PARKERSBURG - A local doctor is among the few physicians around the country offering total laparoscopic hysterectomies, a minimally invasive procedure that greatly reduces discomfort and lessens recovery time.
''Patients do not even need to spend the night in the hospital anymore,'' said Dr. Eric Lowden, obstetrician-gynecologist at Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital. ''They come in, have the procedure done, and in many cases they are able to go home a few hours later. That is in distinct contrast to a three-day hospital stay and a six-week recovery period required for an open abdominal hysterectomy.''
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. Approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are performed every year in the United States and the majority are done vaginally or abdominally through a large incision.
''In recent years, there has been a push for more minimally invasive procedures,'' Lowden said. ''By minimally invasive, we are referring to procedures involving advanced laparoscopic techniques which limit incision size to less than one-inch, as opposed to the large incision traditionally made for a abdominal hysterectomy. ''We have been doing this procedure with excellent outcomes.''
Through the total laparoscopic hysterectomies, doctors have made major strides in getting patients back on their feet, minimizing discomfort and returning to the normal routine of life after what would have otherwise been major surgery, Lowden said.
Total laparoscopic hysterectomies are performed by a small number of highly skilled surgeons. Through three small incisions, the doctor uses special instruments as opposed to opening the entire abdomen and putting their hands in to perform the operation.
''This is a totally different approach,'' he said. ''We can remove the uterus, the cervix, the ovaries with the laparoscope. The patient benefits because there is less trauma to the body, less chance of infection and less scarring.''
Lowden believes they are witnessing a revolution in surgical advancements.
''Modern instrumentation is allowing us to approach old problems in very new ways,'' he said. ''The Uterine Morcellator allows the removal of even a very large uterus through a tiny incision.
''I have removed a uterus the size of a cantaloupe through an incision less than an inch.''
Doctors are turning more to minimally invasive procedures.
''We are going to get to a point in women's health care where doctors are going to have to justify making a large incision into a woman's abdomen to perform a hysterectomy the old fashioned way,'' Lowden said. ''We have minimally invasive alternatives available that do not involve nearly the discomfort or downtime.
''There will be some cases where a open abdominal hysterectomy is indicated and necessary for benign conditions, but that is going to be the rare exception.''
Currently, Lowden is the only gynecologist performing this procedure locally. He has offered a number of laparoscopic procedures through his office for years and this was the next step in the process. Lowden received training in Louisville, Kentucky under Dr. Laurie Warren who mentored him through the process.
''Hospitals still have women admitted for open abdominal hysterectomies with three-day hospital stays, a long recovery, time away from their families and away from their normal lives,'' he said. ''However, they could have had same day surgery, gone home and started feeling good in a couple weeks or so.''
Lowden is striving to never open the abdomen again for a benign gynecological procedure, including a hysterectomy, because it can likely now be done with minimally invasive techniques. There is also a cosmetic aspect where smaller incisions are preferable to larger ones.
''I am committed to offering minimally invasive surgery and providing those services to the community,'' he said.
''This is state-of-the-art and cutting edge gynecologic surgery available right here in Parkersburg. There is no reason for patients to go out of town for it.''
As the procedure becomes more commonplace and the public awareness of it grows, the more people will be asking about it.
''I think it is important to increase public awareness and let people know they do have an option when it comes to gynecologic surgery,'' Lowden said. ''Even if women have large fibroids, adhesions, Endometriosis or previous cesarean sections, I think even those women can have laparoscopic hysterectomies instead of the open abdominal hysterectomies.''
Time is always an issue with many women as they have so many commitments they have to meet in their daily lives.
''They are going to ask what their recovery will be like and what their down time will be,'' Lowden said. ''They want to get back to work, back to their families, get the kids off to school. If they have a large abdominal incision, they might not be able to do those things for a very long time.
''Minimally invasive surgery will allow these women to get back to their lives sooner than they would have otherwise been able to do.''
