An advanced, minimally invasive procedure to treat cancers of the prostate as well as other urological disorders is now being offered at MCG Health System.

Using long, slim instruments, a scope and other tools inserted through dime-sized slits in the body, Dr. James Brown, a urologist and Head of Urologic Oncology at MCG Health System, performs removal or partial removal of the prostate and other organs that previously required open procedures involving higher morbidity, greater blood loss and lengthier recoveries.

“Laparoscopic techniques have been used for years in other surgeries of the abdomen,” said Dr. Brown, who is one of the few urologists in Georgia offering this type of surgery. “This is a new application that we’re pleased to incorporate in our treatment of urologic cancers.”

Only a few academic medical centers in the country offer laparoscopic removal, or partial removal, of the prostate gland. Benefits to the patients include the potential for improved outcomes due to better nerve sparing, faster recovery and better cancer control due to improved visibility and magnification.

Surgeons worldwide have only recently begun using laparoscopic techniques for urological disorders due to the technical complexity of these types of surgeries. But the less invasive procedure results in less blood loss, faster healing time and less scarring. And in the case of diagnostic procedures, the laparoscopic approach offers less risk to the patient and can prevent unnecessary surgery.

During a laparoscopic procedure, two to five small incisions are made through the skin, each roughly a half-inch in size. A needle introduces carbon dioxide gas into the abdomen to expand it and give surgeons visibility and room to maneuver. Hollow tubes, or trocars, are placed in the incisions. A laparoscope is inserted through one of the trocars, which allows surgeons to look inside the body via a television monitor. The trocars are also used as paths for other instruments and for removal of cancerous growths and sometimes organs. A similar procedure is hand-assisted laparoscopy, in which a larger incision is made so that a surgeon may insert a hand inside the patient’s body to assist during the surgery.

MCG Health System is composed of three separate organizations -- MCG Health, Inc. and the clinical services offered by the faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the members of the Physicians Practice Group. The physicians of MCG Health System are community physicians and faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the Physicians Practice Group, not employees of MCG Health Inc. MCG Health, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCG Medical Center, MCG Children’s Medical Center, the MCG Sports Medicine Center, MCG Ambulatory Care Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center and related clinical facilities and services. MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by providing an environment for faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the Physicians Practice Group and community physicians to deliver the highest level of primary and specialty health care. For more information, please visit www.MCGHealth.org.