Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Opens Pediatric-Specific Minimally Invasive Surgery Operating Room

News Releases

For Immediate Release

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Opens Pediatric-Specific Minimally Invasive Surgery Operating Room

MIS trend grows across the United States - less pain and quicker recovery time for patients

Pittsburgh, Pa. - August 12, 2004 -

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh today unveiled a new operating room suite with technologically advanced equipment designed specifically for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) performed on pediatric patients.

Minimally invasive procedures use tiny cameras and surgical equipment inserted into small incisions. All of the components of the new operating room, including endoscopic equipment and cameras used in minimally invasive surgery, are mobile and can be maneuvered around the operating table - providing maximum efficiency and better results for pediatric patients.

"We see a trend toward doing more and more surgeries using minimally invasive techniques - especially for pediatric patients. This type of surgery has many benefits for the patient, including less time spent under anesthesia, a lowered risk of infection, faster recovery time and significantly less scar tissue," said Henri Ford, MD, surgeon-in-chief at Children's. "This new operating room will allow us to continue to advance minimally invasive techniques and do even more complex procedures."

Children's is a national leader in minimally invasive procedures, having performed more than 600 such surgeries in the last year. At Children's, the number of MIS cases has increased from 276 in 2000 to 514 in 2003. So far in fiscal year 2004, 682 MIS cases have been performed.

"With minimally invasive surgery, we perform complex procedures through keyhole openings," said Timothy Kane, MD, director of minimally invasive surgery at Children's. "We can do everything from routine appendectomies to complicated tumor removals."

In order to provide quality MIS services, advanced technology and equipment are necessary, in addition to surgeons and staff who possess the required extensive clinical experience and advanced skills in MIS. The evolution of MIS in pediatric surgery has been slower compared with adults due to the level of difficulty in performing these procedures on small patients of varying size.

The new operating room, called OR1, will enable the highly specialized staff to meet the unique needs of pediatric patients through the use of specifically designed pediatric equipment, and will enhance Children's Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery.

The integrated equipment is part of a strategic partnership with Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Inc.

Contacts:
Melanie Finnigan, 412-692-5016, Melanie.Finnigan@chp.edu
Marc Lukasiak, 412-692-5016, Marc.Lukasiak@chp.edu

Last Update
February 19, 2008

top