Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery Provides Several Patient Benefits Including Bypassing Radical Abdominal Surgery

White Plains, NY (May 24, 2010) – In what is the first of its kind minimally invasive procedure to be offered between Westchester and Albany, White Plains Hospital Center has joined a relatively small group of about 100 hospitals in the U.S. to provide Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEM) to remove rectal polyps and early stage rectal cancers.

Developed by Richard Wolf Medical Instruments Corporation, the state-of-the-art TEM Instrument System—combined with the expertise of a skilled colon and rectal surgeon— will make it possible to remove lesions located high inside the rectum that would otherwise by accessible only by radical abdominal surgery. Kimberly A. Yee, M.D., who joined the Hospital’s medical staff in 2008 as the first female colon and rectal surgeon to practice in Westchester, said that patient benefits of TEM were significant. “In addition to bypassing the need for major surgery, there is no large incision, no colostomy, faster recovery and a shorter hospital stay.” She added: “Typically, there is less pain and some patients say there isn’t any pain at all.”

TEM, which was pioneered by a German surgeon in 1983, has revolutionized rectal lesion surgery. The TEM Instrument System allows access up to 20 centimeters high (about eight inches) within the rectum and provides controlled distention and excellent visibility for an optimal surgical environment. The unique stereoscope gives a magnified 3-D image for clear differentiation of tissue layers to ensure precise excision and suturing.

“This remarkable system also provides specially angled hand instruments that enable the surgeon to preserve healthy tissue while removing cancers that were once beyond treatment by conventional means,” Dr. Yee stated.

TEM represents another “first” for White Plains Hospital Center in using the most advanced minimally invasive technologies. It was the first community hospital in Westchester and southern Connecticut to obtain the robotic da Vinci® Surgical System that offers patients a minimally invasive option for complex procedures. The Hospital’s skilled surgeons, who have been trained in major academic and medical centers throughout the U.S., perform more minimally-invasive and robotic surgery than any other hospital in Westchester.