Minimally invasive procedures require a multidisciplinary approach, involving the combined skills of surgeons, vascular interventional radiologists from our Radiology Department and catherterization/interventional cardiologists from NSMC Heart Center.

Image guiding techniques such as CT scan, ultrasound and X-ray enable physicians to skillfully insert life-saving devices, such as stents, into patients, with much less trauma than traditional surgery. Typical minimally-invasive procedures include laparoscopic, endoscopic, extracorporeal and percutaneous (through the skin.)

In addition, during video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), a tiny fiber-optic camera called a thorascope is used. Surgeons operate through two to four tiny openings between the ribs while viewing the patient's internal organs on a television monitor. Each opening is less that one inch in diameter, instead of the 6- to 10-inch incisions that are common in open thoracic surgery.

NSMC currently offers a wide array of minimally invasive surgical procedures involving most major specialty areas. Over 2,000 minimally invasive procedures were performed at NSMC Salem and NSMC Union hospitals last year alone. These minimally invasive procedures are generally less traumatic to the patient, involving smaller incisions, less pain, and shorter hospital stays.