New Technique of Laparoscopic Colon Surgery Pioneered in Pittsburgh: Highly Successful for a Broad Range of Patients

Pittsburgh, PA, A new technique of laparoscopic colon surgery pioneered by Dr. David Blumberg, a colon surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has paved the way for a broad range of patients to have an opportunity to undergo a successful laparoscopic colon operation.

Laparoscopic colon surgery is a minimally invasive technique of colon removal which despite many potential advantages has been under utilized by surgeons with only 5% of operations performed in this manner. The advantages of laparoscopic surgery include small incisions, less pain, shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery time. Despite these advantages, laparoscopic colectomy has previously had high failure rates (up to 25%) because it is technically difficult and varied patient factors including; a history of prior abdominal surgery, adhesions, obesity and diseases located on the left side or transverse (middle) colon make it even harder to get the operation completed successfully. Many surgeons do not offer laparoscopic colon surgery to patients with these more complex factors because laparoscopic colectomy has increased complication rates and overall worse outcome in these complex patient groups.

According to Dr. Blumberg, a novel way of performing laparoscopic colon resection surgery may change all of this. Dr. Blumberg has shown that his new laparoscopic colectomy technique is equally effective in patients with prior abdominal surgery, adhesions, obesity and in diseases irrespective of their location in the colon. All patients had similar excellent surgical outcome irrespective of these complex factors. This technique is also widely applicable for patients needing colon polyps surgery or colon cancer surgery.

Dr. Blumberg's pioneering work was reported in the peer-reviewed journals Surgical Innovations in September 2008 and in Surgical Laparoscopic, Endoscopic and Percutaneous Techniques February and June of this year.

So what is the secret to this new technique? Dr. Blumberg says that his technique is the next level in advanced laparoscopic surgical technique. While the conventional laparoscopic-assisted colectomy is performed partly laparoscopically, Dr. Blumberg performs the entire operation minimally invasively. In other words, the colon removal and the reconnection are all performed laparoscopically or intracorporeally. If Dr. Blumberg encounters dense scar tissue in the abdomen unlike other surgeons who may stop the operation and make a big cut, he is able to complete the operation laparoscopically utilizing a device called a harmonic scalpel. This device cuts the scar tissue away from the colon and in his hands allows successful laparoscopic colon resection surgery with no increased major complications. Dr. Blumberg acknowledges that his success is also related to a decade of experience in a center of excellence for minimally invasive surgery.

About Dr. Blumberg, Laparoscopic Colon Surgeon:

Dr. Blumberg has practiced at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and its affiliate Hillman Cancer Center for the past ten years. He is board certified in colon and rectal surgery and also received specialty training in colon cancer treatments and surgery at the world renowned Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dr. Blumberg is recognized as a national expert in the area of colon and rectal cancer and laparoscopic colon surgery. He has written over 40 articles and has lectured at multiple national meetings. His pioneering work in laparoscopic colon surgery was initially brought to media attention with television interviews in 2004. He was acclaimed by his peers as one of Pittsburgh's Top Doctors in 2007 and 2008. Dr. Blumberg is a dedicated pioneer actively working to improving the surgical outcomes of patients with colon and rectal cancer, diverticulitis, colon polyps, Crohns disease & ulcerative colitis while minimizing the trauma of an operation thorough his breakthrough minimally invasive laparoscopic colon surgery technique, he coined bandaid colon surgery .

For Additional Information regarding this breakthrough Colon Cancer Treatment or to make an appointment contact:

Contact Information:

Dr. David Blumberg, M.D.,
Board Certified Colon and Rectal Surgery
Bandaid Surgery, PC
The Coronado Medical Building
500 South Aiken Ave, Suites 107-110
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
(412-682-3333).