As technology and techniques for surgical procedures continue to advance in the operating room, sometimes it’s important to take a step back from it all and look at some of the more common terms that have become associated with medical advances in surgery.
One of the terms more people (and patients) are learning to understand is “minimally invasive surgery.” How can “surgery” be minimally invasive? Isn’t surgery just “surgery? What exactly does “minimally invasive surgery” mean?
In this brief article, we hope to answer the questions you might have about a popular approach to many surgical procedures that can greatly reduce recovery times, limit scarring and can often be completed as an outpatient (same day) basis.
Minimally invasive surgical procedures differ from traditional open surgical procedures because they are performed through much smaller incisions in the body, or by the skillful manipulation of surgical instruments introduced through the mouth or colon.
Using smaller, precision surgical instruments like laparoscopes, endoscopes and fiber-optic cameras, procedures that used to require a full, open-incision procedure can now be done much more efficiently, with less scarring, less blood loss, decreased post-operative pain and faster recovery times. In fact, many of these procedures can require less than one full day in the hospital.
In essence, the body is “invaded less” by certain surgical procedures—hence the term “minimally invasive.” Types of minimally invasive procedures include gallbladder surgery, weight loss surgery, stomach, colon and small intestine surgery, appendectomy and hernia repair.
Understand that these types of procedures (many of which are performed by Carmel Surgical Specialists and described in our surgical pages) are still DEFINITELY considered “surgery.”
A part of your body is being operated on, and that’s serious business. Great care must be taken before the procedure to follow your doctor’s instructions, paying close and careful attention to the specific risks involved with your particular operation. General anesthetic is usually administered. (Therefore, you won’t remember the procedure.) You will spend time in a recovery room and when you are sent home you will be required to follow all post-operative instructions.
The bottom line is, minimally invasive surgical procedures can represent less trauma to your body, which can translate into smaller or non-existent scars, less pain, faster recovery times and a greater opportunity to get you back to being you, quicker than ever before.
