UC San Diego Health is at the forefront of minimally invasive surgical capability in the nation. Our surgeons offer advanced minimally invasive and robotically assisted surgical techniques to help you recover faster with fewer scars and less discomfort.
We apply groundbreaking techniques and advanced technology to conditions requiring surgical intervention. We are pioneers in single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), robotically assisted complex hernia repairs, bariatric surgeries for weight loss, and natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) for removal of diseased appendixes and gallbladders.
Methods of Surgery
Generally, there are two levels of invasiveness for surgical procedures:
-
Open surgery, which involves cutting skin and tissues so the surgeon has direct access and visibility of the area or organs requiring attention
-
Minimally invasive surgery, which involves fewer, smaller incisions than open surgery, and sometimes no incisions at all. Using specialized instruments such as tiny video cameras and digitally enhanced displays of the surgical area, our surgical experts are able to achieve an even greater degree of precision for delicate procedures.
Learn about the
different methods of surgery.
Minimally Invasive Surgical Methods
Though not all conditions can be treated through minimally invasive surgery, many surgical techniques now employ minimally invasive approaches. UC San Diego Health's surgeons are skilled in advanced minimally invasive surgical techniques, including:
-
Laparoscopic surgery: A small incision is made in the abdominal wall through which an instrument called a laparoscope is inserted. With this method, large pieces of diseased tissue or cancerous or damaged organs can be removed without needing a large incision. Learn more about
laparoscopic surgery.
-
Endoscopic surgery: A thin tube with a small camera and a light attached is moved through a surgical opening or body passageway (such as the respiratory tract) to examine the organ or tissue. Learn more about
endoscopy.
-
Endovascular surgery: A small incision is made near the hip to access blood vessels, and a long catheter is slid through an artery. This technique is used to treat problems affecting blood vessels, such as an aneurysm. Clogs are treated with a self-adjusting stent or inflatable balloon. Learn more about our
vascular and endovascular surgeries.
-
Robotically assisted surgery: This is a type of minimally invasive surgery that uses advanced, computer-enhanced technologies, such as the da Vinci surgical system. It is associated with improved patient outcomes and less pain, blood loss, scarring and time to recuperate. Learn more about our
robotically assisted surgeries.
-
Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES): Our team is advancing scarless surgical techniques that involve operating on damaged or diseased organs through natural openings in the body.
Read an interview with Dr. Santiago Horgan about NOTES.
At UC San Diego Health, minimally invasive surgical methods are used to treat a wide range of conditions across multiple specialties, including: