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Arizona's Only Accredited Master Surgeon - Greg J. Marchand M.D.Arizona's Only Accredited Master Surgeon - Greg J. Marchand M.D.
Arizona's Only Accredited Master Surgeon – Greg J. Marchand M.D.
Arizona's Only Accredited Master Surgeon – Greg J. Marchand M.D.
  • Dr. Greg Marchand
  • Fellowship Program
  • Publications
  • Media
  • Travel to AZ for Surgery
  • Contact us
  • Dr. Greg Marchand
  • Fellowship Program
  • Publications
  • Media
  • Travel to AZ for Surgery
  • Contact us

Dr. Marchand’s Advanced Surgery Saves Baby and Mom with Rare Pregnancy Complication

June 5, 2018Laproscopy, OBGYNBy Maria Sainz

Dr. Greg J. Marchand MD performed an advanced minimally invasive surgery on a pregnant Phoenix area woman, who later went on to deliver a healthy baby seven months later.

The woman suffered from a very rare condition called a “Heterotopic Pregnancy.”

A heterotopic pregnancy is a rare pregnancy complication when two simultaneous pregnancies are in separate implantation sites, occurring both inside and outside the uterus.

The life saving procedure was called a “Laparoscopic Salpingectomy,” which means to remove a fallopian tube from the abdomen through small holes.  Although this technique is commonly performed in the US, it is very rare to perform the technique on a patient with a pregnancy also in the uterus.

Dr. Marchand was able to perform the surgery through two very tiny “keyhole” size incisions.  Although minimally invasive surgery to treat extra-uterine pregnancies is not unusual, this case was extremely rare as it was necessary to avoid harming the pregnancy inside the uterus while removing the pregnancy in the fallopian tube.  If the emergency surgery was not performed, the pregnancy in the fallopian tube would rupture causing internal bleeding.  This could be fatal for mom.  Untreated extra-uterine, (or ectopic) pregnancies are the number one cause of maternal death in pregnancy in the United States.

“It’s an extremely delicate technique.” Said Dr. Marchand, describing the surgery.  “You have to be very care not to use certain electrical energies or manipulators that could harm the pregnancy inside the uterus.  You also have to be very careful with the pregnant uterus.  You can’t move it around or push on it too much, or you could cause a miscarriage.  You also have to be careful about how you remove the fallopian tube from the uterus.  If you use too little electrical energy you could run into heavy bleeding, and if you use too much, or the wrong type, you could overheat or even burn the uterus and it’s precious cargo!”

Heterotopic pregnancies are extremely rare – occurring only a few times every million pregnancies in the US.  When they do occur, they threatened both the lives of the mother and the baby in the uterus.  In this case, however, mom went on to deliver a beautiful baby 31 weeks after the surgery!

For the full local coverage of this story please see the original story at: https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/baby-mom-survive-rare-pregnancy-complication/75-561479752

For more information regarding Dr. Marchand’s surgical techniques, practice, research please visit www.GregMarchandMD.com

For interviews or media inquiries please contact:

Maria Diomedes Sainz

maria@gregmarchandmd.com

(480)999-0905 ext. 0

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We're thrilled to announce the publication of a groundbreaking systematic review and meta-analysis led by Dr. Greg Marchand and the dedicated research team at the Marchand Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery! Titled "Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Surgery Versus Conventional Laparoscopic Surgery in Ovarian Cystectomy: A Meta-Analysis", this comprehensive study compares two advanced minimally invasive techniques for removing benign ovarian cysts — Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Surgery (LESS) (using a single small incision, often hidden at the umbilicus for superior cosmetic results) and Conventional Laparoscopic Surgery (CLS) (using multiple small incisions). Analyzing data from 9 studies involving 1,368 women, the meta-analysis reveals compelling insights: LESS is associated with longer operative times (by about 9.4 minutes on average), likely due to the technical demands of working through a single port. However, patients undergoing LESS benefit from a shorter hospital stay (reduced by approximately 0.26 days). Importantly, there are no significant differences in key safety outcomes: postoperative pain scores (at 6 and 24 hours), estimated blood loss, need for opioid analgesics, drop in hemoglobin levels, or overall complication rates. These findings strengthen the evidence that LESS is a safe, effective, and viable alternative to conventional laparoscopy for women with benign ovarian cysts — offering faster recovery and excellent cosmetic advantages while maintaining comparable safety and pain profiles. This work adds valuable high-level evidence to the field of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery and reflects the Marchand Institute's ongoing commitment to advancing women's health through rigorous, volunteer-driven research. Read the full open-access paper for free today: PubMed Central (PMC) (recommended - full text & PDF): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12734174/ Direct PDF download: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12734174/pdf/jcm-14-08739.pdf Published in Journal of Clinical Medicine (December 10, 2025) – DOI: 10.3390/jcm14248739 We invite clinicians, researchers, and patients interested in the latest advancements in minimally invasive surgery to explore this important contribution. A huge thank you to our incredible team of researchers, students, and collaborators who made this possible — all volunteer efforts dedicated to improving outcomes for women everywhere! Visit us at marchandinstitute.org to learn more about our ongoing research, educational programs, and mission to push the boundaries of minimally invasive techniques.
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November 18, 2025
Articles
  • New Research from Dr. Greg Marchand: Evaluating the Impact of Robotic Assistance in Single-Site Hysterectomy
    February 20, 2026
  • Exciting News: Dr. Marchand’s Latest Meta-Analysis on Opportunistic Salpingectomy for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Prevention is Published and Open Access!
    February 5, 2026
  • New Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Comparative Risk of Neonatal Ischemic Encephalopathy in Operative Vaginal Delivery vs. Cesarean at Complete Dilation – Now Online in AJP!
    January 29, 2026
  • We're thrilled to announce the publication of a groundbreaking systematic review and meta-analysis led by Dr. Greg Marchand and the dedicated research team at the Marchand Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery! Titled "Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Surgery Versus Conventional Laparoscopic Surgery in Ovarian Cystectomy: A Meta-Analysis", this comprehensive study compares two advanced minimally invasive techniques for removing benign ovarian cysts — Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Surgery (LESS) (using a single small incision, often hidden at the umbilicus for superior cosmetic results) and Conventional Laparoscopic Surgery (CLS) (using multiple small incisions). Analyzing data from 9 studies involving 1,368 women, the meta-analysis reveals compelling insights: LESS is associated with longer operative times (by about 9.4 minutes on average), likely due to the technical demands of working through a single port. However, patients undergoing LESS benefit from a shorter hospital stay (reduced by approximately 0.26 days). Importantly, there are no significant differences in key safety outcomes: postoperative pain scores (at 6 and 24 hours), estimated blood loss, need for opioid analgesics, drop in hemoglobin levels, or overall complication rates. These findings strengthen the evidence that LESS is a safe, effective, and viable alternative to conventional laparoscopy for women with benign ovarian cysts — offering faster recovery and excellent cosmetic advantages while maintaining comparable safety and pain profiles. This work adds valuable high-level evidence to the field of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery and reflects the Marchand Institute's ongoing commitment to advancing women's health through rigorous, volunteer-driven research. Read the full open-access paper for free today: PubMed Central (PMC) (recommended - full text & PDF): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12734174/ Direct PDF download: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12734174/pdf/jcm-14-08739.pdf Published in Journal of Clinical Medicine (December 10, 2025) – DOI: 10.3390/jcm14248739 We invite clinicians, researchers, and patients interested in the latest advancements in minimally invasive surgery to explore this important contribution. A huge thank you to our incredible team of researchers, students, and collaborators who made this possible — all volunteer efforts dedicated to improving outcomes for women everywhere! Visit us at marchandinstitute.org to learn more about our ongoing research, educational programs, and mission to push the boundaries of minimally invasive techniques.
    Newest Paper on Laparoscopic Single Site Ovarian Cystectomy Online Now!
    January 1, 2026
  • New Systematic Review Reveals Gynecologic Surgeons Achieve Superior Outcomes in Pediatric Adnexal Mass Surgery – Now Freely Available Online!
    December 18, 2025
  • Dr. Marchand’s Analysis of Self Collected Pap Smears online today in AJOG!
    November 18, 2025
What patients say
  • 14517468_1646198135690553_6990924301147850409_n“I delivered both my beautiful babies with Dr. Marchand and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Every doctor visit up until I was in labor was great, he took all the time to answer all my questions. I didn’t feel rushed in and rushed out of the office. The office was always very clean! The staff were always very friendly. When I was in labor he made sure my birth plan was the most important thing! He always had my best interest in hand! My first delivery I was induced and it took 3 long days and Marchand kept checking on me all hours of the night!! If I did it all over again I’d definitely use Marchand as my OB again!”

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    Alex S.
  • “We congratulate Dr. Greg J. Marchand as SRC’s first Surgeon of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Surgery (SOEMIS) in the United States. To achieve SOEMIS accreditation, Dr. Marchand invited SRC to complete a rigorous onsite inspection and thorough chart review to illustrate his compliance with the program. Dr. Marchand and his practice exemplify SRC’s commitment to patient safety and care.”

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    Ashley DuBray, Senior Director of the Surgical Review Corporation
  • “I initially met Dr. Marchand upon an emergency room visit due to complications during my first pregnancy. My husband and I had recently moved from out of state. Not knowing many people here, in a scary situation and finding myself hospitalized was made a lot easier once we met Dr. Marchand who we decided would be the best doctor to see my care through the pregnancy and ultimate c-section. He always had time for our questions even when we knew he had many other patients. He did a great job with the surgery and follow up care and was very pleasant, patient and professional throughout the process. When we decided to have another baby, he saw us through another pregnancy and c-section and continues to be my OB of choice. I would recommend him in a heartbeat to any girlfriends I know.”

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    Megan E. of Gilbert, AZ
  • “Growing up I have had my fair share of woman health issue from Endometriosis, PCOS, Severe Pelvic Pain, Loss of Pregnancy and Infertility and more pelvic surgeries than I can count. I have seen many different doctors till about 6-7 years ago when I needed emergency surgery and met Dr. Marchand and now I refuse to go to any one else. With the many issues I have had both Dr. Marchand as well as his whole office staff have been so helpful I couldn’t be more grateful. It’s very hard to find an honest, trustworthy doctor these days but rest assured you can’t go wrong with Dr. Greg Marchand. They are open late and almost always can fit you into the schedule for emergencies and you can always reach him no matter what time it is if you have questions. Dr. Marchand is an amazing surgeon and loves what he does. He has delivered many friends and family’s children and hope that one day he will be able to deliver mine as well.”

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    Tomi M. of Gilbert
Arizona's Only Accredited Master Surgeon - Greg J. Marchand M.D.
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