Many times, surgery is the first step in treating cancer, followed by other courses of treatment, such as radiation or chemotherapy. Advances in minimally invasive surgery are making many types of surgeries safer and easier on the patients. Our surgical team* performs a variety of minimally invasive surgeries, including the newest, least-invasive procedures.

Laparoscopic surgery is one commonly known type of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), but MIS has expanded beyond laparoscopy. MIS procedures are widely accepted as the standard of care in many surgical specialties for specific procedures. They are done through small incisions that require little stitching to close, which often makes MIS preferable to traditional surgery for both physicians and patients. Northwestern Medicine performs minimally invasive procedures whenever possible.

Benefits of minimally invasive surgery

Benefits of minimally invasive surgery include:

• Less trauma to the body
• Significantly less pain
• Decreased blood loss
• Less scarring and fewer scars
• Fewer surgical complications
• A shorter hospital stay and a faster return to normal daily activities
• Less need for pain controlling medication

Types of minimally invasive surgery

We approach all of our patients with the goal of providing a minimally invasive solution to their medical condition. Some minimally invasive procedures for cancer treatment include:

• Endolumenal surgery
• Endoscopic endonasal surgery
• Single incision laparoscopic surgery
• Robotic surgery
• Prostatectomy: Removal of the prostate
• Renal surgery (for kidney cancer): Sparing the kidney by saving the blood supply
• Pyeloplasty: Correcting ureter blockage
• Minimally invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery
• Minimally invasive hysterectomy
• Minimally invasive gynecologic oncology surgery for treatment of cervical and endometrial cancer
• Minimal-incision thyroidectomy (removal of the thyroid)
• Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (removal of the adrenal glands)
• Surgery for gastrointestinal cancer