New OR Suite Translates to Less Pain and Quicker Patient Recovery.

Minimally invasive surgery cuts time in half.

May 2004

Hawaii's first fully integrated minimally invasive surgery (MIS) operating suite opened in April 2004 at Kapi'olani.

"This capability puts us among the top 12 pediatric institutions in North America," says Daniel K. Robie, M.D., Kapi'olani's Medical Director of advanced minimally invasive services. "Our children can now enjoy the same technically advanced surgical care previously available only at the best children's hospitals on the mainland."

For years now, Kapi'olani surgeons have performed minimally invasive surgery. Instead of making one large incision, surgeons make several small ones. Through these "keyholes," surgeons pass both a laparoscope, a video telescope that projects images on a monitor to guide the surgeon, and the instruments needed to perform the surgery.

Our two new MIS operating rooms take these advances much farther by giving Kapi'olani surgeons state-of-the-art equipment and more control over it. Surgeons themselves are now able to control such functions as the patient's table position, lighting, and monitors, rather than asking nurses to do it.

Benefits of Minimally Invasive Surgery:

• Less physiologic stress to the body.
• Less pain.
• Minimal scarring.
• Faster recovery.

"It's like driving a car," said Dr. Robie. "If all you did was steer and had to depend on others to accelerate and brake, you wouldn't be as efficient. The more efficient I can be, the more quickly we can get the patient off the operating table and on the road to recovery."

Because MIS techniques disturb less muscle tissue and fewer nerves, there is less pain afterwards and patients recover faster. There are also cosmetic benefits.

"With babies born with a hole in their diaphragms, for example, the incisions from the repair are very difficult to find," says Dr. Robie.

Initially used for arthroscopic procedures, such as knee repairs, laparoscopy is becoming the preferred procedure for repairing many congenital anomalies in newborns and for surgeries involving the stomach, appendix, spleen and gallbladder. At Kapi'olani, it's now also used for chest and spine operations.

Due to the MIS suite's telemedicine capabilities, surgeons from around the world can also observe and/or consult with Kapi'olani surgeons during procedures. All these capabilities were showcased in May 2004, when a full day of MIS demonstrations was beamed to a major international pediatric surgical conference sponsored by Kapi'olani on Maui.

"This marks the beginning of Kapi'olani as a recognized center of excellence for minimally invasive pediatric surgery," Says Dr. Robie.

For assistance finding a doctor, call 535-7000.