At Northwest Hospital, general surgery to the abdomen and pelvis is done through minimally invasive surgery (MIS) as much as possible. MIS can be used to treat hernias, for colon resection, to remove abdominal organs and tumors, and for exploratory surgery to diagnose a condition or determine the cause for unexplained abdominal pain.
The Divison of Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic Surgery at Northwest Hospital is led by Peter Geis, M.D., one of the founders of laparoscopic surgery in the United States.
Mini-port and Single-port Surgery
Dr. Geis and other Northwest Hospital surgeons continue to pursue the latest innovations in MIS, including mini-port and single-port surgery. For some patients and procedures, Dr. Geis and Alan Davis, M.D. are able to perform surgery using incisions that are even smaller than those associated with traditional laparoscopic MIS. In some cases, surgery can be performed through a single incision made to a patient's navel, which means that there will be no visible scars afterwards. To date, Drs. Geis and Alan have performed scores of surgeries using these leading-edge techniques, including appendectomies, gall bladder removal, colon resection and hernia repair. The smaller and fewer incisions that can be made, the more patients benefit by way of even less pain, blood loss and risk for infection and a shorter recovery time.
Below are some of the most common procedures performed with minimally invasive surgery that Dr. Geis has helped pioneer.
Hernia Repair
- Ventral/incisional hernias
- Inguinal, femoral and umbilical hernias
- Flank hernias
Gastrointestinal procedures
- Colon resection
- Ileostomy/colostomy and closure of ileostomy/colostomy
- Small bowel resection
- Appendectomy/cecectomy
- Stomach procedures
Laparoscopic exploration as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool
Elective or semi-elective surgeries:
- Tumor diagnosis
- Staging of disease
- Biopsy diagnosis
Emergency procedures
- Abscess
- Bowel obstruction
- Incarcerated hernia
- Appendicitis/perforated appendicitis
- Perforated viscus/perforated ulcer
- Peritonitis
- Bleeding from stomach, intestine or rectum
Solid organ
- Splenectomy
- Adrenalectomy
- Nephrectomy
Special new procedures
- Mini-port procedures
- Single-port procedures
- Combined procedures
- Removal of large polyp-tumors from the colon or stomach
Physicians
Alan S. Davis, M.D.
Chief of Surgery - Northwest Hospital
21 Crossroads Drive, Suite 360
Owings Mills, MD 21117
410-356-0410
W. Peter Geis, M.D.
21 Crossroads Drive, Suite 360
Owings Mills, MD 21117
410-356-3346