Significant advancements have been made in the field of surgery – especially through minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures. With MIS, patients experience smaller incisions and fewer postsurgical complications; reduced pain and blood loss; quicker recovery and shorter hospital stays.

The new UC Irvine Douglas Hospital houses one of the most advanced MIS centers in the nation. More than half of the new hospital’s 15 operating rooms (ORs) will be specially designed to accommodate various MIS procedures including robotic-assisted surgery, cardiovascular/endovascular procedures, orthopedic/arthroscopic surgery and endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery.

The new ORs will be outfitted with equipment suspended compactly from electronically controlled ceiling booms, plus high-definition, flat-screen monitors. The monitors will permit surgeons to view highly magnified images of the patient’s anatomy during surgery – enhancing their ability to perform procedures through tiny incisions.

UC Irvine Medical Center was the first in Orange County to install the da Vinci robotic system, the gold standard of MIS procedures, which is regularly used to treat patients with urological, gastroenterological, cardiothoracic, vascular and gynecological problems, among others.

From spinal surgeries and hysterectomies to mitral valve repairs, UC Irvine’s surgeons perform the most advanced MIS procedures – making surgery safer, less invasive and more effective.