Laparoscopic surgery is performed with small holes, which greatly reduces the time and pain of recovery in the hospital and at home, and is indicated for many surgeries, such as bariatric surgery or removal of the gallbladder and appendix, for example.
Laparoscopy can be an exploratory surgery when it serves as a diagnostic test or biopsy or be a surgical technique to treat a disease, such as removing a tumor from an organ.
In addition, almost all individuals can perform laparoscopic surgery as directed by the doctor, however, in some cases, already in the operating room and even during laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon may need to perform an open surgery for the treatment to be successful which implies making a larger cut and recovery is slower.
Most common laparoscopic surgeries
Some of the surgeries that can be performed by laparoscopy can be:
- Bariatric surgery; Removal of inflamed organs such as gallbladder, spleen or appendix; Treatment of hernias of the abdomen; Removal of tumors, such as rectum or colon polyps; Gynecological surgery, such as hysterectomy.
In addition, laparoscopy can often be used to determine the reason for pelvic pain or infertility and is an excellent way for both the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis, for example.
How Laparoscopic Surgery Works
Depending on the purpose of the surgery, the doctor will perform 3 to 6 holes in the region, through which a microcamera with a light source will enter to observe the interior of the organism and the necessary instruments to cut and remove the affected organ or part, leaving scars very small with about 1.5 cm.
The doctor will be able to observe the internal area through a small camera that enters the organism and will generate the image on the computer, being a technique known as laparoscopy. However, this surgery requires the use of general anesthesia and, therefore, it is generally necessary to stay in the hospital for at least one day.
The patient's recovery is much faster than conventional surgery, in which it is necessary to make a large cut and, therefore, the chances of complications are lower and the risk of pain and infection is lower.
