions We Treat
Women come to our specialists for hysterectomies and other surgeries to treat:
- Uterine fibroids: Benign (noncancerous) tumors that grow in or around the walls of the uterus
- Endometriosis: Uterine tissue that grows outside the uterus
- Ovarian cysts or masses: Fluid-filled sacs or solid growths on or within the ovaries
If you need gynecologic surgery, a minimally invasive procedure is often the best option. But depending on your specific condition, alternatives to surgery may include:
- Watchful waiting
- Medication
- Physical therapy
What Is Laparoscopy?
Our experienced gynecological surgeons frequently perform laparoscopy for many types of gynecological conditions. Laparoscopy uses small incisions – about the width of a pinky nail – and tiny cameras and surgical instruments to perform surgery. In traditional abdominal surgery, the surgeon makes a long incision of several inches to access the surgical site.
Benefits of Laparoscopy and Other Minimally Invasive Techniques
Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery can offer several advantages over open abdominal procedures including:
- Less hospital time: Discharge often happens the same or the next day, compared with multiple nights in the hospital for open surgery.
- Fewer complications: Damage to surrounding organs and surgical site infections are less likely to occur.
- Less pain: Because incisions are smaller, less tissue is affected.
- Faster recovery: Recovery time is usually 2 to 4 weeks compared with 6 weeks for open surgery.
- Less scarring: The tiny incisions quickly heal and fade. Hysteroscopy requires no incisions because the scope is inserted through the vagina and cervix into the uterus.
Contact Us
To make an appointment with a Washington University minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon at the Women & Infants Center, call 855.925.0631.