Laparoscopic surgery, also known as closed surgery among the people, is a surgical method that allows the patient to recover faster and feel much less pain than open surgery.
What is Laparoscopic Surgery?
In the laparoscopic surgery method, which is used for the diagnosis or treatment of various diseases in the abdominal region, the incision size on the skin is extremely small. Laparoscopic surgery takes its name from the laparoscope used during the surgical procedure. A laparoscope can be defined as a fiber optic telescope with a light at the end.
Thanks to the laparoscope inserted into the body through the incision on the abdomen, the physician obtains a comfortable view during the operation. Thanks to the incisions made in different parts of the abdomen, other surgical instruments are inserted into the operation area and the surgeon monitors his movements on a high-resolution monitor. Many different diseases can be diagnosed and treated with laparoscopic surgery, also known as minimally invasive surgery or bloodless surgery.
The incision area required in laparoscopic surgery is 0.5 to 1 cm. is in the range. Therefore, the person feels less pain after the surgery. In addition, adhesions that develop in organs and tissues after open surgeries are also minimal. An optical device called a laparoscope is inserted through the incision in the abdomen. In this way, the surgeon can easily see the relevant area through the monitor.
If there is a situation that needs intervention, 2 or 3 different incisions are made in different areas in the abdomen and trocar tubes are placed in these areas. Assistive hand tools used during laparoscopic surgery are inserted through these tubes. Thus, the physician can operate the patient effectively. In laparoscopic surgery, which provides a wider field of view than open surgeries, the small incision scars reduce the common complications such as adhesions and wound hernia. In addition, the scars are so small that they do not disturb the person in terms of aesthetics.
No matter how big the operation is in laparoscopic surgery, the complaints such as pain and pain felt by the patient after the operation are much less than in open surgeries. Thanks to this method, which allows the patient to recover quickly by using less medication, Many different surgeries can be performed.
Why is Laparoscopic Surgery Performed?
Laparoscopic surgery is a method that can be applied for the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. The most common operations performed with the laparoscopic method are gallbladder surgery, cyst surgery, appendectomy (removal of appendicitis), myomectomy (removal of fibroids), hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), tubal ligation (tying of the fallopian tubes) and endometriosis (chocolate cyst) surgery.
The laparoscopic surgery method, which allows the treatment of health problems related to internal organs with surgical intervention, is often used by gynecology, gastroenterology, urology and general surgery physicians. Some of the many conditions in which laparoscopic surgery is used for diagnosis and treatment can be listed as follows:
- Investigation of abdominal or groin pain,
- Diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID),
- Diagnosis of menstrual bleeding accompanied by excessive pain and bleeding,
- Diagnosis of ovarian cysts,
- Removal of the ovaries, fallopian tubes or uterus for various reasons,
- Investigating the causes of infertility,
- Treatment of ectopic pregnancy,
- Diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis-related diseases,
- Treatment of cysts in the abdomen,
- Removal of tumors in the abdomen,
- Removal of the gallbladder,
- Treatment of diseases that require cutting the intestines,
- Diagnosis and treatment of scrotal orchiopexy (undescended testis),
- Treatment of stomach ulcers,
- Obesity surgery,
- Treatment of hernias in the abdomen and inguinal region,
- Partition of organs such as prostate, liver, colon, kidney and bladder or completely removed.
How is Laparoscopic Surgery Performed?
As in other types of surgery, the patient is put to sleep under general anesthesia before the interventions to be performed with laparoscopic surgery. The operation begins with an incision made in the lower abdomen. First of all, carbon dioxide gas is given through the opened incision so that the physician can easily see the area to be intervened on the monitor. The odorless and colorless carbon dioxide gas injected into the abdomen with a Veress needle causes the patient's abdomen to swell. Thus, the inner region of the abdomen expands and the area to be intervened is comfortable. can be seen in the plant.
After the operation, after the abdominal region of the person is inflated with carbon dioxide gas, some of which is absorbed by the body, the veress needle is removed and the trocar tube is inserted. Thanks to the laparoscope passed through the trocar tube, the relevant region can be observed on the monitor. Depending on the area to be operated, 2 or 3 more incisions with a diameter of 0.5 to 1 cm are made and trocar tubes are placed in these areas. Special hand tools to be used during laparoscopic surgery are inserted through these tubes into the abdomen.
After the completion of the surgical procedure, all instruments and trocar tubes are withdrawn. The carbon dioxide gas is discharged and the operation is completed by suturing the incision areas. In laparoscopy performed for diagnostic purposes, the same procedures are repeated. In some cases, only the insertion of an optical imager is sufficient for diagnosis, while in others laparoscopic hand tools can be used.
How Long Does Laparoscopic Surgery Take?
Laparoscopies for diagnostic purposes usually take about half an hour. However, since the person needs to be given anesthesia before the procedure, the total time may increase to 45 minutes. The duration of the therapeutic laparoscopic intervention differs according to the type and nature of the operation.
After the laparoscopic surgery, the person is usually discharged on the same day. Returning to daily work after laparoscopic surgery, which provides much faster recovery than open surgeries, also differs depending on the type of operation. About 5 days after the laparoscopy for diagnosis, the person can return to his normal activities.
What are the Advantages of Laparoscopic Surgery?
One of the biggest advantages of laparoscopic surgery is that the incision area is small. This allows the patient to recover quickly after the operation and the amount of intra-abdominal adhesions is less compared to open surgeries. Thanks to laparoscopic surgery, which makes the patient feel less pain and pain after the surgery, the person uses less pain medication during the healing process.
After the laparoscopic surgery, the person is discharged in a short time and returns to his daily life faster. The incision size is small, which will not cause any aesthetic problems. Existing incision scars last for a few years. It becomes almost invisible. The risk of hernia development after the operation is low. Another important advantage of laparoscopic surgery is that complications such as bleeding and infection are less than open surgeries.
How is the Recovery Process After Laparoscopic Surgery?
After the laparoscopic surgery, the person is taken out of the operating room and put under surveillance. is taken. After the person regains full consciousness, the patient is brought to the room. The effect of the given anesthesia continues for a while. During this period, the person may complain of nausea due to anesthesia and mild pain in the incision area.
Although the time to stand up varies depending on the type of intervention performed with laparoscopic surgery, the patient can usually stand up within 3-4 hours and have a light meal. Depending on the carbon dioxide gas given to the patient during the operation, the person may feel shoulder pain for 24 hours. Depending on the type of operation, the person is usually discharged on the same day or the next day and sent home.
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