Gallbladder surgery: Now possible with only a one-inch incision

Minimally invasive surgery continues to evolve and specialists at McLaren Macomb are leading the way.

A surgical team at McLaren Macomb was the first in Macomb County to offer a new type of laparoscopic procedure for gallbladder removal.

While the surgery once required up to four incisions, it can now be done using Single-Site™ instruments on a da Vinci® System. With this advanced robotic equipment, surgeons are able to remove a patient’s gallbladder through one tiny incision in the belly button, leaving virtually no scar.

That’s good news, since More than 1 million people in the U.S. have their gallbladder removed each year. Most are performed with traditional laparoscopy requiring several incisions.

Knee pain. Is it just stiffness or could it be osteoarthritis?

People are living longer these days and staying more active. That’s good news, but it also means more people will need help with joint replacement surgery.

If you’re wondering about the type of pain you’re feeling, here are some things to consider. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that leads to the breakdown and eventual loss of joint cartilage. That allows bones under the cartilage to rub together and cause pain.

Considering hysterectomy?

 Recover faster with robotics

When retired school teacher Martha Meagher was told she needed a hysterectomy,
Dr. Carol Fischer, her gynecologist, recommended a minimally invasive robotic surgery
available at McLaren Macomb.

Free yourself from knee pain

For patients considering knee replacement surgery, major concerns are recovery time and pain during recovery. As a result, many individuals live with joint pain for months or years so they can avoid joint replacement surgery.