What Is Laparoscopy (A To Z What Matters To You)

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Hi! I am doctor A.R Patel and I work as a Consultant General & Laparoscopic surgeon with one of the best hospitals in Vadodara, Janvi Multispeciality Hospital. 

Off late I have seen patients coming to me with various doubts in their minds when I advise them for surgery. Many people feel that general surgeons cannot perform laparoscopic surgery, you need a laparoscopic surgeon for doing that.

Partly true! Because as you all know, as doctors we need to keep ourselves abreast of the latest trends in medicine. So the majority of the general surgeons know how to do the surgery using a laparoscope.

Rather the best general surgeon would often suggest laparoscopic surgery rather than open surgery. This is because laparoscopic surgery allows a patient’s life to return to normal soon and has comparatively low risk.

The second myth that I usually laugh at is when patients tell me that laparoscopic surgery won’t be possible because the patient is too fat or too thin. Your body structure has nothing to do with laparoscopic surgery. 

So today, I want to share with you the details about laparoscopic surgery and what to expect from the best laparoscopic surgeon in Vadodara.

Ready?

Here we make an incision… (Oops! I mean, I begin to write. Sorry I am a general surgeon so words like incision are too common for me!)

Is there any difference between laparoscopy and laparotomy?

The word ‘laparoscopy’ itself is so big that when you try to type it, it can be misspelt and maybe you read something related to laparotomy.

But, both are different. Laparoscopy is what general surgeons do. It is a keyhole surgery that requires little incisions on your body whereas laparotomy is a complex procedure where big incisions are made under your navel, to observe your abdomen.

Laparoscopic surgery takes much less recovery time whereas laparotomy takes time to recover.

What is laparoscopy?

Laparoscopy is a kind of surgical procedure performed by general surgeons to treat various problems. It is also known as a keyhole surgery because very small incisions barely 2 cm are made on your tummy.

Here’s how laparoscopic instruments look like:

As you can see from the above figure, the rod-like structures that are inserted into your body are all laparoscopic instruments. The incisions that we make in your abdomen are called ports.

Then tubular instruments called ‘trocars’ are inserted and they are like hollow pipes. We later put the laparoscopic instruments inside the body through the trocars. They have a camera and other necessary incision tools attached to them.

We can then expand the area to be operated by filling Carbon Dioxide gas inside your tummy so that we can easily separate the abdominal wall from the other internal organs and can view the required area.

The laparoscopic instruments are connected to a big screen in the operation theatre, that way we just need to watch the images on the screen, move the laparoscope accordingly in your body to get the things done. All this requires very small incisions on your body so there is minimal blood loss in laparoscopic surgeries.

But as we need to see the images on the screen and get things done via a laparoscope, it requires precision on the part of the general surgeon.

Only the best general laparoscopic surgeons can handle complex surgeries else they ask for open surgery. 

Which Surgeries Can Be Done Laparoscopically?

Many surgeries can be done laparoscopically. A laparoscopic surgeon can do these surgeries unless it calls for specialization. 

For example, in the case of hysterectomy, generally laparoscopic surgery is done by a gynecologist. In the case of small children, the surgeries are done by pediatric surgeons, in the case of urinary tract infections relating to the male organ, the surgery can be done by a urologist who specializes in such surgeries.

Here are a few diseases or disorders that need a surgical procedure and these procedures can be done by us ie., the general surgeons or the laparoscopic surgeons.

  • Persistent abdominal pain
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Lymphoma
  • Leukemia
  • Hysterectomy(uterus removal)
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease
  • Hernia
  • Ovarian Cysts
  • Intestinal problems
  • Colon Cancer
  • IBD
  • Gallbladder problem
  • GERD

What Special Precautions Are Needed for Laparoscopy?

Laparoscopy is not a special surgery, it is just a new way to do complex surgery. You’re given anesthesia before the operation. The following pointers can help you regarding the precautions to be taken before the surgery.

  • Tell your general surgeon or laparoscopic surgeon about any kind of allergies that you may have.
  • Carry out the recommended tests before the procedure like the blood tests, ECG, etc. This can help us to know if you have any infection or any other persisting problem.
  • Tell us specifically if you have diabetes. Because wounds recover slowly in the case of a diabetic patient, we need to take that precaution.
  • Provide us with any other prevailing health issues that you might be having.
  • Adhere to the medicines given to you before the surgical procedure and also follow the guidelines concerning the food that you can eat.

What Happens After a Laparoscopy?

Generally, depending on various other factors, you get discharged from the hospital the very next day and you can go home walking on your own.

For some days, we recommend you to have light food and not junk food or food that contains more oil or ghee. But then it differs from patient to patient.

We call you for dressing and routine checkups to see that the wounds are healing and apart from that we give you tablets so that you recover fast.

What Are The Precautions To Be Taken After Laparoscopic Surgery?

Each patient is a special case and it is not possible to give a general guideline that applies to all patients. However, the following things should be kept in view after laparoscopy.

  • Do not wet the surgical wounds while taking a bath
  • Take the prescribed medicines regularly.
  • Do not exercise vigorously after the laparoscopic procedure.
  • Eat the food suggested by doctors.
  • Do not consume tobacco or alcohol in any form.
  • Don’t lift heavyweights.
  • Visit your general surgeons for follow-up checkups at regular intervals as indicated by them.
  • Whenever you want to get up from bed, tilt sideways and then get up slowly. Don’t make rapid/jerky movements.

What Are The General Complications After Laparoscopy?

Very few patients face the below problems after the surgery.

  • Deep vein thrombosis
  • Blood clots
  • Allergic reactions
  • Infections
  • Hernia at the site of incision
  • Blood vessel damage

In Which Cases Should You Approach Your General Surgeon Immediately?

You need to go for follow-up check-ups after laparoscopic surgery. However, in the following cases, you should immediately rush to a general surgeon who operated on you.

  • Pus formation at the site of incision
  • Fever
  • Immense leg pain
  • Bleeding
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Difficulty in passing urine or stools
  • Sore throat that lasts many days
  • Chest pain
  • Palpitations
  • Tightness in the chest
  • A state of confusion and lack of alertness of mind

What questions should you ask your general surgeon before the surgery?

There are some questions which the patients must ask before the surgical procedure. It helps to clarify things and helps us to have an alternative.
  • Are there any other options other than laparoscopy?
  • What if another problem crops up during surgery? Will it be addressed in surgery or does it need other surgical procedures?
  • How long does the surgical procedure take?
  • When can I resume my work?
  • What are the special precautions that I need to take post-surgery?
  • When should I come for a follow-up checkup?
  • Do I need to take any medications?
  • In which conditions do I need to consult you immediately?

Conclusion

Laparoscopy helps you to heal faster and resume your normal life quickly. It also reduces the chances of infections, leaves fewer scars on the body. It is painless when compared with open surgery.

Laparoscopic surgeries prevent blood loss during the surgical procedure and demand professional skill on the part of the general surgeon to do the job effectively.

We hope to see you in better health in the years to come. Meanwhile, if you have any questions about health issues you can surely contact us at Janvi Multispeciality hospital.

About Dr. A.R.Patel: Dr. A R Patel is the best general & laparoscopic surgeon in Vadodara. General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix, and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland.

You can contact Janvi Hospital to get an appointment with Dr. A.R.Patel.

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