Minimally Invasive Surgery

Kwan (Kevin) Jun Park, MD

Orthopaedic Surgeon located in Houston, TX

If you’re not familiar with minimally invasive surgery, then be prepared to rethink what you know about surgical procedures. Minimally invasive surgery technique utilizes smaller incision than traditional surgical incision and is much less traumatic to your muscles and soft tissues, and, as a result, you’ll recover and be back in action sooner. Kwan (Kevin) Park, MD, in Houston specializes in minimally invasive surgery, with expertise in hip and knee procedures that range from complex joint replacements to soft tissue repair. To schedule an appointment, use online booking or call Dr. Park’s Houston office today.

346-238-5688

Minimally Invasive Surgery Q & A

What is minimally invasive surgery?

When you undergo minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Park makes a few small incisions rather than one long, traditional incision that’s used for open surgery. The surgical tools for a minimally invasive procedure are specially designed so they’re narrow enough to fit through the tiny incisions, yet they’re fully capable of performing every type of procedure.

One example of minimally invasive surgery is knee arthroscopy. The key piece of equipment is an arthroscope, which is a narrow tube containing a fiber optic light and a video camera that sends images to a large monitor. After Dr. Park inserts the arthroscope into your joint, he can closely examine the tissues and obtain a magnified view of the area in need of surgical repair.

What procedures are performed using minimally invasive surgery?

Most surgical procedures that were once performed using long surgical incisions can now be done with minimally invasive techniques, including total hip replacement and partial and total knee replacements.

These are a few examples of conditions commonly treated and procedures frequently performed during knee or hip arthroscopy:

Meniscus tear: removal and repair of damaged cartilage
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury: ligament reconstruction
Hip impingement (femoroacetabular impingement): removal of excess bone and bone reshaping
Labral tears (hip and shoulder joints): repair and reattach torn tissues
Synovitis (inflamed joint lining): removal of inflamed and infected tissues
Arthritis: trimming or removal of deteriorated cartilage
Loose bodies: removal of loose pieces of bone or cartilage

The conditions treated during minimally invasive surgery may arise from repetitive stress, an acute injury, or age-related degeneration.

What are the benefits of minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery causes significantly less tissue damage and trauma thanks to specially designed surgical tools that can be inserted through small incisions. By comparison, open surgery requires making a long cut through skin and muscles, and then pulling back the tissues so the surgeon can see the joint and perform the surgery.

The benefits you gain with minimally invasive surgery include:

Reduced bleeding
Less postoperative pain
Minimal scarring
Quicker recovery
Faster return to normal activities
Outpatient procedure or short hospital stay

In many cases, Dr. Park can perform minimally invasive surgery without cutting the muscles. Muscle-sparing procedures gently spread the muscle fibers just enough to accommodate the tools. After your surgery, the muscles return to their natural state without needing to heal from an incision.

If your condition requires surgery, call the Houston office of Kwan (Kevin) Park, MD, or book an appointment online today to learn more about your minimally invasive surgery options.

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