But a GERD patient often has a defective sphincter that allows gastric juice to regurgitate, causing irritation. For the patient, daily antacids are no longer necessary, and the surgery is done with only five small incisions followed by a 48-hour hospital stay. Perhaps endoscopy is most publicly prominent in the world of sports, where professional athletes often undergo arthroscopic surgery after injuries. When a patient complains of serious joint pain or injuries, USC orthopaedic surgeon C. Thomas Vangsness, Jr., M.D., can insert an arthroscope into the joint to better assess the problem. Active patients often seek help from Vangsness, co-director of Center for Athletic Medicine at USC University Hospital, for a torn meniscus in their knees, an injury causing pain and inflammation.
Surgeons can repair or remove just the damaged part of the meniscus with arthroscopic surgery.
He also uses the technique to help diagnose and plan treatment for those with articular cartilage damage in their knees and surgeries for the shoulder. Even spinal surgeries have gotten into the act, as Katkhouda has joined with orthopaedists to offer minimally invasive surgery for chronic back pain. As with other laparoscopic surgeries, the patient benefit is a reduced hospital stay, less post-operative pain and minimal scarring compared to open surgery techniques. Colon resections also can be done through a laparoscopic technique. USC is one of the few centers in Southern California that offers this option, he says.