In the past, "open" surgery was the only option available to physicians who needed to see inside a patient's body or remove or repair an organ. But minimally invasive technology is completely changing the way doctors approach patient care.

"Today, we can reach most organs in the body laparoscopically," says Ikram Kureshi, M.D., a surgeon on the medical staff at Texoma Medical Center. "Instead of using our hands inside the body, we can use a thin tube, called a laparoscope, equipped with a magnifying camera and tiny surgical instruments to reach the surgical site and provide the care that patients need."

Advanced procedures
Texoma residents no longer have to travel to larger cities to receive the most advanced surgical care. At TMC, surgeons are performing a variety of laparoscopic procedures, including:

• Bariatric surgery
• Colon surgery and other intraabdominal procedures
• Chest surgery
• Hernia repair
• Procedures for gastroesophageal reflux
• Removal of spleens, appendixes and gallbladders

Patient benefits
Surgeons perform laparoscopic procedures through significantly smaller incisions, or "ports," so patients experience less trauma and scarring and improved outcomes. Other benefits of laparoscopic procedures include:

• Reduced pain and discomfort after surgery
• Decreased risk for infection
• Shorter hospital stays
• Faster recoveries

Dr. Kureshi specializes in laparoscopic procedures. He was fellowship-trained in minimally invasive surgery and bariatrics at Harvard University Medical School. For more information on laparoscopic procedures, please call Direct Doctors^SM Plus at 1.800.960.3893 or Dr. Kureshi at 903.416.6400.

P.O. Box 890 Denison, Texas 75021-0890