Innovations in minimally invasive surgery at Ohio State
The Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery (CMIS) research unit is a comprehensive team of physicians and research staff dedicated to the continued development and enhancement of surgical medicine. Our efforts are widespread in scope and include:
The scope of research at CMIS includes:
- Refining existing techniques
- Testing innovative devices and procedures
- Developing new minimally invasive surgical techniques
CMIS manages numerous research studies ranging in complexity from retrospective reviews to multicenter, FDA-regulated clinical trials. This overall research portfolio includes longitudinal studies examining clinical and patient-reported outcomes (case and cohort studies), procedure and device trials or registries (society and industry sponsored), randomized and non-randomized clinical trials (industry sponsored or investigator initiated), and basic science research (in collaboration with internal and external scientists).
As a multidisciplinary group, our team conducts research with several specialties within the Department of Surgery, including:
- Bariatric Surgery
- Esophageal and Foregut Disease
- Abdominal Core Health
- Colon and Rectal Surgery
- Robotic Surgery
- Collaborative Research
Bariatric Surgery
Ohio State is a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, where our research focuses on the improvement of established treatment options and the evaluation of innovative devices and techniques related to weight-loss surgery. Further research focuses on access to bariatric surgery, as well as patient outcomes post-surgery.
Esophageal and Foregut Disease
In 2007, Ohio State was the first institution in the United States to use an FDA-approved device for the transluminal surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Now, CMIS continues to stand at the forefront of treatments for GERD, Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer through active participation in trials that investigate surgical options not yet available on the open market. In addition, we rigorously evaluate the efficacy of the established minimally invasive procedures and continuously compare the safety and efficacy of all our treatment options.
Abdominal Core Health
The Center for Abdominal Core Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is the world’s first integrated treatment center of its kind. We offer unparalleled and innovate surgical approaches for both simple and complex issues, including hernias and abdominal wall defects.. As such, our research evaluates emerging techniques, analyzes the use of different meshes and fixation methods, and explores the use of a multidisciplinary approach using physical therapy and rehabilitation to optimize patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Colon and Rectal Surgery
The Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery’s research efforts are focused on key areas of interest that promise to yield significant results in the understanding of disease and the improvement of clinical care. These efforts include active participation in clinical trials, health services, and basic science research to improve the care of our patients.
Robotic Surgery
The OSU Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery was among the first medical institutions in the world to obtain a robotic surgery platform. Since then, surgical robots have become a significant and reliable tool that allow our surgeons to perform many types of minimally invasive surgeries, and our researchers continue to evaluate for and identify the optimal opportunities and circumstances where the precision of robotic technique can be implemented in order to achieve improved patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Collaborative Research
The surgeons of CMIS frequently participate in collaborative research that spans a variety of investigative settings including basic science, internal medicine, public health, and other surgical specialties. Our current collaborators include the disciplines of human development and family science, endocrinology, radiology, gastroenterology, anesthesiology, thoracic surgery, gynecologic oncology, surgical oncology, and acute and critical care surgery. These established networks of teamwork help to accelerate the identification of impactful findings contributing to the diagnosis, treatment and successful outcomes of our patients.