Appendicitis, a condition where your appendix becomes sore, swollen, and diseased, is treated by having your diseased appendix removed from the body to avoid toxins from spreading further. It is one of the most common medical emergencies requiring open surgery, where full recovery can take weeks if not a full month.
But those painful days are long gone. Now, surgeons are using minimally invasive surgical techniques to get you out of a complex medical condition safely and fast. Let us introduce you to laparoscopic surgery.
Laparoscopic surgery is a procedure that relies heavily on a laparoscope, hence the name. It is a rigid camera scope attached to a light source and video processing unit, which gives surgeons a direct view inside the patient’s body.
Also known as “keyhole surgery” because of very minimal incisions, laparoscopic surgery allows surgeons to diagnose and treat disease using fine specialized instruments and skillful maneuvering.
You may be wondering what sets it apart from traditional open surgery. In a laparoscopic method, surgeons are able to offer patients the benefit of lesser pain and less tissue damage than conventional open surgery.
One great example is the removal of the gallbladder, wherein instead of a large skin incision to open up the abdomen, laparoscopic surgery uses only tiny skin incisions of about 5-10mm.
Another benefit of laparoscopic surgery is that it requires a short hospital stay, making it the practical option for those who can’t stay too long in the hospital due to personal matters or work obligations.
Since the operation is done with minimal damage to the body, a patient can expect significantly less pain and shorter hospital stay; hence, an earlier return to work and normal activities for the patient.
Depending on the type of surgery, the patient’s hospital stay after a laparoscopic surgery can be as short as one day. This is especially advantageous for patients who have an active lifestyle to maintain.
If you’re curious about what operations can be done by laparoscopic surgery, some typical procedures include Cholecystectomy for Gallbladder Disease, Appendectomy for Appendicitis, Thyroid Surgery, Reflux Surgery, Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, and Colon and Rectal Surgery.
It is also noteworthy that not all surgeons can do laparoscopic surgery. Therefore, it is important that you find a surgeon who specializes in Laparoscopic Surgery. Then again, the success of each procedure depends really on the skills, the experience of the surgeon on Laparoscopic Surgeries, and the right equipment of the hospital.
At Cardinal Santos Medical Center, you can be assured of the highest quality and technical proficiency in Minimally Invasive Surgery.
To book your consultation or appointment, you may call Cardinal Santos Medical Center Minimally Invasive Surgery at 8727-0001 local 5401 to 5402 or email at pcasmistc@csmc.ph.
