(May 4, 2010) Sellersville, PA – Several Grand View Hospital physicians are now using a type of laparoscopic surgery that enables them to perform minimally invasive surgery through a single incision made in the belly button. The procedure, known as Laparo-Endoscopic Single-Site (LESS) surgery, results in a less noticeable scar. In addition, LESS has the potential to increase the benefits that traditional laparoscopic surgery has over open surgery, such as less abdominal trauma and post-operative pain and a quicker recovery.

“I have used the LESS technique several times to treat patients who have needed hysterectomies and the results have been very favorable,” said Donald DeBrakeleer, DO, of the Center for Women’s Health of Lansdale. “Patients have been delighted by the fact that the scar is barely noticeable because the folds of umbilicus or bellybutton nearly completely hide it. They also experience less pain or other side effects resulting from the surgery.” Grand View is the only hospital in the area to offer LESS and Dr. DeBrakeleer is one of few physicians who have been trained to perform it.

Like other types of laparoscopic surgery, LESS uses a thin, lighted tube that captures images of the internal organs and other parts of the body. These pictures are magnetized and projected onto a computer screen. LESS uses a surgical device called a tri-port which is placed into the opening and provides access for up to three surgical or imaging instruments. These instruments can be straight or bent, flexible or jointed. After the procedure, the surgeon removes the port, allowing the natural contours of the bellybutton to help hide the surgical incision.

The technology enables doctors to see fine details during surgical procedures and have the flexibility to change the direction of their view. This gives them a new way to observe the anatomy. It also helps minimize potential collisions between the instruments, which is common when operating in narrow spaces. LESS is most commonly used to view the abdominal organs or the female pelvic organs.

Grand View Hospital, Bucks County’s first hospital, has provided residents of Bucks and Montgomery counties with comprehensive health care services since 1913. Grand View offers a range of inpatient and outpatient care – particularly emphasizing the areas of surgery and orthopaedics, women's and children's health, cancer treatment, and heart care.

Grand View Hospital received five stars in 2010 for total knee replacement from HealthGrades®, the nation’s leading healthcare ratings organization. Grand View is also the only hospital in Bucks and Montgomery counties to receive a five-star rating in total joint replacement in 2010. This is not the first time that Grand View has been honored by HealthGrades. In 2008 and 2009, HealthGrades® awarded Grand View the Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety™. The American Stroke Association also recently awarded Grand View Hospital its Get With The GuidelinesSM–Stroke (GWTG–Stroke) Gold Performance Achievement Award.