Laparoscopy: innovation, precision and advantages for the patient
What is laparoscopy
Laparoscopy is a surgical technique, also known as minimally invasive surgery, which allows to perform surgical procedures without opening the patient’s abdomen. During a laparoscopic procedure, the surgeon realizes small scars in the abdomen, from 5 mm to 1 cm in size, which allow to introduce a flexible tube with a camera on the top, called optical system, and surgical instruments like graspers, hook and scissors. This technique allows the surgeon to watch the abdomen from interiorly in a high resolution video-screen, magnifying the image and increasing the precision of the surgical act, without opening the abdomen by a medium-big scar, like in classic traditional surgery.
How laparoscopy works
During a laparoscopic surgical procedure, the patient undergoes to general anesthesia and is positioned in supine position. The surgeon performs in the abdomen one or three incisions, from 5-mm to 1-cm size, to introduce the optical system and the necessary instruments. At this point, the surgeon performs the surgical procedure like in conventional open surgery but watching the screen with magnified pictures and more precise surgical acts.
Why do laparoscopy
Laparoscopy is indicated for every type of abdominal disease which interests the gastrointestinal tract like the disease of the esophagus, of the stomach, the hiatal hernia, of the small bowel, of the right colon, of the transverse colon, of the left colon, of the sigmoid colon, of the rectum, of the adrenal gland, of the spleen, of the pancreas, of the liver and of the gallbladder. It also allows to place a mesh in the abdominal wall to treat inguinal or incisional hernia.
Advantages
Laparoscopy allows more than one advantage if compared with conventional open surgery, like the non-use of nasogastric tube after surgery, the coming out from the bad since the evening of surgery, the drinking fluids since the day after surgery, a major restart of personal activities, minor risk of complications and infections, a reduced hospital stay and also a better cosmetic result.