An increasingly popular technique for performing surgery in recent years is evidenced by the new uses being made of laparoscopic surgery. Reading, PA ...
An increasingly popular technique for performing surgery in recent years is evidenced by the new uses being made of
laparoscopic surgery. Reading,
PA surgeons consult regularly with patients on the advantages of the technique over the traditional methods, and there are many. The predominant benefit of
laparoscopic surgery in Reading, PA is that it is less invasive. Rather than using a single incision to have access for intestinal surgery or to repair an abdominal hernia, for instance, a few small incisions are made.
The small incisions that are made for
laparoscopic surgery are called “ports”, and an instrument called a trocar is inserted into each one. An instrument known as a laparoscope that serve as an extension of the surgeon’s hand, and which also contains a special camera to navigate beneath the skin, is used at each port during the operation. Additionally, before surgery begins the abdomen is inflated with carbon dioxide gas in order to give the surgeon more space to see and work within the cavity.
After inserting the laparoscope into a port, the camera sends images to high definition video monitors that are set up in the room. The surgeon keeps an eye on the monitor as he or she performs the required operation through the small incisions, rather than opening the entire body cavity up as is the traditional practice.
As a result, the benefits to the patient are obvious as they are revealed in shorter periods of recovery, during which less pain is experienced and less scarring pronounced.
In certain situations, the surgeon may need to literally use his hand during surgery, at which point a larger incision is made, a surgical method called hand-assisted laparoscopy. One of the major disadvantages of
laparoscopic surgery in Reading, PA over open surgery is that the surgeon must rely on his tools to ascertain certain palpable conditions in the cavity of the body, which are easy to manipulate and diagnose directly.
Laparoscopic surgery in Reading, PA is considered to be as safe as traditional types of surgery. All surgery, of course, includes certain risks which should be considered as they are addressed by one’s surgeon. Many laparoscopic surgeries have successfully been completed to treat cancer, and have gradually been finding other successful surgical uses as well.
Patients who are facing laparoscopy surgery should fully discuss risks and any concerns that they may have with their surgeon, or medical team. Going into surgery understanding the risks associated with it can help relieve some of the tension and fear associated with any surgical procedure, as well as provide value in the pre-surgery decision making process.
