The Washington University Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery was established in 1993. Its board-certified surgeons are internationally renowned experts in the field and have been instrumental in the development and teaching of many techniques currently used in minimally invasive surgery. They are practising physicians on staff at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and are faculty members at Washington University School of Medicine |
| Drs. Brunt, Eagon, Matthews and Halpin with patient |
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(314) 454-8877Minimally invasive surgery encompasses a number of surgical techniques designed to reduce the physical trauma associated with traditional surgical procedures.
Instead of a single large incision, the surgeon makes several small incisions and places a laparoscope - a small video camera on a telescope - through one of the incisions.
This allows the surgeon to view the anatomy. The surgeon performs the operation working with long instruments placed through small tubes in the other incisions.
Since the smaller incisions heal faster, patients who are treated with this surgical technique usually have fewer complications, a shorter hospital stay and a much faster recovery than if they had traditional open surgery. Minimally invasive surgery is also referred to as minimal access surgery and laparoscopic surgery.
Many of the minimally invasive surgical procedures performed at Washington University are gastroenterology-related, including:
cholecystectomy
inguinal hernia repair
appendectomy
anti-reflux surgery
splenectomy
adrenalectomy
gastroectomy
colectomy
Other services where minimally invasive operations are commonly performed are urology (nephrectomy); gynecology (hysterectomy, tubal ligation), cardiology (artery bypass, valve repair and replacement); and vascular (abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and endovascular procedures).
Surgeons at the Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery can claim many "firsts" in the field, including the first in the world to perform laparoscopic nephrectomy (removal of kidney) and first in the region to perform laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of gall bladder). The Institute offers state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, and is the first healthcare center in the region to use surgical robots.
Physicians associated with the Washington University Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery:
Elisa H. Birnbaum, M.D.
L. Michael Brunt, M.D.
William C. Chapman, M.D.
Eric Choi, M.D.
Ralph J. Damiano, Jr., M.D.
David W. Dietz, M.D.
John Christopher Eagon, M.D.
Steven A. Edmundowicz, M.D.
Robert S. Figenshau, M.D.
James W. Fleshman, Jr., M.D.
Valerie J. Halpin, M.D.
William Hawkins, M.D.
Tamir H. Keshen, M.D.
Mary E. Klingensmith, M.D.
David C. Linehan, M.D.
Jennifer K. Lowney, M.D.
Brent D. Matthews, M.D.
Bryan F. Meyers, M.D.
Matthew G. Mutch, M.D.
Matthew A. Powell, M.D.
Steven M. Strasberg, MD
Ramakrishna Venkatesh, M.D.
Neill M. Wright, M.D.