Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is a local leader in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (MIGS). Our team regularly cares for difficult-to-treat conditions that previously required extensive surgery and lengthy recoveries. Instead, we use sophisticated techniques and technologies to deliver precise care through small incisions.

You receive services from gynecologists who completed advanced training through MIGS fellowships. As a high-volume program, we perform hundreds of procedures every year. This depth of experience helps us maintain outstanding outcomes and low complication rates.

Highlights of our program include:

• Patient focus: Your preferences matter to us, which is why we have detailed discussions with you before surgery. Our experts want to know your care goals and experiences with other treatments. We also explain your diagnosis and whether a MIGS procedure is appropriate.  

• Excellent outcomes: We use minimally invasive gynecologic surgery to perform routine and complex procedures accurately. This level of expertise is not widely available in the Puget Sound and helps our patients consistently achieve excellent results. Get more information about MIGS techniques and procedures.

• Leadership: We are training the next generation of minimally invasive gynecologic surgeons through an accredited fellowship program. Our graduates deliver the best available care in programs throughout the country. Learn more about our minimally invasive gynecologic surgery fellowship.

As leaders in the field, we use the latest techniques that give you the best chances for healing. 

Our specialties include: 

• Vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES): We pass slender surgical instruments through the vagina to access pelvic organs. vNOTES is the newest and least invasive MIGS technique. It results in no visible scarring and a quicker, more comfortable recovery.

• Fertility-sparing procedures: We use special techniques to help people who wish to become pregnant avoid a hysterectomy. Options include myomectomy to remove uterine fibroids or adenomyosis growths with minimal disruption to the uterus. We also repair the uterus using methods that lower the risk of infertility and pregnancy complications.

• Advanced uterine fibroid procedures: We are proud to be some of the first providers in the Pacific Northwest offering advanced techniques including laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (Lap-RFA) and transcervical fibroid ablation (TFA). For most women, these procedures preserve the uterus and allow for a quick recovery time. Learn more about these uterine fibroid procedures.

Hysteroscopy uses a thin tube with a camera and instruments at the tip (hysteroscope) to evaluate the uterus lining. Your provider passes the hysteroscope through the vagina and cervix to access the uterus without incisions. This method enables us to diagnose and treat some conditions without surgery. And as an in-office procedure, you go home after a short recovery. 

We use in-office hysteroscopy to:

• Check for signs of uterine disease, including fibroids or adenomyosis
• Detect scar tissue affecting fertility
• Pinpoint the potential source of heavy menstruation or bleeding after menopause
• Remove growths such as uterine polyps
• Retrieve intrauterine devices (IUDs) in difficult-to-reach areas

Find out more about our minimally invasive gynecologic surgery services in the Puget Sound area or make an appointment.