What is SILS™?

Each year, more than 600,000 women in the United States undergo a hysterectomy to treat reproductive organ conditions including fibroid tumors, endometriosis, abnormal bleeding, uterine prolapse, even cancer. Still others opt to delay the procedure, fearing lengthy recovery times and scarring, long associated with traditional open or laparoscopic hysterectomies.

SILS™ – Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery – represents the evolution in laparoscopic hysterectomies, using only a single small incision in the belly button, through which the entire hysterectomy is performed using Covidien. As a result, women experience less pain and trauma, and usually a significantly shorter recovery period than conventional laparoscopic surgery. Best of all, because the incision is “hidden“ in the belly button, there is little to no visible scarring!

In January, 2011, a producer and film crew from the nationally televised medical talk show, “The Doctors” visited Cherokee Women's Health Specialists to document Dr. Jorge Lense performing the ground-breaking SILS™ surgery for their audience.

“Our patients’ experience with the SILS™ hysterectomy has been overwhelmingly positive,” Dr. Lense says. “The incision is certainly very cosmetic – being hidden in the belly button. There is less pain with only one incision to heal, and decreased risk of vascular, bowel and nerve injuries. I think it’s also important to stress that the SILS™ technique is not just for hysterectomies – but for any laparoscopic surgery.”

Developed as a technique to provide a single access point for multiple surgical instruments, SILS™ has revolutionized the field of endoscopic surgery with the potential to treat a number of conditions including obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease and appendicitis, and removal of problematic organs including the gall bladder, kidney and spleen. SILS™ also may be used for hernia repair, colon resection and liver resection.

A pioneer in the SILS™ technique, Dr. Lense made surgical history in March, 2009, as one the first surgeons to perform a SILS hysterectomy. In each of the more than 150 patients he has since treated using the SILS™ technique, he has seen a tremendous difference in recovery times, compared to traditional laparoscopic hysterectomies.

“One of my patients had a fibroid uterus the size of a volleyball,” Dr. Lense recalls. An avid tennis player, she did not want her hysterectomy to interrupt her enjoyment of the sport. Following her SILS™ hysterectomy, her pain was minimal, and she experienced a significantly shorter recovery period than she had anticipated. “She played tennis two weeks after her surgery,” Dr. Lense says.

Since March, 2009, Dr. Lense has lectured throughout the United States and at conferences and medical facilities around the globe to introduce the procedure. His appearance on “The Doctors” in March, 2011, represents a milestone for the SILS™ hysterectomy procedure, providing important, timely information for the hundreds of thousands of American women who require a hysterectomy each year.

Find more information on the SILS™ hysterectomy.