Hello, I am Dr Amita Shah senior, consultant obstetrician and gynae, and laparoscopic surgeon. Today I’m going to talk about laparoscopic surgery.
What is laparoscopy surgery or the meaning of laparoscopy?
Definition:
Laparoscopic surgery, or minimally invasive surgery, is commonly known as keyhole surgery. This term is self-explanatory: keyhole surgery involves making very small incisions in your abdomen.
Laparoscopy Procedure:
The first incision is made just above or below your umbilicus, through which we insert a small slender instrument called a telescope. This telescope is attached via a fibre optic cable to a high-definition TV monitor.
Then, two to three additional small incisions are made on the side of your abdomen, through which we introduce our surgical instruments.
Using these instruments and the TV monitor, we operate on the affected area in your abdomen.
Applications of Laparoscopy Surgery
Now, what can all be done with laparoscopy surgery?
Practically all gynaecological diseases can be managed with laparoscopic surgery, whether it’s fibroids, ovarian cysts, or cancer.
So, if you need to get only your fibroids removed, a laparoscopic myomectomy is performed.
If the uterus is to be removed, then laparoscopic hysterectomy is performed, and for removing ovarian cysts or ovarian cancers, laparoscopy surgery is performed.
Both conditions, endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain can be diagnosed and treated laparoscopically.
Conditions like Ectopic pregnancies, the treatment of which requires making a large incision on the abdomen, can very well be managed by laparoscopy surgery.
Advantages of Laparoscopy Surgery
Laparoscopic technique is a very advanced modality of surgery wherein very small incisions are made.
The advantages of laparoscopic surgery include significantly less post-operative pain, faster recovery, and a quick return to daily activities.
Additionally, the small scars left by the surgery are a benefit, and the risk of post-operative infection and the need for blood transfusion are lower compared to open surgery.
Less post-operative pain
Faster recovery time
Quicker return to daily activities
Smaller scars
Lower risk of post-operative infection
Reduced need for blood transfusions
Myths About Laparoscopic Surgery
There are certain myths which are associated with laparoscopic surgery.
Common Concerns
One common concern among patients is the belief that some part of the disease may be left inside the abdomen during the laparoscopy surgery.
This is not true. While performing laparoscopic surgery, we see the disease at least 20 times magnified on a high-definition TV, which makes it very convenient for us to operate on even the tiniest lesions, allowing us to remove any small disease remnants effectively.
Cost Concerns
Secondly, some patients express concern that laparoscopic surgery is much more expensive than open surgery. While it is true that laparoscopic surgery can be somewhat more costly, it is not significantly more expensive.
I consider it a cost-effective option because, although there may be a higher upfront cost, patients typically return to work much faster.
This quicker recovery means less time away from work and a reduced loss of income compared to the extended recovery period often associated with open surgery.
Removal of Large Fibroids or Cancers
Some people have doubts about the removal of large fibroids or cancers through laparoscopic surgery. They often wonder how large fibroids or cancers can be extracted through tiny incisions.
Laparoscopic surgeons use a special instrument called a morcellator to cut or break down the fibroids into smaller pieces.
Similar to peeling an orange, laparoscopic surgeons break down fibroids or diseases into small fragments and remove them through these tiny incisions.
I have operated on large fibroids as large as 26 weeks in size, comparable to pregnancy, weighing at least two and a half kilograms, and successfully removed them through laparoscopy surgery.
Conclusion
Therefore, I often reassure my patients that almost everything can be done through laparoscopy nowadays, except delivering babies, which requires either a C-section delivery (cesarean section) or normal delivery.
Consider laparoscopic surgery to minimize your recovery time and surgical risks compared to open surgery.
