Once in the operating room you will be given a sedative to relax and anesthesia to ensure comfort. Once asleep a needle is inserted into your abdominal wall and gas is pumped in to expand the abdomen giving the surgeon working room.
This reduces tissue trauma and lowers the risk of complications such as hernias. It also allows for a quicker recovery at home.
Purpose
Laparoscopic surgery, also known as keyhole or minimally invasive surgery, lets surgeons get inside your abdomen (tummy) and pelvis without making large cuts in the skin. This helps your body heal faster. It can be used for both diagnostic and surgical procedures, such as removing a sample of tissue for biopsy or repairing an abdominal hernia. It's usually done under general anaesthetic.
Your doctor might suggest laparoscopy if you have symptoms such as belly or pelvic pain that aren't explained by other tests, such as an ultrasound or CT scan. They may also use it to check how far an ovarian cyst has grown or look for signs of a pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
The procedure starts when your doctor makes a small incision near your belly button or your pelvic bone. They pump carbon dioxide gas into your abdomen to separate your abdominal wall from your organs and make it easier for them to see the area on a video monitor. Then they insert a narrow tube with a camera and tools. The surgeon can then complete the procedure guided by images on a video monitor.
In some cases, such as if the surgeon finds that you have dense adhesions from previous abdominal surgeries, they might need to switch to a different type of surgery, called an open operation. This involves larger incisions and might take longer to recover from.
Procedure
If you have laparoscopy to treat a condition, you'll have the procedure in a hospital or outpatient surgery center. You'll be given general anesthesia, which means you'll sleep through the surgery. You might need to stay in the hospital for one or more nights, depending on what kind of procedure you have.
Before the surgeon starts the operation, they will place you on a table and clean the area. They may also take a blood sample or an imaging test of the surgical site to help them decide what type of anesthesia to give you. Once they have that information, they will start the procedure.
During the surgery, they will make a small cut (usually less than a half-inch) near your belly button or pelvic bone. Then they will put in a narrow tube called a trocar and pump carbon dioxide gas into your abdominal or pelvic cavity to separate your abdominal wall from your organs. This makes your organs easier to see on a video monitor. Then the doctor can put in other tubes, a lighted video camera and tools through these small cuts. The doctor can do most of the surgery through these tubes and project the results on a video monitor.
Once the doctor is finished, they'll remove the tools and most of the gas. Then the incisions will be closed and bandaged. You might have some pain, throbbing or bloating around the incision sites. This is normal. Your doctor can prescribe medicine to help with the pain and bloating. You'll need a family member or friend to drive you home after the procedure, as the effects of the anesthesia may wear off.
Recovery
Depending on your surgery, you may be able to go home the same day or stay in the hospital overnight. If you are going home, your healthcare team will give you instructions about wound care, drain care (if you have one) and dietary guidelines, especially for abdominal surgery.
Before your surgery, you will need to sign a consent form. You will also need to bring a form of identification and proof of insurance, and a responsible adult who can drive you home after your procedure.
After you've had laparoscopic surgery, you will wake up in a recovery room near the operating theater. Your child will be attached to an IV that will deliver fluids, medicines and pain medicine.
Before laparoscopic surgery, surgeons used to perform open surgeries in the belly and pelvic area through 6- to 12-inch-long cuts. With the laparoscopic method, doctors make only two to four small cuts and use flexible tubes to insert a lighted video camera and tools into the body.
After the operation, some people have gas pain that feels like it is in their shoulders. This is usually caused by residual carbon dioxide and goes away on its own within a day or so. You may also have some pain from the incisions. It's important to take your pain medicine as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Laparoscopic surgery has many benefits compared to traditional open surgeries. The surgeon makes smaller incisions which results in less pain, reduced risk of infection, shorter recovery time and less scarring. It also allows the surgeon to see more of your internal organs, so they can treat them effectively and accurately.
A slender tube with a camera on its end (known as a laparoscope) is inserted into your body through a small cut near the belly button. This tube is sent to a video monitor, allowing the surgeon to view your abdominal organs in real-time. This allows the surgeon to diagnose a health condition and sometimes perform minor surgery. It can help identify a number of health conditions including Gallstones, Hernia, Ovarian cysts and Appendicitis.
Your surgeon may also use the laparoscope to take tissue samples or fluid from inside your body and put them into a container for testing. They might then close the cuts with stitches.
After your surgery it is important to move around as much as possible, this will help your blood circulation and reduce the risk of complications like pneumonia or thromboembolism (clots in the arteries). However, if you feel diarrhoea or constipation, don’t force them. This is a normal side effect and will pass in due course. It is also advisable to avoid climbing stairs, as this can increase your risk of pneumonia or injury from falling down.
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