No matter how big or small the procedure is, it is completely normal for the patient to feel anxious and stressed before undergoing a surgery. Most of their tensions revolve around the pain factor and recovery time which largely depend on the type of procedure chosen. Although the ultimate aim of these different procedures remains the same, the process remains different.
Take Laparoscopy and open surgery for example. Though Open Surgery has been around for decades, Laparoscopy is found to be the most efficient in terms of recovery with a minimal amount of risks.
So what is Laparoscopy and how is it better than Open Surgery? Let us find out:
Open Surgery: Open surgery is a traditional method of surgery where a large incision (10 inches) is made by the surgeon using the scalpel and then the surgeon uses his instruments to perform surgery. Having a large incision may result in more pain, higher risk of complications, a lengthy recovery and hence longer hospital stays.
Laparoscopic Surgery: In contrast with Open Surgery, Laparoscopic surgery uses a very small incision in the abdomen or pelvis cavities to carry out the procedure. A Laparoscope, i.e. a thin instrument with a video camera at the end of it is inserted into the small incision to give the view of the organs inside and the image is projected onto the screen for the surgeons to carry out the procedure.
Reasons why Laparoscopic surgery is better than Open Surgery:
1. Given that the incisions are so small in Laparoscopy, the risk of bleeding is minimal to non-existent compared to the open surgery.
2. The large incision in the open surgery takes a lot of time to heal when compared to the small key-hole incision of laparoscopy. So the risk of infection is minimal, the healing process is quick and painless in laparoscopic surgeries.
3. As the exposure of internal organs to external contaminants is higher, Open surgeries are always at risk of post-operative infection making Laparoscopy the safest in this regard too.
4. As the healing is quicker and the risk of other infection is very less, the length of hospital stay for patients is significantly shorter in case of Laparoscopy. Most of the patients undergo the same day or the next-day discharge. This is not at all possible in case of Open Surgeries.
Though Laparoscopic is clearly the best surgical procedure compared to Open Surgery, it is important to remember that all patients are not ideal candidates for laparoscopic surgery.
Make sure you Consult experienced laparoscopic surgeons who can provide you with the best of available options for individual situations.
With over a decade of experience in Laparoscopy, Dr. Neelima Mantri with her team expert surgeons can help you receive the best surgical care for your medical condition.
