Centro Medico Excel

Laparoscopy is a medical procedure used to examine the interior of the abdominal or pelvic cavities for the diagnosis or treatment of a number of different diseases and conditions. The advantage of laparoscopy is that only a small incision is required.

Laparoscopy examines the interior of the abdominal or pelvic cavity using a slender tube (laparoscope) inserted through a small incision. The laparoscope contains fiber-optic camera heads or surgical heads (or both). Prior to the advent of laparoscopy, doctors had to make large openings and cut through layers of tissue in order to examine internal organs. Laparoscopy greatly reduces the patient’s recovery time.

Problems diagnosed or treated by laparoscopy

• Female infertility – laparoscopy allows doctors to check for problems such as scar tissue, endometriosis and fibroid tumors, and to see if the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries are abnormal in any way.
• Other problems of the female reproductive system – including pelvic floor and vaginal prolapse. Some types of hysterectomy can also be performed using laparoscopic surgery.
• Ectopic pregnancy – the embryo lodges and grows within the fallopian tube. The developing embryo will eventually rupture the fallopian tube unless it is surgically removed.
• Adhesions – the presence of scar tissue within the pelvic cavity.
• Diseases of the urinary system – laparoscopy can be used to investigate or treat (or both) cancerous and non-cancerous conditions of the kidney, blockages of the ureter, bladder disease and incontinence.
• Cancers of the internal organs – cancers of the liver and pancreas can be diagnosed using laparoscopy.
• Ascites – or fluid inside the abdominal cavity; laparoscopy can help determine the cause.
• Other problems – diseased organs (such as the gallbladder and appendix) can be removed with laparoscopy, and hernias can be repaired.

Operation procedure

Laparoscopy can be performed under local or general anesthetic, depending on the nature of the procedure. After the incision is made, the laparoscope is inserted into the abdominal cavity and either carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide gas is passed into the cavity to separate the abdominal wall from the underlying organs. This makes examination of the internal organs easier. Anywhere between one and three more incisions are made to allow access to other surgical instruments, for example, a laser. Once a diagnosis is made or the problem is removed (or both), the instruments are taken out, the gas allowed to escape and the incisions sewn shut.

The small incisions mean that recovery time is quite fast. Most patients can return to their normal activities within one week of surgery. Postoperative pain resolves within a few days and the scarring is minimal.