When Paul Goodwin, a self-employed carpenter, learned he needed hernia surgery at the beginning of his busiest season, his first thought was, "How am I going to do this with all these jobs coming in?"

But when his doctor explained a new, minimally invasive surgical technique, laparoscopic hernia repair, Paul began to relax. Rather than making a 3- to 5-inch incision, Paul's surgeon performed the operation through three tiny openings using special surgical instruments.

Paul returned home from surgery the same day, caught up on some yard work the next day and installed a new bathroom just a few days later. Says Paul, who also built a brick stairway and moved furniture within two weeks after surgery, "It's unbelievable, I was really back in business in no time."



Paul Goodwin, a real patient is portrayed by a model in this photo


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