>PATIENT EDUCATION : Performed Procedures | What is Laparoscopic Surgery?

Laparoscopic Surgery is considered a state-of-the-art technique.  It combines surgery with video technology.

In performing laparoscopic surgery, 1/2" to 3/4" long cuts are made in the abdomen.  The patient's abdomen is filled with carbon dioxide so that it is swollen to the size of a large watermelon.  This lifts the abdominal wall away from the internal organs, giving the surgeon more space to work.

A laparoscope is inserted through an incision in the "belly button".  A laparoscope is a half-inch thick fiber optic rod with a light source and video camera connected to the apparatus.  This allows the surgical team to peer inside the body by watching on video monitors.

Through the other incisions, the surgeon and assistant insert long, thin surgical instruments.  The surgeon operates not by staring at the patient's organs through an open incision, but indirectly by looking at the video monitor similar to playing a video game.

Patients like these techniques because there is less pain, a much shorter hospital stay, more rapid recovery and an improved cosmetic result.  Insurance companies are enthusiastic about it because of the cost savings associated with these advantages.

Laparoscopic surgery, which was formerly used only by gynecologists, has extended into a wide range of surgeries - from removing a gallbladder or appendix to repairing hernia, treating cancer and performing gastric bypasses.

For more information and consultation, please contact us.

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