- In order to raise awareness among patients about the benefits of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and to promote the adoption of MIS techniques among health care providers,SAGES launches the “Get Well Sooner” public education campaign today at the American College of Surgeons 2015 Clinical Congress.
- “When compared to traditional surgery, minimally invasive surgery can potentially result in much less pain, swifter recovery and lower costs while providing an alternative for repairing and preventing a wide range of conditions,” said Dr. Jeffrey Hazey, chair of SAGES Get Well Sooner Committee.
- Despite the advantages, a recent John Hopkins University study found that laparoscopic surgical procedures are not offered as an option to hundreds of thousands of patients in the United States who are candidates for MIS and many hospitals underutilize MIS procedures. Patient knowledge about MIS options or a surgeon’s preference for open surgery, possibly due to lack of training, may determine if a patient is offered the opportunity to undergo a laparoscopic procedure.
- “Part of our mission with this program is to reach out to healthcare providers in order to address any obstacles they may encounter when offering MIS to patients,” said Dr. Michael Brunt, SAGES President. “As more patients ask about MIS, more healthcare providers will have to become skilled at offering these newer cutting-edge techniques,” Dr. Brunt said.
- Patients should feel comfortable asking their surgeon if an MIS procedure is an option or seek a second opinion from a surgeon experienced in MIS. SAGES has developed Patient Information Guidelines available at www.getwellsooner.org for both patients and healthcare providers that include information about common procedures, how to prepare for and what happens during MIS, and questions patients can ask their healthcare provider.
- For more information, visit www.getwellsooner.org, join “Get Well Sooner” on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gwsooner or on Twitter at @gwsooner.
