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August 19, 2023
Laparoscopy is a surgical method that enables doctors to examine and operate on the abdominal organs and pelvis using minor cuts and a camera. It is also called minimally invasive, band-aid, or keyhole surgery.
Laparoscopy can be used to treat conditions of various abdominal organs such as the appendix, gallbladder, ovary and colon. It can also be used to fix a hernia, a gap in the diaphragm, or a damaged blood vessel.
Laparoscopy has several benefits, including less pain, less bleeding, a shorter recovery time, and fewer complications. It also has many uses in different areas of medicine, such as gynaecology, urology, gastroenterology, and oncology.
So how is a laparoscopy performed?
Laparoscopy uses a long, thin tube with a light and a camera at the tip. The laparoscope is inserted through a small cut (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) in the abdominal wall near the belly button. A video monitor displays camera images that allow the surgeon to see inside the abdomen.
The surgeon can also insert other tools through other minor cuts to perform various procedures, such as taking samples, removing growths, fixing hernias, or taking out organs. The abdomen is usually filled with carbon dioxide gas to create more room and improve vision. At the end of the surgery, the surgeon lets out the gas and closes the cuts with stitches or clips.
First, the doctor administers general anaesthesia (medicine that makes them sleep and feel no pain) or local anaesthesia (medicine that numbs only a specific body area) to the patient before a laparoscopy. The surgeon then inserts one or more laparoscopes through one of several tiny abdominal cuts.
The laparoscope has a light source and a camera that sends video to a monitor. The surgeon can see the organs and structures inside the abdomen on the screen and move them with tools inserted through other cuts. These tools may include scissors, forceps, clamps, hooks, or staplers. Some devices can also deliver electrical currents or lasers to cut or seal tissues.
After the operation, the surgeon removes the instruments and the laparoscope and closes the cuts with stitches or clips.
Laparoscopy has many advantages over open surgery for both patients and surgeons.
Laparoscopy has many uses in different fields of medicine.
Laparoscopy can find and treat various problems that affect the female reproductive system. One common problem is endometriosis, which makes tissue resemble the uterine lining, which grows external to the uterus. Other problems include ovarian cysts (sacs filled with fluid on the ovaries), fibroids (noncancerous lumps in the uterus), pelvic inflammatory disease, which infects the female reproductive organs, ectopic pregnancy, which occurs outside the uterus, infertility (trouble getting pregnant), or sterilisation (a permanent way of stopping pregnancy).
Doctors use laparoscopy to look at the organs and tissues inside the pelvis and perform procedures such as taking out endometrial tissue, ovarian cysts, fibroids, or fallopian tubes, fixing damaged tubes or ovaries, or putting in an intrauterine device (IUD) or tubal ligation (a procedure that closes the fallopian tubes to stop pregnancy).
Laparoscopy can be used to find and treat various problems that affect the urinary system, such as kidney stones (complex pieces of salt and minerals that develop in the kidneys), renal cancer (a cancerous tumour that starts in the kidney), prostate cancer (a cancerous tumour that begins in the cells of the prostate gland), bladder cancer (cancer that grows from tissue inside the bladder), urinary incontinence (lack of bladder control), or problems with the bladder.
Laparoscopy can help doctors look at the organs and structures inside the abdomen and perform procedures such as taking out kidney stones and tumours, taking out or fixing the prostate gland, taking out or fixing the bladder or putting in an artificial urinary sphincter (a device that helps control urine flow).
Laparoscopy can find and treat various problems that affect the digestive system, such as appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix), gallstones (hard deposits of cholesterol or bile that form in the gallbladder), cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder), pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (a condition where stomach acid irritates the oesophagus), hiatal hernia (a condition where part of the stomach pushes through a hole in the diaphragm) or obesity (excess body weight that can cause health problems).
Doctors take the help of Laparoscopy to see the organs and structures inside the belly and perform procedures such as removing the appendix, gallbladder, or part of the stomach, repairing or bypassing the oesophagus, stomach, or intestines or putting in a gastric band (a device that reduces the size of the stomach) or a gastric balloon (a device that fills up space in the belly) to help with weight loss.
Laparoscopy is also very useful in the medicinal field associated with the deadly disease. It can be used to find and treat many cancers that affect the abdomen or pelvis, such as colorectal cancer ((a cancerous tumour that begins in the colon or rectum), ovarian cancer (a cancerous growth that begins in the ovary), uterine cancer (a cell of the body that begins to develop malignant development in the uterus), cervical cancer (a cancerous tumour that begins in the cells of the cervix), or liver cancer (cancer that develops inside the liver)
Doctors can see the tumours and surrounding tissues inside the abdomen or pelvis using Laparoscopy. It also helps them to perform various procedures of treatment or prevention of cancer such as taking out the tumours or parts of the affected organs, taking samples of tissue for diagnosis, staging (finding out how far cancer has spread) or administering chemotherapy (drugs that kill cancer cells) or radiotherapy (high-energy rays that kill cancer cells) directly to the cancer affected area.
Laparoscopy is a safe and effective method with many benefits over open surgery. However, it also has some risks and limitations that you should know about.
Laparoscopy lowers the chances of complications but does not get rid of them. Bleeding, infection, damage to the organs or structures inside the belly or hips, gas embolism (a condition where gas blocks blood flow when bubbles get into the bloodstream), problems related to anaesthesia (such as allergic reactions, breathing problems, or heart problems), or switching to open surgery (a situation where the surgeon has to change to open surgery because of technical issues or unexpected findings) are some of the possible complications that can occur during or after Laparoscopy.
A surgeon and the surgical team should be very experienced and skilled in order to be able to perform a Laparoscopy successfully. The surgeon has a small space to operate with limited sight and touch feedback. The surgeon requires an assistant to control the camera and the tools. The entire surgical team needs to know ways to use the equipment and perform the procedures. For some surgeons, Laparoscopy may be hard to learn and require more training and practice than open surgery.
Laparoscopy may be more costly than open surgery because of the higher cost of the equipment and tools. It may also not be accessible in some areas or facilities because of a lack of resources or expertise. Some insurance plans may not pay for Laparoscopy or require prior approval from the insurer.
Laparoscopy may not be suitable for some patients or conditions because of various factors such as obesity, previous belly surgery, pregnancy, severe swelling, infection, scar tissue, large tumours, or emergencies. Some patients or surgeons may not like Laparoscopy due to personal choices or ethical reasons.
Laparoscopy is a field that is constantly changing due to discoveries, technologies, and treatments. Let us take a look at some of the future changes and improvements that may make Laparoscopy better.
SILS is a method that uses only one cut (usually at the belly button) instead of many cuts to do a Laparoscopy. SILS may cause less pain, scarring, recovery time, and problems than regular Laparoscopy. SILS may also improve the appearance and happiness of the patient.
This method uses natural holes in the body (such as the mouth, anus, vagina, or urethra) instead of cuts to reach the belly or hips. NOTES may help in avoiding pain, scarring, recovery time, and cut problems. It may also lower the risk of infection or gas embolism.
RALS is a method that helps the doctor perform the surgery using a robotic laparoscopy system. The surgeon works from a console that has a robotic system and moves the camera and the tools using a joystick or a touch screen. Robotic arms connect the camera and the devices to a cart and a monitor where the surgeon can see a bigger 3D picture of the belly or hips.
RALS may make the surgeon’s work more precise, correct, quick, and easy, reducing the tiredness, shaking, or comfort issues that may affect the surgeon. It may also let the surgeon do more complicated or gentle procedures that may be hard or impossible with regular laparoscopy.
Computer-generated images or sounds enable AR or VR to augment or modify the view of reality. It may improve seeing, moving, helping, or learning about laparoscopy. For example, AR or VR may show body parts, blood vessels, nerves, tumours, or tools on the video monitor to help the surgeon find and reach them. AR or VR may also simulate different situations, results, or problems of Laparoscopy to let the surgeon plan and try the procedure.
Laparoscopy is a smart and innovative surgical method that offers many benefits and uses for various belly or hip problems. It uses tiny cuts and a camera to see and operate on the organs inside the abdomen or pelvis, causing less pain, bleeding, recovery time, and complications than open surgery. It also applies to different fields of medicine, such as gynaecology, urology, gastroenterology, and oncology.
New technologies and discoveries are bringing in changes and improvements in laparoscopy making it more accessible, affordable, safe, and effective. It also creates more opportunities for research, education, and collaboration among surgeons and other health professionals.
Laparoscopy is a revolutionary technique that has improved the field of surgery.
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