New Technique 'HIdES' Scars.

• Position: Surgery - Hidden incision endoscopic surgery - Brief article

Surgery and all of its implications can be scary, especially so for pediatric patients and their parents who dread sometimes disfiguring scars. However, a urologist has developed a "hidden" minimally invasive procedure that makes scarring virtually invisible, yet is just as effective as more common surgical methods.

"Currently, most incisions, even with minimally invasive surgery, leave the child with up to three scars that are visible any time the abdomen is exposed. The new technique of hidden incision endoscopic surgery [HIDES] eliminates visible scarring;' promises Patricio Gargollo. author of a study in the Journal of Urology. He reports using the procedure for a dozen kidney surgery cases with no complications, but believes it has broader applications.

"I envision that this could be used for any upper abdominal procedure that needs to be done laparoscopically, and I currently perform all upper abdominal and some pelvic surgery with this technique;' explains Gargollo, who is director of Pediatric...