Today, Dr Emma Patterson performed the first reported Micro LAP-BAND® procedure (click to view video of a Micro LAP-BAND Procedure). This laparoscopic procedure was performed with 2.7 mm instruments, half the size of normal instruments, which means the tiny scars left behind are barely visible. While LAP-BAND® scars are small anyway, the micro procedure performed by Dr. Patterson is an exciting next step in the advancement of bariatric surgery. She explained to us one reason she likes this procedure so much: “The MicroLap instruments are really excellent. They are sturdy and function like standard laparoscopic instruments. Currently there is a rapid trend towards even less invasive surgery. One of these trends is single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), where multiple instruments are placed through one incision of about 4 cm, which is usually placed at the umbilicus. The problem with SILS is that it is not very ergo-dynamic for the surgeon. Conversely, the Micro LAP-BAND® procedure mimics a standard LAP-BAND® operation.”
The SPIDER MicroLap instruments used in the procedure include a variety of hand instruments designed to be placed through tiny 2.9 mm tubes, allowing surgeons the ability to perform their current minimally invasive procedures in an even less invasive manner. The less invasive Micro LAP BAND® procedure may enhance patient privacy since the incisions created for the instruments are barely visible, if at all, within weeks of the procedure. This may also decrease the need for pain medication immediately following surgery and allow for a speedier return to normal activity.
With the FDA’s recent approval of the LAP-BAND® for patients with a BMI as low as 30, many new LAP-BAND® patients are looking to achieve what they consider ‘bikini weight’, and are particularly excited about the increased privacy these micro tools can provide. “We can perform gastric banding surgery with excellent safety, in an out-patient setting, and now with very tiny instruments that leave scars the equivalent of a freckle. This is a great advance for patient privacy. ” Dr Patterson said.
Dr. Emma Patterson is CEO of Oregon Weight Loss Surgery, LLC, and Co-founder of Doctors of Weight Loss, LLC. Dr Patterson is a consultant for both TransEnterix and Allergan.
SPIDER MicroLap Instruments are sold by TransEnterix™, Durham, NC
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