Naples Physician First in Southwest Florida to Remove Gallbladder Through Single-Incision Procedure

Naples, FL, October 28, 2012 --(PR.com)-- More than one-million people in the United States have their gallbladder removed each year. A new procedure, now available in Southwest Florida makes the surgery less invasive than ever before. Mark A. Liberman, M.D., of Liberman Advanced Surgical, a 21st Century Oncology practice, was the first Southwest Florida physician to remove a gallbladder through a single incision in the belly button earlier this month. The da Vinci® Single-Site™ Cholecystectomy is performed using specialized surgical instruments aided by the robotic da Vinci® system. The procedure is virtually scarless, and the minimal incision reduces surgical recovery time significantly.

The Single Site® equipment used in the procedure was approved for use with the robotic da Vinci® system in December of 2011.

During the procedure, the surgeon sits at a console viewing a high definition, three-dimensional image of the surgical field. He uses controls on the console to manipulate the surgical instruments and the camera. While neither robotic surgery or single-incision surgery is new, the combination of the two for gallbladder removal requires additional training and specialized equipment.

“Using Single-Site® instruments combined with the da Vinci® system represents the next step in the evolution of surgical technologies,” Dr. Liberman said. The benefits to the patient are significant: virtually no scarring, little pain, low blood loss, quicker recovery and shorter hospital stays. The procedure typically takes about an hour and the and patients generally go home the same day.

Previous robotic surgeries required several small incisions for the placement of miniaturized surgical instruments and cameras. Using this system, the instruments are placed though the incision in the belly button and the diseased gallbladder is removed through the same incision.

The da Vinci® Single-Site™ Cholecystectomy was performed at Physicians Regional Medical Center in Naples.

Dr. Liberman is fellowship-trained at Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles in 1995, and has been delivering state of the art laparoscopic, breast cancer and bariatric surgical care for 20 years. Recruited from San Diego by The Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Liberman has been providing world class care in Naples for the past 13 years.

The location of Liberman Advanced Surgical is 6101 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples, FL 34119, Phone: (239) 348-4123.

About 21st Century Oncology
Headquartered in Fort Myers, 21st Century Oncology, LLC. is a leading developer and operator of radiation therapy centers in the U.S. For 30 years, 21st Century Oncology has been committed to providing premier, quality, cost-effective radiation therapy services that are responsive to the needs of its patients through continuous improvement and innovation. The company employs over 113 radiation oncologists and over 138 specialists, including 84 urologists, 28 surgeons, 15 medical oncologists, 3 pathologists, 4 gynecologic oncologists and 4 primary care physicians. They operate 94 facilities in 16 states in the USA with another 27 internationally for a total of 121 facilities.