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Surgery

Surgery has made some huge leaps forward in recent years. Thanks to technological advances like laparoscopy, computer guidance, interventional radiology, and robotic surgery, procedures that used to require open surgery can now be performed minimally invasively. Of course, many procedures still require open surgery. Our surgeons excel at all the surgical techniques, but they operate minimally invasively whenever they can. Minimally invasive surgery has considerable advantages over open surgery, such as:

  • Reduced use of general anesthesia
  • Smaller incisions and scars
  • Less bleeding
  • Reduced pain after surgery
  • Many procedures no longer require an overnight hospital stay

Our Operating Rooms

As surgery becomes more specialized, different procedures may require specific tools and technologies. Our surgical facilities include:

  • Community Memorial Hospital – Ventura
    • 10 state-of-the-art surgical suites including dedicated robotic surgery rooms, an open heart/lung room, and a spine and brain room
    • 5 same-day surgery suites in our outpatient Same Day Surgery Center
    • Cath Labs equipped with the latest technology for catheter based, minimally invasive procedures
  • Community Memorial Hospital – Ojai
    • 2 surgical suites

    • 1 ROSA Total Joint Robot

Our Surgical Teams

We have excellent general surgeons, as well as experts in a broad range of surgical specialties. All of our surgeons are highly specialized, board certified, and fellowship-trained. Our team includes CNOR-certified nurses in pre-operative, operative, and pos-operative care. Our recovery areas are staffed with a seasoned post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) team.

Types of Surgery

  • Open Surgery: This is the traditional type of invasive surgery, which involves cutting into the skin and organs for a full view of the surgical field.
  • Laparoscopic Surgery: This type of surgery is performed with the help of a laparoscope, a thin rod with a light and camera attached to it, allowing surgeons to operate through several small “key hole” incisions.
  • Robotic-assisted Surgery: In robotic-assisted surgery, the surgeon makes the initial small incisions manually and then operates from behind a computer console, using tiny instruments placed inside the body. As early adopters of robotic-assisted surgery, we have special expertise in the field. We have invested in three types of specialized, leading-edge robots:
  • Catheter-based Surgery: Performed in a specially equipped Cath Lab, this type of procedure involves making a small cut in a blood vessel. Using guided imagery, the surgeon threads a thin, flexible tube (catheter) up to the heart or to a vein or artery. A device or tiny tools are then threaded up the surgical area to do the procedure.

Types of Anesthesia

Anesthesia is used in a variety of ways for a number of surgeries and procedures performed at Community Memorial. Understanding the type of anesthesia you will receive helps ensure a successful procedure and a smooth recovery. Please download our Anesthesia Patient Education brochure for more detailed information on how to prepare for anesthesia.

A member of Community Memorial’s Physician Anesthesiology team will help supervise your care
before, during, and after surgery. They will deliver your anesthesia, ensure your safety and comfort
during your surgery, and be available for post-procedure pain management as needed. Our
anesthesiologists are experienced, board-certified, and many have additional sub-specialty training in
pediatric anesthesia, pain management, and cardiothoracic surgery.

Depending on the type and duration of your surgery and your anesthetic plan, you will receive one or more of the anesthesia types listed below. You should be sure to discuss any questions
or concerns you have with your surgeon or anesthesiologist prior to your surgery.

  • General Anesthesia: General anesthesia puts you in a state of painless amnesia and unresponsiveness. If you receive general anesthesia, you will feel no pain and remember nothing about your surgery. Your anesthesiologist is continually present, keeps you comfortable, and monitors your breathing and blood pressure. General anesthesia is used for many procedures that take varying amounts of time. It is either delivered through an IV line (intravenous anesthesia) or through a mask or breathing tube (gas anesthesia).
  • IV/Monitored Sedation: Sometimes referred to as “twilight sleep,” this type of anesthesia is most commonly used for minimally invasive procedures where an injection of local anesthetic is not sufficient, but deeper general anesthesia is not necessary. Your anesthesiologist will deliver sedatives to relax you through an intravenous (IV) line. Depending on your surgery, a local anesthetic may also be injected at the surgery site to keep you from feeling pain.
  • Regional Anesthesia: With regional anesthesia, anesthetic medication is injected close to a nerve or the spinal cord to numb a specific part of the body. This type of anesthesia can allow you to remain awake and aware during your surgery or procedure. It is often used during childbirth, and also helps alleviate pain for up to 24 hours following an orthopedic procedures. Types of regional anesthesia include nerve block, spinal, and epidural.
  • Local Anesthesia: Local anesthesia is used for minor procedures that only require the injection of a Novocain-like medication to numb a small area. Stitches or other skin procedures such as Mohs surgery or mole removals are common instances where local anesthesia is appropriate.

For more information, click here to download our Anesthesia Patient Education brochure.