The general surgeons at Midlands Clinic are the first in the Siouxland region to offer single-incision laparoscopic surgical procedures for abdominal surgeries such as gallbladder, appendix and colon procedures. Previously, GI patients requiring abdominal surgery had only two surgical options: conventional open surgery or laparoscopic with multiple incision areas. Unlike traditional laparoscopic surgery that involves 3-6 keyhole incisions for the insertion of surgical instruments, this procedure known as Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Surgery or LESS is performed through a small single incision – approximately one-half inch – at the belly button. This is a revolutionary surgical procedure Midlands Clinic physicians say reduces recovery time and leaves almost no scarring.