minimally invasive surgery

A new medical device called the Zephyr Valve offers a minimally invasive alternative to lung surgery for emphysema patients.
February 4, 2021

Device offers less invasive option to treat emphysema

Life with emphysema, a lung condition that causes shortness of breath, can be miserable. People with advanced emphysema, a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are so short of breath they may need supplemental oxygen just to walk from room to room. They often have trouble with everyday tasks like bathing or cooking a meal.

By Nancy Humphrey
August 27, 2020

Study to track if COVID can spread during minimally invasive surgery

Physician-scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are investigating whether SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be spread through aerosolized emissions (microscopic droplets and particles) during minimally invasive surgery in children.

By Bill Snyder
Brad Hill, MD, left, recently performed minimally invasive carpal tunnel release surgery for Tommy Rainey. The procedure allows patients to return to work and regular activities sooner than a traditional, open procedure.
March 19, 2020

Minimally invasive carpal tunnel surgery offers quicker healing

Tommy Rainey suspects problems with his hands began as a result of countless hours at the keyboard during his long career as a publisher and writer, and when tingling and numbness in his left hand continued to worsen, he knew he had to get help.

By Jill Clendening
Wrist Robot Vanderbilt
July 23, 2015

Tiny mechanical wrist gives new dexterity to needlescopic surgery

VIDEO» A Vanderbilt research team has successfully created a mechanical wrist less than 1/16th of an inch thick — small enough to use in needlescopic surgery, the smallest form of minimally invasive surgery.

By VUMC News and Communications