ORLive Presents: Dr. Joseph Petelin to Perform Kansas City's First Surgical Webcast -- A Laparoscopic Colectomy Procedure

Live CME Webcast June 21, 2006 at 6:00 PM CDT (23:00 UTC) From Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Merriam, KS

Shawnee Mission Medical Center will host the Kansas City metropolitan area's first live surgical Internet broadcast on Wednesday, June 21, at 6:00 PM CDT

During the Webcast, internationally recognized surgeon Joseph Petelin, MD, FACS, will perform a laparoscopic colectomy, in which the colon is removed using a minimally invasive approach. Traditionally the procedure has required a single large incision, however the laparoscopic technique allows several smaller incisions to be used -- promoting reduced postoperative pain and discomfort, decreased time in the hospital, and a quicker return to work and full activity.

Laparoscopic colectomy is a possible treatment option for individuals with diseases of the colon and rectum, including diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's colitis, colonic polyps not agreeable to removal by colonoscopy, tumors (benign and malignant), bleeding/hemorrhage, and other conditions.

Petelin made surgical history in the early 1990s by being the first in the world to develop and perform five laparoscopic operations, which laid the foundation for much of the advanced laparoscopic surgery performed today. In addition to his research and clinical activities, Petelin has created a number of instruments critical to the advancement of laparoscopic surgery. Almost a decade prior to the development of systems like the da Vinci, Petelin invented and holds patents on one of the first surgical robotic devices. He also played an integral role in the development of the World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery, which is now the largest and most respected meeting of its kind in the world. Through his Surgix Minimally Invasive Institute, Petelin hosted two of the first International Minimally Invasive Surgical Conferences in the early 1990s.

About Shawnee Mission Medical Center

Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC), a leader in minimally invasive surgery, is a 383-bed facility and the second-largest hospital in the Kansas City metropolitan area with nearly 20,000 inpatient admissions and more than 195,000 outpatient admissions in 2005. SMMC has the busiest emergency department in Johnson County, the area's first accredited Chest Pain Emergency Center, a nationally recognized Center for Women's Health and delivers more babies each year than any other hospital in the metropolitan area.

Visit http://www.or-live.com/ShawneeMission/1662 now to view a program preview.

VNR: http://www.or-live.com/rams/shm-1662-mkw-q.ram