Medicine has come a long way since the profession began in ancient times. Physicians have always been healers of disease and more recently have promoted prevention of disease. Very few physicians would ever do or recommend something for their patients that the physicians did not feel were in the best interest of the patients.

Over the past few years a concept has developed called "evidence-based medicine." This concept is that a recommended therapy (whether it is medication, surgery, or life-style change) has been proven to have a better chance of providing the desired result than other choices of therapy. These therapies have been proven to be effective by independent physicians doing well-designed scientific studies. The therapy is not based on hunch or even extensive experience. Not only are we looking at what is effective but also what is as safe as possible. Finally, because we do not have unlimited resources to pay for healthcare, cost-effectiveness is considered when choosing a particular therapy or treatment.

If surgery is necessary to treat a certain condition, performing the procedure(s) using minimally-invasive techniques can improve the outcome and the recovery. They can improve the outcome through better visualization (can see better) and through better access to areas that are normally difficult to get to when performing surgery. Minimally-invasive procedures are ones that require no incisions or small incisions which results in quicker recovery. Some physicians perform the majority of surgeries using minimally-invasive techniques and others commonly use more invasive methods.

The numbers of surgeries performed varies widely between physicians. Generally, performing minimally-invasive surgery on a frequent basis improves surgical skill. In an effort to promote quality medicine, Dr. Biggerstaff is now listing surgical procedures he has performed in the past few years. Periodically, this information will be updated.