Look to The Center for Advanced Surgery at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital has always been the region’s leader when it comes to health care. Now, our extensive (and constantly growing) expertise at Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) and other advanved surgical procedures, puts you within easy access to all kinds of outstanding benefits and comfort.


It’s a fact: The world’s first total minimally invasive hysterectomy was performed at the former Nesbitt Memorial Hospital. We did it in 1988. Later that year, we performed the first MIS for ovarian cancer. And in 1989, we performed the first laparoscopic lymphadenectomy for prostate cancer. From those historic beginnings, Wyoming Valley Health Care System has expanded upon our commitment toward providing patients with greater – and a greater number – of MIS services. Our new Center for Advanced Surgery is the culmination of this promise. Located most conveniently, right at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, The Center offers you the region’s most extensive array of MIS talents, technologies and services.


All over the country, Americans are going to the hospital for important surgical procedures like hysterectomy, gall bladder removal, knee or hip replacements and even heart surgery – but they’re not having “surgery” in the same old way. Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is growing by leaps and bounds, and for very good reason: It provides patients with all kinds of important benefits and advantages – ones that make surgery a lot easier, faster and more comfortable for patients than ever before!


The primary difference between MIS and traditional open surgery is this: With MIS, surgical incisions are minimal. Surgeons use specialized techniques, miniature cameras, high-definition monitors, fiber-optic flashlights and – in many cases – a technological marvel called a laparoscope. With MIS, the initial incision can be small enough to require as little as a single stitch! Of utmost importance, MIS is just as effective as conventional open surgery. In short, you’re not sacrificing any of the efficiencies or quality of open surgery. In fact, because there’s no need for a large incision, MIS means less pain and discomfort, less chance of potential complications, less time in the hospital, a much faster recovery period, less scarring and, finally, a quicker resumption of your normal life activities.


Over 20 million Americans have already opted for Minimally Invasive Surgery. For procedures ranging from hysterectomy to hip replacement, these patients (and their doctors) are choosing Minimally Invasive Surgery because of important benefits like these:

• MIS is just as effective as conventional open surgery
• There’s much less pain and far more overall comfort
• Smaller incisions mean fewer complications from blood loss or infection
• Surgical scarring is kept to an absolute minimum
• Recovery time is faster than you ever thought possible
• Many MIS procedures can be done on an outpatient basis

As you might expect, The Center for Advanced Surgery at Wikes-Barre General Hospital is the region’s largest and most experienced MIS center. Our surgeons perform thousands of MIS and other advanved surgical procedures each year, in a growing number of specialty areas, including:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• General Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Obstetric/Gynecologic Surgery
• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Otolaryngology Surgery (Ear, Nose and Throat)
• Podiatry
• Thoracic Surgery
• Urology
• Vascular Surgery

The Center for Advanced Surgery is no stranger to cutting edge technology. In fact, it was the first site in the world to offer a dual-purpose Interoperative MRI for neurosurgery in 2006.

Today, this advanced technology enables our neurosurgical team to use an MRI to map and scan the brain or other surgical site during surgery. To have access to an MRI during the actual surgical procedure is much safer and far superior to moving the patient from the OR to conduct the test. It’s brain surgery at its finest – and it’s available at the Center for Advanced Surgery at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

For more information about our neurosciences team at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, please call the Neurosurgery Department at 570-706-2620.


If you need surgery, talk with your doctor and determine whether or not you’re a candidate for Minimally Invasive Surgery. Or call 570-552-4380 and speak with the experts at The Center for Advanced Surgery at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.