Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure performed through very small incisions in the abdomen, using specialised instruments. The abdominal cavity is inflated with carbon dioxide gas (CO2) and distended. A pencil-thin instrument called a laparoscope is used; it has lenses like a telescope to magnify body structures, a powerful light to illuminate them, and a miniature video camera. The camera sends images of the inside of the body to a TV monitor in the operating room. Specialised surgical instruments can be inserted through the small incisions nearby. This type of surgery is called ‘minimal access’ because of the very small incisions used. Yet major procedures can now be performed using this technique.
Laparoscopy is easier on the patient because it uses a few very small incisions. For example, traditional “open surgery” on the abdomen usually requires a ten to fifteen centimetre incision through layers of skin and muscle. In laparoscopic surgery, the doctor usually makes two to three incisions that are less than a centimetre long. The smaller incisions cause less damage to body tissue, organs, and muscles so that the patient. Can go home sooner after a shorter hospital stay Recovers quickly and returns to work and their normal routine earlier. In contrast, traditional laparotomy may require a person to limit daily activities for four to eight weeks. Experiences fewer post-operative complications and less pain. Has less scaring. Laparoscopy for diagnosis and treatment. Laparoscopy can be used either to diagnose or to treat various conditions. Or it may be used to identify a problem and treat it in the same operation.
