Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Provides Advanced Surgery Close to Home

When you need surgery, you want expert medical care-- and convenience. Lakewood Ranch Medical Center (LWRMC) is a hospital that provides both. LWRMC offers procedures often available only at large, major metropolitan medical centers, so you do not have to travel to get the expert care you need.

At Forefront of Surgical Advances
LWRMC is committed to providing patients with a wide range of surgical options. This commitment is demonstrated by the hospital's menu of advanced, minimally invasive surgical techniques and its association with well-trained surgeons, including David A. Napoliello, MD.

Dr. Napoliello, a general surgeon and minimally invasive surgery specialist, graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine and later received advanced training at the renowned Mayo Clinic. He is proud to be associated with LWRMC.

"I am excited to be a part of this dynamic hospital and the quality care and advanced surgery options we provide to our patients," Dr. Napoliello says.

Minimally Invasive Techniques
In recent years, minimally invasive surgical techniques and surgical instruments have transformed medicine, making less-invasive surgery an option for more patients -- and less-invasive techniques an option for more procedures. Surgeons with medical privileges at LWRMC employ many of these techniques -- and patients benefit.

"Minimally invasive procedures are safe and effective. We usually have the same or even better results than we do with open surgery," Dr. Napoliello says.

Easier on Patients
Many patients who have minimally invasive procedures rather than open surgery experience several benefits, including:

• Less pain and discomfort
• Minimal scarring
• Fewer complications
• Shorter hospital stays
• Faster recoveries

"Patients who have these procedures often find that they're able to return to work and the activities they enjoy sooner than they expect," Dr. Napoliello says.

Care for a Wide Range of Conditions
Surgeons with medical staff privileges at LWRMC, including Dr. Napoliello, use minimally invasive techniques to remove diseased gallbladders or appendixes. They use narrow scopes to repair hernias, as well as to perform some colon, gastric and spleen procedures.

"During minimally invasive procedures, we make small openings, or ports, in patients' bodies," Dr. Napoliello says. "Then, we insert narrow scopes equipped with cameras inside the incisions and guide the scopes to the problem areas. Once we reach surgical sites, we can use special surgical instruments to diagnose conditions, remove organs or tumors or correct certain problems."

Doctors also perform "small incision" minimally invasive procedures that do not require scopes. One example is the sentinel node biopsy procedure for women who have breast cancer. Instead of removing all of a patient's lymph nodes to learn if cancer has spread beyond the breast, surgeons may use radioactive tracers that collect in specific nodes and make small incisions to remove those nodes for testing. This procedure spares many women the long-term complications that may occur when all of the lymph nodes are removed.

"Minimally invasive surgery is continually evolving and improving," Dr. Napoliello says. "As it does, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center will strive to bring those advances to our patients."

For more information about the surgical procedures available at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, please visit www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com and click on Hospital Services.

David A. Napoliello, MD General Surgeon Lakewood Ranch Minimally Invasive Surgery 941-388-9525

206 Second Street East, Bradenton, FL 34208 941-746-5111 FAX: 941-745-6862