Press Releases

First South Shore Facility To Utilize SILS^TM Technique For Bowel Procedures

(December 6, 2010 - Rockville Centre, NY) Mercy Medical Center has become the first hospital on the south shore to expand its offerings of Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS) to encompass bowel and other soft-tissue procedures for the treatment of conditions such as colon cancer and diverticulosis.

Previously available at Mercy for gall bladder and Lap-Band® (laparoscopic gastric banding) surgery for weight loss, the minimally-invasive SILS procedures involves just a single three-quarter-inch incision through the navel, rather than the three or four abdominal wall openings as large as four inches that are required with older laparoscopic techniques.

"Single Incision procedures provide an important new option that holds the potential of less pain, fewer scars and quicker recovery for colon and other abdominal surgery patients," explained Gregory S. Zito, MD, Mercy's Director of Surgery.

Dr. Zito has performed more than a half-dozen of the new colon procedures utilizing the SILS technique, and recently became the first surgeon on Long Island to perform a SILS splenectomy.

"So far our experience has been that SILS patients experience less discomfort and can leave the hospital quickly," said Dr. Zito. "And most also report that they can barely notice the single incision hidden in the belly button."