Minimally Invasive & Robotic Surgery

What advanced minimally invasive procedures are performed at Beaumont?

Beaumont surgeons are among the most forward thinking in offering minimally invasive options to babies and children. Our surgeons are facile with the entire range of advanced minimally invasive procedures in the chest and abdomen from birth to adolescence.

These include, but are not limited to:

cholecystectomy
choledochal cyst
gastrostomy tube placement
high anorectal malformation
Hirschsprung’s disease
Ladd’s procedure
laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication
liver resection
pancreas disorders

pulmonary lobectomy
resection of congenital anomalies of the bowel
splenectomy
surgeries for Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis
thoracoscopic esophageal atresia
thymectomy
total colectomy and segmental colectomy
tumor resections

Why minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery provides less pain, faster return to activities and school, shorter stays in the hospital, less external and internal scarring and often a superior cosmetic result.

What is minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery is also known as laparoscopy and thoracoscopy. Your minimally invasive surgeon’s goal is to provide the same or a better operation through smaller incisions or with no perceptible incisions at all. Our goals are to bring your child through the surgery safely, accomplish the purpose of the surgery and to do both of those in the most cosmetically pleasing way and with the least pain possible.

Is minimally invasive surgery right for my child?

Not all surgeries can be performed in a minimally invasive manner. Having a
conversation with your surgeon about the possibility of approaching your child’s surgery minimally invasively is the first step. At Beaumont Children’s, we strive to provide the most current and innovative solutions to childhood surgical problems. Our surgeons have presented innovative procedures nationally and internationally and published multiple papers on the topics of laparoscopy and thoracoscopy. Your surgeon will help you learn if there is a minimally invasive option for your child.

Is robotic minimally invasive surgery right for my child?

Robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery is offered for select conditions at Beaumont Children’s. While it has many advantages, there are some challenges. Robotic-assisted surgery may not be suitable to every minimally invasive procedure. Your surgeon will help you understand if utilizing the robot is an appropriate choice for your child’s condition.

What should I expect for my child?

While minimally invasive surgery is often the best approach for your child and offers benefits, the same complications that apply to open surgery apply to minimally invasive surgery. Each of these is procedure-specific and your surgeon can help you understand those complications specific to each procedure. After minimally invasive surgery, your child can expect less risk of internal scarring leading to bowel obstruction and/or spine complications from the traditional chest incision.