Colon surgery for obese patients usually requires a “big” incision.
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Pittsburgh, PA, 11th August, 2009- Colon surgery for obese patients usually requires a “big” incision.
A “big” cut which may be over a foot in length is painful and in obese patients in particular may result in difficulty breathing resulting in pneumonia due to splinting from the abdominal pain. A large incision in obese patients is associated with high rates of wound infection and hernia. For these reasons, obese patients could potentially derive great benefits by having their colon surgery performed laparoscopically which utilizes small cuts and is less painful.
Despite the promise of laparoscopic surgery for obese patients, multiple top hospitals in the country have failed to come up with a successful way of performing laparoscopic colectomy in patients with obesity. Even at the best hospitals, laparoscopic colon resection surgery is a failure in as many as 40% of obese patients requiring ultimately a large incision, higher complication rates and prolonged hospitalization. As a result laparoscopic colon surgery is often avoided in patients with obesity for safety reasons.
A study performed by Dr. David Blumberg a board certified colon and rectal surgeon in Pittsburgh offers great hope for obese patients. Dr. Blumberg has pioneered a new laparoscopic colectomy technique that allows obese patients to undergo laparoscopic colon surgery with a high success rate. His work was published in the peer reviewed journal, Surgical Laparoscopic, Endoscopic and Percutaneous Techniques this February. Dr. Blumberg’s technique differs from the usual laparoscopic colorectal surgery technique called laparoscopic-assisted colectomy whereby the surgeon performs only part of the operation laparoscopically. In Dr. Blumberg’s technique the entire operation is performed laparoscopically including the colon removal surgery and the reconstruction or anastomosis of the colon. Using this technique, Dr. Blumberg found that the laparoscopic colon operation could be completely successful in 96% of obese patients and 92% of morbidly obese patients with no increased complication rates and a similar hospital stay of 5 days for all patients. All of the operations were performed for colon tumors (colon cancer) and were equally effective in removing tumors in obese patients says Dr Blumberg as judged by equivalent lymph node removal in all patients. Dr. Blumberg believes that his novel technique is the reason for his high degree of success but also acknowledges that his own technical experience and ability may account for the superb results. He advocates that future randomized studies evaluate his completely laparoscopic colon resection technique and compare it to the laparoscopic-assisted colon removal surgery.
About Dr. David Blumberg:
Dr. David Blumberg is a colorectal surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Dr. Blumberg pioneered Band-Aid colon surgery, a novel laparoscopic colon surgery technique which results in less discomfort, quicker recovery, and improved cosmetic look. His technique offers hope for patients with colorectal diseases that also have obesity and prior abdominal surgery. Dr. David Blumberg, M.D., FACS, FASCRS is a Board Certified General and Colorectal Surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. David Blumberg received his M.D. from SUNY-Downstate Medical School. He trained as a surgical oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and as a colorectal surgeon at the prestigious Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. Dr. Blumberg is recognized as a national expert in the area of colorectal cancer and laparoscopic colon surgery. He has written over 40 articles and has lectured at multiple national meetings. He is listed in Who’s Who in America and was awarded by his peers as one of Pittsburgh’s Top Doctors in 2007 and 2008. Dr. Blumberg’s clinical expertise is in the areas of colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohns & Colitis), diverticulitis and laparoscopic colon surgery. Dr. Blumberg is dedicated pioneer actively working to improving the surgical outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer, diverticulitis, colon polyps, Crohn’s disease & ulcerative colitis while minimizing the trauma of an operation.
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