LAPAROSCOPY
Innovative hand-assisted laparoscopic technique for kidney surgery performed
for the first time in the western communities
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Loxahatchee, Florida, October 2, 2001 - Residents of the western communities that suffer from kidney problems can now benefit from the latest developments in medical surgery. On September 14th, the first hand-assisted laparoscopic (HAL) nephrectomy in western Palm Beach County was performed by Dr. Diego Rubinowicz at Palms West Hospital. A nephrectomy is an operation done to remove a kidney. Dr. Rubinowicz, a urologist who resides in Wellington, trained at the University of Miami School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital, where this procedure has been performed since its inception three years ago. Only a handful of urologists in the country are currently using this technique, with significant advantages over traditional surgery.
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Laparoscopy, an advanced type of surgery done with small instruments and a camera, has recently been applied to urology, a specialty that focuses on the urinary tract, including the kidneys, the bladder and the prostate. Kidney surgery can now be performed laparoscopically through only three small incisions, explained Dr. Rubinowicz. This constitutes a big improvement over the traditional open nephrectomy because the patient recovers much faster and experiences less pain.
The most significant advantages of this procedure include:
- Smaller incisions: a three-inch incision versus a 12 to 14-inch incision with traditional surgery
- Less pain: smaller incisions result in decreased pain after the operation
- Decreased need for pain medication: avoids unwanted side effects from prolonged use of these drugs
- Shorter hospital stay: an average of two to three days, versus five to seven days for traditional surgery
- Faster recovery and earlier return to normal activities: recovery time for this technique is around two weeks, as opposed to four to six weeks for traditional surgery.
For more information about this procedure, please call
Urology Center of Palm Beach at 561-615-1234
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