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Advanced Laparoscopy
What is
laparoscopy surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery, also called laparoscopic
surgery, is where operations are performed using a
narrow magnification camera, called a laparoscope,
and narrow surgical instruments. Only small
incisions are needed which helps to optimize patient
outcomes comfort. Gallbladder surgery was one of the
first laparoscopic procedures developed because the
skills involved are relatively basic to learn.
Whereas gallbladder surgery is routine among most
practicing surgeons, other procedures are much more
advanced and require specialized training.
Incredible advances have occurred over the past ten
years in the techniques and skill of laparoscopic
surgery specialists who now routinely perform many
complex surgical procedures. To perform these
procedures safely a surgeon must be an expert in the
specialty of laparoscopic surgery. The development
of this expertise requires a surgeon to learn the
most simple laparoscopic procedure first, for
example gallbladder surgery, and gradually progress
to the next level. At each stage, the surgeon should
become proficient at that level, prior to advancing
to a more difficult procedure. This minimizes risk
and ensures that patients will be treated safely.
Laparoscopic surgery for obesity is one of the most
complex intestinal surgeries being performed today.
Therefore, laparoscopic weight loss surgery
should only be performed by surgeons who have
considerable skill in performing advanced
laparoscopic surgery.
Our surgeons have taken the time to develop their
highly specialized expertise in minimally invasive
surgery. Advanced laparoscopic surgery is far too
complex to learn during a weekend, or even a
week-long course and most general surgery training
programs do not provide enough training for their
graduates to perform the more advanced laparoscopic
procedures. In fact, the field of advanced
laparoscopic surgery is now a recognized
sub-specialty with comprehensive, year-long training
programs to teach surgeons these specialized skills
Why Perform Surgery
Laparoscopically?
Study after study has documented the benefits of
laparoscopic surgery. Most obviously, post-operative
pain is markedly decreased. These incisions cut very
little skin, muscle and nerve and thus cause much
less pain than the large traditional incisions used
for surgery. Patients can breathe, cough, and get
out of bed to walk much easier without the typical
pain from traditional open surgery. This translates
into a decreased risk of certain complications such
as pneumonia, blood clots and other problems seen
after surgery. Because laparoscopic cameras magnify
the images on a large TV screen, we can see the
intestines and internal organs much better than
through a traditional incision. This allows for an
exactness and visual sensitivity that cannot be
achieved with the unaided eye.
Minimally invasive surgery techniques have cut
recovery times for many operations from weeks (or
months) to days. The more "cutting" done by the
surgeon, the higher the stress on your body. With
more stress there is an increase in heart and kidney
problems as well as a decrease in immune function.
Smaller incisions also result in a much smaller
chance of developing significant infections. There
is also a decreased formation of internal scar
tissue, or adhesions. Of course, the incisions after
laparoscopy are often barely visible after they have
completely healed.
These advanced laparoscopic surgery techniques
required for bariatric surgery are difficult to
learn and require extensive experience. You need to
be certain that your surgeon is truly an expert
before you agree to them perform this type of
operation.
How do
you know if your surgeon is an expert? |
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