New Technologies

News

Dr. Ponce performs Texas’ first single port laparoscopic adrenalectomy surgery. Read more...
Dr. Farrow discusses benefits of single port surgery. Read more...
Dr. Wood conducts a webinar on the TIF procedure. Listen

The physicians at Southwest Surgical Associates are committed to providing their patients with safe and innovative surgical technology. Although most new surgical techniques are created to offer a solution to chronic illness, many have the added benefit of allowing for faster, less painful recovery time and reduced cost by allowing for outpatient or shorter inpatient hospital stays. The team at Southwest Surgical Associates stays at the forefront of these new techniques in order to offer the best possible outcomes for our patients.

Worried about scarring?

Did you know that many laparoscopic procedures can now be performed through a single, small incision? The benefit is two-fold: speedier, less-painful recovery and minimal scarring with the same quality results! Currently the physicians of Southwest Surgical Associates are utilizing the single-incision method for the following laparoscopic procedures:

Gall-bladder removal • Gastric Band placement • Adrenalectomy • Appendectomy • Colon or Small Bowel Resection • Abdominal Mass Removal

Single incision laparoscopic surgery is not recommended for all patients, so discuss your options with your surgeon by requesting an appointment.

Say Goodbye to Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are not a frequently discussed topic. Most people simply tolerate the problem and are often frightened by the thought of traditional surgery. It is estimated that 50% of Americans will, at some point in their lives, suffer from hemorrhoids.

Now you can find relief and get back to enjoying life. The THD procedure offers a minimally invasive surgical approach to treating the source of the hemorrhoids. And, because there is no surgical removal of tissue, there is minimal post-operative pain. THD (Transanal Hemorrhoidal Dearterialization) is offered as an out patient procedure which gets you back to normal activities quickly.

Clinical results have shown that patients who have THD may encounter less pain, less risk of complications and faster return to activities (24-48 hrs). It’s time to forget the pain and get back to life!

Incision-Less Surgery to Correct Chronic Acid Reflux

Over 2 million Americans suffer from acid reflux disease or GERD, GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease. If you are one of these people and your medications have not stopped the occurance of symptoms, you may be a candidate for a completely incision-less surgery, called TIF (Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication) that treats the root cause of GERD, an anatomical deficiency at the gastroesophgeal junction.

Southwest Surgical Associates is proud that Dr. Charles Aramburo and Dr. Todd Wood are two of the less than 10 surgeons in the Houston area that are currently certified to perform the TIF procedure. If you want to learn more, you can click here to listen to Dr. Wood’s previously recorded webinar about the TIF procedure. Or you can make an appointment with Dr. Aramburo or Dr. Wood if you feel the TIF procedure may be right for you.

Stomach "Pacemaker" Reduces Gastroparesis Symptoms

Gastroparesis is a stomach disorder in which food is digested more slowly than normal. In a healthly digestive system, strong muscular contractions move food from the stomach through the digestive tract. With gastroparesis, however, the stomach muscles work poorly (or not at all), thus preventing the stomach from emptying properly.

In severe cases of Gastroparesis that have not responded to medication or dietary changes, a surgical option called Gastric Electrical Stimulation may be beneficial. In this surgery, a neurostimulator made by Medtronic called Enterra ™ Therapy, is implanted beneath the skin and is connected to two leads implanted in the stomach muscle. The neurostimulator sends electric pulses through the leads to the lower stomach which provides relief from chronic nausea and vomiting associated with gastroparesis.

To find out if you are a candidate for the placement of a Gastric Electrical Stimulator, please request an appointment for a consultation

Watch our news segment on the benefits of the Stomach "Pacemaker".