THINKING SMALL Dr. Ceana Nezhat Gynecologic surgeon and program director for advanced minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at Northside Hospital
Nezhat is able to make smaller and more precise incisions resulting in less pain, faster recovery and less trauma.
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ometimes a tiny change can make a huge difference. Just ask Dr. Ceana Nezhat, who specializes in treating patients with endometriosis (a painful disorder affecting 1 of 10 women where cells from the uterine lining grow in other parts of the body). Nezhat has served as the driving force for the advancement and development of a brand-new “mini” laparoscopic surgery to treat endometriosis— and other disorders of the abdomen—which utilizes a state-of-the-art line of instruments and the smallest needles yet (approximately 1/8 of an inch in diameter) as well as a new, more precise line of surgical tools. With “mini” laparoscopy, Nezhat is able to make smaller and more precise incisions when treating his patients, resulting in less pain, faster recovery and less trauma. “These instruments allow us to do more,” Nezhat says. “But,” he notes, “more surgical skill is needed in terms of dexterity and fine movement.” Nezhat extended his surgical expertise and offered suggestions for the designs of the tools in the “MiniLaparoscopy Instrument Set” developed by Karl Storz Endoscopy-America Inc. before they became available in the United States. He is also one of the earlier surgeons, if not the first, to use the instruments in surgery when they arrived on the market in 2013. Sandy Springs’ Northside Hospital treats more cases of endometriosis by operative laparoscopy than any other hospital in the state, and, according to the hospital, was the first Georgia hospital to perform “mini” laparoscopy. Last October, surgeons from around the globe tuned in to watch Nezhat perform a mini-laparoscopy surgery as it was broadcast live at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s annual meeting. Since the introduction of these instruments at Northside, Nezhat has shown visiting surgeons from around the world how to use the instruments in surgery. He is also putting the word out about the benefit of the technology to fellow surgeons at organizations like the Society of Reproductive Surgeons (of which he is on the board) and American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (of which he is the new president). In March, at the 2nd World Symposium on Endometriosis at the InterContinental Hotel Buckhead Atlanta, Nezhat is discussing the surgery and his research findings, which includes searching for a link between endometriosis and cancer. But the ambitious doctor hasn’t stopped there. Currently, he’s also working on developing tests for the early detection of endometriosis (through procedures like blood tests). “About half the time, endometriosis is diagnosed too late. In several of the cases, by the time the patient comes to me it has already invaded their intestines or bladder or caused infertility issues,” he says. “We’re hoping to do tests that will allow us to detect risk factors for endometriosis early, including in young girls, so we can monitor them more closely and potentially avoid the need for surgery down the road.” n Photo: Tyler Welbron
January/February 2014 | Simply Buckhead
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