Laparoscopy turned out to be a breakthrough in surgery. Still, it raises discussions. Proponents say - a wonderful invention. The opponents are trying to find the weak points of this method of performing the operation. what are the pros and cons of laparoscopy? What operations are performed laparoscopically?
Laparoscopyis a method that allows patients to be treated and diagnosed without significantly opening the abdomen. Therefore, it often happens that people who have hadsurgeryperformedlaparoscopicbelieve that it was only a minor procedure and then disregard their condition. This is a mistake -laparoscopic surgerye.g. removal of the gallbladder is the same operation as the traditional one. The only difference is in getting there by a different route. As after any surgical intervention, complications may occur after laparoscopy - there is a risk of the wound becoming infected, it may be difficult to heal for various reasons, then adhesions may form, etc.
Laparoscopy: obesity is not a contraindication
It would seem that obesity could be a serious obstacle in getting laparoscopic surgery. It turns out, however, that in obese people it is much more advantageous to carry out treatments with this method. First of all, because with a 10-15 cm layer of adipose tissue, a very large abdominal incision is made during a classic operation in order to get, for example, to the gallbladder. After such surgery, the wound does not always heal well. Postoperative hernias are also a danger. However, when the procedure is performed with a laparoscope, the diseased follicle is removed through small incisions in the skin and muscles. A small wound heals better, complications are less frequent, and the patient heals faster.
ImportantMany benefits
- Small wounds on the body allow a much faster recovery. They are less burdensome for the patient also in terms of psychology, because they allow us to believe that we are less sick.
- Complications and infections are less common. Performing this method of procedures in older people makes the operation less burdensome for the not too strong organism.
- The pain is much less than after classic surgery.
Laparoscopy: what operations can be performed using laparoscopy?
More and more technically perfecttools, as well as knowledge about the possibilities of this operating method, allow it to be used in many areas of medicine. Here are some examples. In surgery of internal organs, for example, laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder, a fragment of the large intestine (mainly for oncological indications), and hiatal hernias are removed. Gynecologists use this method to remove submucosal fibroids, which are the cause of heavy bleeding, and to treat some forms of infertility. The gold standard in gynecology is the laparoscopic treatment of benign changes in the appendages and pregnancies that have settled into the fallopian tube.
More and more doctors use laparoscopy also for oncological operations. In urology, prostate operations are performed in this way, and in diagnostics - for example, looking for testicles that have not descended into the scrotum. Orthopedists use this technique to repair the knee, elbow and sometimes hip joints. Thoracic surgeons also use laparoscopes to remove lung fragments. Recently, he has been making a career in laparoscopic obesity treatment, which consists in putting a special band on the stomach or clips that reduce its capacity.
Laparoscopy is also useful for research
Laparoscopy is used when it is necessary to perform a biopsy (e.g. of the liver) or to obtain a fragment of an organ for histopathological examination. And also when the cause of the ailment cannot be determined without examining the insides. Often, a diagnostic test ends with the removal of the cause of the ailment, i.e. simply an operation. Laparoscopy is used to diagnose, for example, acute or chronic pain in the abdomen. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome are also examined to rule out another source of ailments.
This technique is quite commonly used to examine tumors of the abdominal cavity, accidentally detected during x-rays of the lungs or the spine. Then, before applying the appropriate treatment, laparoscopy is used to carefully examine the tumor and collect a fragment for histopathological examination. Laparoscopy is also a useful diagnostic method when the cause of ascites needs to be determined.