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Jai Ganesh

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Registered: 2005-06-28

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Key Hole Surgery

Key Hole Surgery

Gist

Keyhole surgery, also known as minimally invasive surgery or laparoscopy, is a surgical technique that uses small incisions to access the body and perform procedures. It offers several advantages over traditional open surgery, including smaller scars, reduced pain, and faster recovery times.

A laparoscopy is a type of keyhole surgery. If you have keyhole surgery your surgeon uses only small incisions (cuts) to get through the skin and other tissues. Keyhole surgery is different to 'open surgery' where normally one large cut is made.

Summary

Laparoscopy (from Ancient Greek 'flank, side' and σκοπέω  'to see') is an operation performed in the abdomen or pelvis using small incisions (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) with the aid of a camera. The laparoscope aids diagnosis or therapeutic interventions with a few small cuts in the abdomen.

Laparoscopic surgery, also called minimally invasive procedure, bandaid surgery, or keyhole surgery, is a modern surgical technique. There are a number of advantages to the patient with laparoscopic surgery versus an exploratory laparotomy. These include reduced pain due to smaller incisions, reduced hemorrhaging, and shorter recovery time. The key element is the use of a laparoscope, a long fiber optic cable system that allows viewing of the affected area by snaking the cable from a more distant, but more easily accessible location.

Laparoscopic surgery includes operations within the abdominal or pelvic cavities, whereas keyhole surgery performed on the thoracic or chest cavity is called thoracoscopic surgery. Specific surgical instruments used in laparoscopic surgery include obstetrical forceps, scissors, probes, dissectors, hooks, and retractors. Laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery belong to the broader field of endoscopy. The first laparoscopic procedure was performed by German surgeon Georg Kelling in 1901.

Details:

Laparoscopy (keyhole surgery)

Laparoscopy is a type of keyhole surgery used to diagnose and treat conditions. It allows a surgeon to use only small cuts and a camera for procedures inside the tummy or pelvis.

Why a laparoscopy is done

A laparoscopy can be used to diagnose conditions such as appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis and some cancers, such as liver cancer and ovarian cancer.

It's also used for surgery to treat conditions, such as:

* removing organs such as the appendix or gallbladder
* repairing hernias or burst or bleeding stomach ulcers
* removing organs affected by cancer, such as the ovaries, prostate or liver
* treating an ectopic pregnancy
* removing the womb (hysterectomy) or fibroids
* weight loss surgery

A laparoscopy is often recommended because the recovery time is faster than other types of surgery.

Preparing for a laparoscopy

The hospital will give you information about how to prepare for a laparoscopy.

Depending on why you're having a laparoscopy, you may be asked to do certain things, such as:

* not eating or drinking
* stop taking certain medicines, such as anticoagulants
* stop smoking

You cannot drive after having a laparoscopy, so you'll need to organise for someone to drive you home.

Information:

What happens during a laparoscopy

If you're having a laparoscopy to diagnose a condition, it usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes. It'll be longer if you're having surgery to treat a condition.

A laparoscopy is done under general anaesthetic, so you'll be asleep during the operation and will not feel any pain.

* The surgeon will make a small cut, usually near your belly button.
* Air is pumped into your tummy through the cut so the surgeon can see inside your tummy more easily.
* A thin, flexible tube with a camera inside (a laparoscope) is then put into the cut so video images of the inside of your tummy can be shown on a screen.
* If you're having surgery, more small cuts may need to be made in your tummy for the surgeon to pass their tools through.
* When it's finished, the air is let out of your tummy and the cuts are closed with stitches or clips, and a dressing is placed on top.

After the operation

You'll spend some time in the recovery room and have medicine to help with pain and swelling.

After the operation, you may:

* feel sick or be sick
* feel more tired than normal
* have a sore throat
* have bloating, cramps or pain and discomfort in your tummy
* get shoulder pain
* have bruises around your wounds

Most people can leave hospital either on the same day or the day after.

Recovering from a laparoscopy

How long it takes to recover from a laparoscopy varies.

It usually takes up to 5 days if you had it to diagnose a condition, or up to 6 to 8 weeks to fully recover if you've had surgery.

There are things you can do to help your recovery.

Additional Information

A laparoscopy is a type of keyhole surgery. If you have keyhole surgery your surgeon uses only small incisions (cuts) to get through the skin and other tissues.

Keyhole surgery is different to 'open surgery' where normally one large cut is made. This is why laparoscopy or keyhole surgery are called minimally invasive methods. If you have keyhole surgery, you should recover quite quickly.

A laparoscopy is used to inspect and operate on your organs. Laparoscopy can be used for diagnosis, by viewing the internal organs or taking a biopsy (small tissue sample). It may also be used to treat a problem surgically at the same time.

Laparoscopy is performed under general anaesthesia, so you'll be unconscious during the surgery and won't feel pain.

Laparoscopic surgery has advantages over traditional surgery including:

* much smaller scars
* reduced pain
* more rapid recovery
* a shorter stay in hospital.

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