Memorial Hermann Physician Staff Airing in Regional Markets: Heart, Bariatric, Knee Procedures Showcased

Physicians on staff at Memorial Hermann will be featured in regional media coverage touting the benefits of less-invasive heart, bariatric and knee procedures.

Carlos Ferrari, M.D., a bariatric surgeon, and Larry Likover, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon, both practice at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center. Miguel Gomez, M.D., is a cardiovascular surgeon on staff at Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute-Memorial City.

Drs. Ferrari and Gomez will appear in alternating segments Monday, May 5 through Thursday, May 8 on KTRE in Lufkin, KBTX in Bryan/College Station and KBMT in Beaumont. Dr. Likover will appear on KPRC Channel 2 in Houston on Wednesday, May 7.

Laparoscopic Switch Can Produce Weight Loss

Weight loss surgery was once considered a last resort and only for the morbidly obese. Today, procedures range from minimally invasive to major gastric bypass.

Now, a surgical procedure called a duodenal switch allows patients to eat more normally while producing even greater weight loss. The duodenum is the upper end of the small intestine, where it attaches to the stomach.

Dr. Ferrari recently became the first in Houston to perform this procedure laparoscopically. “What we do is decrease the size of the stomach, but not as dramatically as a gastric bypass,” said Dr. Ferrari. “Then we preserve the distal part of the stomach, which makes you feel like you’re eating more normally.”

Not only is Dr. Ferrari experienced at the duodenal switch procedure, he is one of the few surgeons who perform it with minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques.

Learn more about the Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center Bariatric Center of Excellence.

Minimally Invasive Procedure Helps Recovery After Heart Surgery

Doctors at Memorial Hermann are now performing robotic-assisted mini-thoracotomy, a breakthrough, minimally invasive heart bypass procedure that doesn’t require cracking open the chest. In this revolutionary procedure, surgeons operate through a 2-inch window instead of a 10-inch incision through the breastbone.

Dr. Gomez was the first surgeon in Houston to use the revolutionary technique to perform a multi-vessel coronary artery bypass.

Dr. Gomez will discuss the mini-thoracotomy. The procedure offers patients less pain, minimal scarring and a much quicker recovery. In many cases, patients go home in three days and are back to full activity within a week.

Learn more about the latest innovations in bypass surgery.

Less-Invasive Knee Surgery with Shorter Recovery

Dr. Likover will discuss a breakthrough surgical procedure in knee replacement – the Oxford knee replacement – on KRPC Channel 2 on Wednesday, May 7, during the 10 p.m. newscast.

Every year, millions of Americans undergo total knee replacement surgery. The Oxford knee replacement offers a less-invasive option that gives many patients better joint function and a shorter, less painful recovery.

Dr. Likover believes the Oxford knee offers a number of advantages. The Oxford knee system is a revolutionary approach that replaces only a portion of the joint, leaving most of the knee intact.

Learn about our recent innovations in joint replacement.

Memorial Hermann, celebrating 100 years of breakthroughs every day.