Minimal Invasive Surgery

Minimally invasive surgery, also known as laparoscopic surgery or keyhole surgery, is a type of surgery that involves the use of small incisions, specialized instruments, and advanced technology to access and treat various conditions within the body. Laparoscopic procedures can be used both for the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

When compared to open surgery this type of surgery has been shown to result in shorter hospital stays, faster recovery times, reduced surgical risk and fewer complications compared to traditional open surgery. It can also become a more cost-effective solution for hospitals without compromising patient safety. Despite this, the invasiveness of laparoscopic surgery could still be reduced even further.

There are several types of minimally invasive surgery, including laparoscopic surgery, endoscopic surgery, and robotic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is performed through small incisions in the abdomen and is used to treat a variety of conditions such as appendicitis, gallbladder disease, hernias, and gynecological conditions.

Robotic surgery is a type of laparoscopic surgery that is performed using a robotic system and is used to treat a variety of conditions such as prostate cancer, colon cancer, and gynecological conditions.

Advantages

There are several advantages to minimally invasive surgery. First, it typically results in less pain for the patient because the incisions are smaller, and the surrounding tissues are less disrupted.

This can lead to a shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery period. Minimally invasive surgery can also reduce scarring because the incisions are smaller and less noticeable.

Another advantage of minimally invasive surgery is the use of specialized instruments and advanced technology, such as laparoscopes and robotic systems.

Minimally invasive surgery is not suitable for all conditions and may not be an option for some patients. The surgeon will consider the patient's specific condition, the patient's overall health, and other factors when deciding if minimally invasive surgery is the best option.

In conclusion, minimally invasive surgery is a type of surgery that involves the use of small incisions, specialized instruments, and advanced technology to access and treat various conditions within the body. It has many advantages, including less pain, shorter hospital stays, faster recovery times, and fewer complications. There are several types of minimally invasive surgery, including laparoscopic surgery, endoscopic surgery, and robotic surgery.

While it is not suitable for all conditions and patients, minimally invasive surgery can be a safe and effective treatment option for many conditions.

As previously mentioned, despite being considerably less invasive than open surgery, laparoscopy can still result in postoperative pain. In fact, 80% of patients complain of high pain levels and require pain relief after laparoscopic surgery.

This can be because of the retention of CO₂ in the abdomen, which can irritate the phrenic nerve leading to postoperative shoulder pain, which is one of the leading causes of patient discomfort and can last up to three days after surgery. Trapped CO₂ between the liver and right diaphragm can also cause abdominal pain. In some instances, the complications of pain can lead to readmission.

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Low Impact Laparoscopy

Although less invasive than open surgery, normal laparoscopy is still associated with high use of analgesics (painkillers), with a study finding that there was no difference in pain medication for minor or major surgery. To reduce postoperative pain and consequently speed up patient discharge, low impact laparoscopy is designed to keep the patient as close to their natural state as possible during procedures.

Low impact laparoscopy can see incisions reduced to 3 mm from 5-10 mm by using 3 mm instruments and ports, this is sometimes known as microlaparoscopy. There are many different reasons why this might be beneficial to patients and hospitals.

Shorter hospital stays:

Patients treated through microlaparoscopy may be able to leave hospital sooner. A 2009 study found that hospital stays were brought down from an average of 3 days to 2 days for patients with smaller incisions.

Reduces pain:

In a double-blind controlled study, 60 patients were randomized to undergo either microlaparoscopic cholecystectomy using one 10-mm and three 3.5-mm trocars or traditional laparoscopic cholecystectomy using two 10-mm and two 5-mm trocars. In the 3.5-mm LC group, incisional pain was significantly decreased in the 1st postoperative week as compared with the LC group (p <0.01).

Improves cosmesis:

Smaller incisions improve the cosmetic preservation of the patient.

Staff do not need to be retained:

Typically, advantages in surgery come with a learning curve; however, low impact laparoscopy operates in the same way as normal laparoscopy. Therefore, there is no need to spend valuable time retraining staff.