By Shelly Baskin
Murray, KY – Murray-Calloway County Hospital Surgeons are using minimally invasive surgery techniques to cut recovery time and the length of hospital stays. At a mobile training center today the hospital's surgeons demonstrated Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery or SILS techniques. The SILS technique differs from other minimally invasive procedures by using a single cut at the belly button where scaring will be less visible, instead of the 3 or 4 incisions used by other techniques. Dr. Matt Price of MCCH says the SILS technique is a big improvement over previous procedures.
"We're seeing a lot quicker return to their normal activities: returning to work, returning to their family activities much quicker than they would have before. It decreases their hospital stay; it decreases their pain after the surgery. We're seeing a big improvement and patients are appreciative of that," Price says.
While the patients see a faster recovery, the hospital will cut costs as it reduces hospital stays. MCCH is one of the only hospitals in the region to offer the SILS procedures which Dr. Price says reduces the chance of complications present in traditional surgery.