Hernia Center | Laparoscopic Hernia Repair | Sports Hernias | Complex Hernias
University of Maryland Hernia Center surgeon Adrian Park -- head of General Surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center and professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine -- is part of a generation of surgeons who have pioneered laparoscopic hernia repair for patients with ventral and inguinal hernias. Dr. Park and the rest of the UM Hernia Center surgeons are well versed on the latest minimally invasive trends and techniques, some of which they've helped to develop. And this is what sets UM Hernia Center surgeons apart.
“The techniques that many doctors are routinely using now are the very methods we’ve been involved in pioneering, and describing and reporting upon,” said Dr. Park. “And so we have been spending the better part of the last 12 to 13 years refining these techniques.”
Dr. Park, a leading authority on the laparoscopic treatment of abdominal wall hernias, lectures around the globe on hernia repair. In addition to his surgical expertise, he teaches future doctors and community doctors how to perform these procedures.
What makes UM Hernia Center unique is the experience they have dealing with all types of hernia cases (especially ventral and inguinal hernias) -- from the fairly routine inguinal to the complex recurrent abdominal hernias and reconstruction.
The doctors are also very involved in hernia research. These interests include both technique refinement and basic research in the area of, for example, prosthetic patches or biomaterials.
“This is an area we are very engaged in the research in hoping to evaluate access and develop the products and materials that hopefully will ultimately come into use to benefit patients,” said Dr. Park. “Researchers and companies will often come here to seek our involvement in early trials or development projects for biomaterials and other technologies related to hernia repair, especially the more complex hernia repairs.”
Advantages of Laparoscopic Repair
According to Dr. Park, there are very few hernias that cannot be approached laparoscopically or hernia patients who wouldn’t benefit from a minimally invasive approach.
He says doctors are finding that repairing ventral or incisional hernias laparoscopically is usually the best choice for a simple but important reason: “The true strength and benefit of this operation is that it’s a better hernia repair,” he said. “We can better anatomically and more physiologically repair these hernias than the open way.”
By the time they see him, many of his patients have already had several failed repairs, “and they just want a repair that will work,” Dr. Park says.
One of the big advantages of laparoscopic hernia repair is there is less of a chance of recurrence.
“The success rates appear to be higher,” he said. “Our recurrence rates are lower with this than in most open repairs and that seems to be the main strength of this repair. Our outcomes are better than they have been historically with the open repair.”
OR of the Future Benefits Patients and Doctors
The Medical Center’s new surgical facility, called the "OR
of the Future," combines the most advanced video and other communications
equipment with information technology in order to enhance patient safety and
operational efficiency. All of the new operating rooms have advanced built-in
imaging systems with mobile monitors to assist surgeons in performing a variety
of minimally invasive procedures.
“We have the state-of-the-art laparoscopic suites, and with our setup
we can configure the room so that it really enhances the procedure,” Dr.
Park said. “Whatever facilitates the operation technically makes the surgeon’s
life easier and is better for the patient. We can really adjust the OR to us
as opposed to us adjusting to the OR.”
The Hernia Center’s multidisciplinary approach is also vital to successful
patient outcomes. “We work closely with our plastic surgery colleagues;
for some of the very complex operations we do them jointly,” said Dr.
Park. “And so we have expertise within our service and also across services
lines.”
Most importantly, Dr. Park stresses that the UM Hernia Center handles both the complex and routine hernias. But they customize treatment to use the techniques that work best for each patient.
“We have our finger on the pulse on what’s happening in the technique and the technology development,” said Dr. Park. “But we are not bound by any method.” At the same time, he says they always have their eyes on the future, “We’re also searching out the answers in terms of the next steps, cures, and biomaterials. We are engaged in treatment now and how we’re going to treat in the future.”
Some patients feel fortunate to have received treatment from Dr. Park and the UM Hernia Center.
“He’s in demand all over the country; he’s an expert in laparoscopic surgery,” said Maryland state senator Francis X. Kelly, who had a laparoscopic incisional hernia repair on May 25, 2004. “He inspires a lot of confidence. He’s highly innovative and has excellent credentials and experience. I think he’s an excellent surgeon and I’m glad he was able to perform my surgery.”
By Michelle W. Murray
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