When we think of surgeries, we usually can only imagine large incisions made to the body, where the skin and ribcage are pulled apart. Sounds scary right? Well, nowadays most major surgeries don’t need to be done like this any more. Several major surgeries can now be done through tiny incisions that are no more than the size of a keyhole.
Laparoscopic surgery is a surgical technique that allows a surgeon to perform major surgeries in the abdominal and pelvic region of the body through small incisions that are less than 1cm. Often called keyhole surgery, the laparoscopic surgery uses the help of a laparoscope which is a small tube that has a light and camera that relays visual images to a screen for the laparoscopic surgeon to see the insides of the body to use his instruments.
Advantages of keyhole surgery
The best part of a laparoscopic or keyhole surgery is that it requires a much shorter hospital stay with a shorter recovery time - this can be attributed to the fact that the big incisions need not be made that have to go through several layers of tissue which itself needs a long time to heal. Many people are discharged the same day or in just 24 hours. Smaller incisions also mean much lesser scarring.
Another great thing about laparoscopic surgery is that there is less pain and bleeding after the operation. Keyhole surgery allows the doctor to perform major surgeries or critical diagnostics in the least invasive way possible.
Applications of laparoscopic surgery
Diagnosis on a range of problems that can be
- Gynaecological like ovarian cysts, endometriosis, female infertility, ectopic pregnancy, etc
- Gastroenterology like pelvic inflammatory disease or unexplained abdominal pain
- Cancers like liver, pancreatic and ovarian.
- Urological like kidney or urinary tract
Some treatments that keyhole surgery is used for are:
- Removing an inflamed appendix
- Treating for gallstones
- Removing sections of the intestine as may be in the case of Crohn’s disease
- Repairing bleeding stomach ulcers
- Removing tumours
- Repairing hernias
- Removing fibroids
- Hysterectomy
- Treating ectopic pregnancy
- Repairing cartilage damage in joints
If you are someone that needs to undergo a treatment like the ones mentioned above, you can make a consultation with the best laparoscopic surgeon in Gurugram at the Park Hospitals. The ortho laparoscopic surgeon in Gurugram can help with diagnosing and treating several kinds of orthopaedic problems.
What to expect from a laparoscopic surgery
If you need to undergo keyhole surgery and want to mentally prepare yourself for the surgery, these are a few things you might want to know.
You will be asked to not eat for 6-12 hours before surgery. The amount of time depends on the type of laparoscopic procedure that needs to be done. The laparoscopic surgeon essentially requires your stomach to be empty in order to perform the surgery.
You will also be asked to stop any blood thinning medication you may be taking some days before the surgery to avoid excessive bleeding during the operation. You will also be advised to stop smoking days leading to the surgery as it can definitely delay the healing process.
The procedure
General anaesthesia is administered to the patient. Then, the surgeon makes a small incision near the belly button and a tube is inserted through this incision. Air is then pumped in to inflate the stomach. By doing this, the surgeon is increasing visibility of all organs and more room to perform the procedure. A laparoscope is then inserted through the tube that will give the surgeon a full view of your insides.
Further incisions may be made in order to insert instruments required for the particular procedure, usually in the case of treatment. Once the doctor is finished, the air is let out of the abdomen and the incisions are closed using stitches or clips.
You can expect to have some side effects from the anaesthesia like grogginess or vomiting. You may be under observation for some hours till the doctor discharges you.
If you are in need of a laparoscopic procedure, you can consult with our laparoscopic surgeon in Palam Vihar that is reputed for their expertise in laparoscopic surgeries.
