MDNews - Long Island

the chosen procedure, which typically lasts one to two hours and requires the patient to remain at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center or St. Charles Hospital for an additional one to three days. Incisions for the minimally invasive approaches range from 1 to 3 inches. Patients achieve full recovery in two to three weeks. Follow up is generally with the patient's primary care provider; however, the program always remains a resource for its patients. The Right Approach One of the most advantageous benefits to having two board-certified colon and rectal surgeons is the skill with which Drs. Rivadeneira and Genua can apply minimally invasive surgical techniques to patient care on Long Island. Both physicians have cultivated national reputations, and Dr. Rivadeneira has been involved in teaching the surgical approaches at numerous institutions nationally and internationally for the past decade. The minimally invasive options available through the program include laparoscopic surgery, single-incision laparoscopic surgery and transanal endoscopic microsurgery. In March 2012, the Colon and Rectal Program at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center will begin offering minimally invasive robotics surgery performed with the da Vinci Surgical System. The da Vinci Surgical System enables surgeons to perform delicate and complex operations through a few tiny incisions with increased vision, precision, dexterity and con- trol. The da Vinci Surgical System consists of several key components, including an ergonomically designed console where the surgeon sits while Dr. Rivadeneira discussing a planned procedure with a patient operating, a patient-side cart, four inter- active robotic arms, a high-definition 3-D vision system and proprietary EndoWrist instruments. For patients, these approaches trans- late into improved cosmetic results, less postoperative pain and quicker recover- ies. While a laparoscopic procedure performed through the belly button may require a 2-inch incision, a traditional open surgery can necessitate an incision as long as 20 inches. Further, patients who underwent open surgery in the past remained in the hospital for five to seven days and did not achieve full recovery for eight to 10 weeks. "These techniques — laparoscopic, robotic and transanal endoscopic micro- surgery — benefit all age groups, as well as obese patients. The smaller incisions allow the recovery to occur much quicker," Dr. Rivadeneira says. "We

• Cover