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Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS)

SILSSingle Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS) is a relatively new procedure in which surgery is performed through a single incision in the base of the belly button.  This advancement allows surgeons to remove tissue and organs, such as the uterus, through one small abdominal incision.  Currently about 65-70% of hysterectomies in the United States are performed through large abdominal incisions.  Since the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, surgeons have been exploring minimally invasive techniques to decrease the complication rates and shorten recovery time of traditional open hysterectomies.  Patients who undergo minimally invasive surgery benefit from faster recovery with less pain, sooner return to normal activity, and fewer of the complications encountered in more invasive procedures.

Dr. Raff is one of a handful of surgeons that performs this type of surgery.  This is an exciting new step that is much less invasive than the traditional abdominal approach or even the current laparoscopic assisted vaginal or robotic assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy.  As the entire surgery is performed through a single small incision in the belly button, there is minimal visible scar left on the abdomen.  Patients can often go home the same day and start to resume normal activities in as little as one to two weeks.  In comparison, a patient typically stays two to four days in the hospital for a traditional hysterectomy and then spends six to eight weeks recovering at home.

Of course this technique is not only limited to total hysterectomy. He has also performed laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, excision of endometriosis, ovarian removal, and appendectomy using SILS.