Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) introduced way back in 2013 the method of Minimal Invasive Surgery (MIS). It is the first in the Philippines to have such an advanced technology when it comes to surgeries.
Fast forward to 2021, CSMC have mastered the science of MIS. According to Dr. Alfred Allen Buenafe, an awardee for Contribution to Modern Medicine last September 2020, MIS has many advantages over open surgery.
In a webinar spearheaded by CSMC on Wednesday, January 27, they have stressed that less is better when it comes to surgery. Through their “Why Less is Better: 10 Things to Know about Minimally Invasive Surgery” webinar, they have opened up a path for patients.
Through Laparoscopy, they can treat numerous diseases with a higher success rate. Benign gall bladder diseases, appendectomy, abdominal wall hernia surgery, thyroid surgery, upper gastrointestinal surgery, reflux surgery, and colon and rectal surgery are just some of the operations that can be done using the method. What’s more fascinating is that even cancer surgery is possible through it.
One more reason that MIS is better than open surgery because unlike the latter, MIS only needs a small incision, thus the word minimal. The incision is about 5-10 mm and uses a laparoscope when conducting Laparoscopic surgery. With a minimal incision, CSMC promises that patients who opt-in for MIS could recover faster, with less post-operation pain.
According to Dr. Buenafe, patients who underwent MIS have a recovery span of 24 hours up to a week. This means that patients can return to their normal lives. MIS also manipulates lesser skin tissues than open surgery, which is one of the key factors why they can have a faster recovery rate.
Though MIS is being compared to Robotics surgery, Dr. Buenafe stressed that there is no compelling evidence that robotic surgery is better than laparoscopic. However, one thing is clear: they are better than open surgery.
However, MIS does not come cheap. Still, with the patient being able to return to their normal life is worth it. Plus, there is less scarring because of the surgery. Moreover, it has less post-operation pain. So if people are wondering if their health insurance can cover this kind of method, it is better to ask them since surgeries such as laparoscopic are within the scope of health insurance.
Unfortunately, there is a fear to go to hospitals because of the pandemic. But Dr. Buenafe assured those potential patients that they have confined spaces for covid-positive instances and that every safety precautionary measures were put in place in every corner of the establishment.
Minimal Invasive Surgery is the future and with it, surgeries will now be less painful, less hospital stays, and less loss of income.
