Laparoscopic surgery uses a long, slender tube tipped with a camera and light (a “laparoscope”) to go through a small incision site. It is used in cases that might have otherwise required open surgery, in which the abdomen is opened using a much larger incision. Laparoscopy provides an alternative method not only for surgery, but also for diagnostic and assessment procedures. The camera is sent into the body, and the internal view is then available on a monitor for the doctor to evaluate or perform procedures on anything from the gallbladder to the uterus to cancer. Although laparoscopic surgery has many benefits, it still comes with risks as well.
Laparoscopy Benefits
The benefits of laparoscopic surgery stem largely from the smallness of the incision site. Some procedures require only one incision (called “single site”) about a half of an inch long. For example, if a doctor suspected a cancerous mass in the abdomen, the laparoscopy could be performed first to get an internal view better than imaging technology provides. Through the same incision a biopsy could be performed as well. Some surgeries may require multiple incision sites, but having a few half inch cuts still allows for faster healing than one very large cut. It also means scarring isn’t as bad.
A smaller cut not only means faster healing and recovery, but less chance of infection as well. This also means less hospital time, which is often a large part of the expense of such operations. Fewer cuts means less need for pain medication, which can be expensive as well as difficult to set aside when the pain of the operation has dulled.
Laparoscopy Risks
While the benefits of such a procedure are easy to see, it is important to remember there are also some very serious risks at hand. Part of the danger laparoscopy is that because the healing can be so much faster, patients don't realize that this is still a major surgical procedure.
More specifically, laparoscopic surgery often takes longer than normal surgery, which can lead to stronger negative responses to anesthesia. Additionally, if the incision doesn’t heal properly, a hernia can develop. It’s also possible that an organ close by the one being treated can be punctured or cut, causing all manner of complications from infection to fluids leaking into the abdomen. Blood vessels are also at risk, and haematomas, or a collection of blood in tissue, are among the common concerns for laparoscopic procedures.
