Minimally Invasive Surgery Center

Cooper University Hospital offers minimally invasive surgery for many surgical procedures. Minimally invasive surgery means significantly less pain, fewer side effects, less scarring, a shorter recovery period, and a faster return to normal activities than traditional or “open” surgery.

Benefits Over Traditional Surgery

• Significantly less pain
• Fewer side effects
• Less scarring
• A shorter recovery period
• A faster return to normal activities

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Available Procedures

What is minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery is the use of tiny tools and small incisions (cuts) to diagnose and repair surgical problems. Some of these tools are as small as a pencil. Some of the incisions are only as wide a pencil.

In many cases, patients can go home the same day as the surgery after many minimally invasive procedures. Depending on the specific surgery performed, patients may still need to stay in the hospital overnight or for a few days, but the recovery period is generally shorter for minimally invasive procedures, allowing for a faster return to normal activities.

For most minimally invasive procedures, the surgeon uses a tiny telescope-like instrument (arthroscope or laparoscope) connected to a tiny video camera or a light source that lets him or her see inside the body. Video monitors in the operating room show the inside of the patient’s body. The surgeon repairs the problem by passing tiny surgical instruments through the arthroscope, endoscope, or laparoscope, or through other small incisions.

Robots are used for some minimally invasive procedures. Laparoscopic robotic systems like the daVinci® Surgical System enhance the surgeon’s ability to see the area he or she is operating on and the precision of the procedure.

Other minimally invasive methods are used primarily in one surgical field. For example, Gamma-knife radiosurgery is used in brain surgery. Video-assisted thoracoscopy is used in chest surgery. Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy and ureteroscopy are used in urological surgery. Endovascular surgery is used in vascular surgery.

Cooper surgeons have been performing minimally invasive surgery for many years. They were the first in South Jersey to perform some minimally invasive procedures, such as some robotic-assisted heart, prostate, and kidney procedures.

South Jersey's Leader in Minimally Invasive Solutions

The Cooper Minimally Invasive Surgery Center offers more minimally invasive procedures than any other hospital in South Jersey. Many minimally invasive procedures are only available in South Jersey at Cooper, or in some cases, at only a few other hospitals nationwide. In fact, Cooper was the first hospital in South Jersey to offer minimally-invasive robotic surgery using the daVinci® Surgical System. The da Vinci System scales, filters and translates the surgeon's hand movements into more precise micro-movements of the instruments.

Minimally invasive procedures are available in Voorhees and Camden, New Jersey. Most procedures are done at the Cooper Surgery Center in Voorhees. Some procedures, such as robotic procedures and Gamma-knife radiosurgery, are only available in Camden.

• More minimally invasive procedures than any other hospital in South Jersey
• Minimally invasive procedures that are only available in South Jersey at Cooper
• The first in South Jersey to perform some minimally invasive procedures
• The first hospital in South Jersey with the robotic daVinci® Surgical System
• Convenient locations in Voorhees and Camden

Explore our Minimally Invasive Surgery Center to learn more about the numerous procedures available at Cooper University Hospital. Easily accessible within minutes of Philadelphia & South Jersey and just a short drive from most of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the entire Delaware Valley, Cooper is the area's leader in Minimally Invasive Surgery.