Laparoscopy is a type of surgery that uses smaller cuts than you might expect.
The process takes its name from the laparoscope, a slender tool that has a tiny video camera and light on the end. When a surgeon inserts it through a small cut and into your body, they can look at a video monitor and see what’s happening inside you. Without those tools, they’d have to make a much larger opening. Thanks to special instruments, your surgeon won’t have to reach into your body, either. That also means less cutting.
Have you heard people talk about “minimally invasive” surgery? Laparoscopic surgery is one kind. Doctors first used it for gallbladder surgery and gynecology operations. Then it came in play for the intestines, liver, and other organs.
Why is laparoscopy performed?
Laparoscopy is often used to identify and diagnose the source of pelvic or abdominal pain. It’s usually performed when noninvasive methods are unable to help with diagnosis.
In many cases, abdominal problems can also be diagnosed with imaging techniques such as:
ultrasound, which uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of the body
CT scan, which is a series of special X-rays that take cross-sectional images of the body
MRI scan, which uses magnets and radio waves to produce images of the body
Laparoscopy is performed when these tests don’t provide enough information or insight for a diagnosis. The procedure may also be used to take a biopsy, or sample of tissue, from a particular organ in the abdomen.
Your doctor may recommend laparoscopy to examine the following organs:
appendix
gallbladder
liver
pancreas
small intestine and
large intestine (colon)
spleen
stomach
pelvic or reproductive organs
By observing these areas with a laparoscope, your doctor can detect:
an abdominal mass or tumor
fluid in the abdominal cavity
liver disease
the effectiveness of certain treatments
the degree to which a particular cancer has progressed
As well, your doctor may be able to perform an intervention to treat your condition immediately after diagnosis.
How is laparoscopy performed?
Laparoscopy is usually done as an outpatient procedure. This means that you’ll be able to go home the same day as your surgery. It may be performed in a hospital or an outpatient surgical center.
You’ll likely be given general anesthesia for this type of surgery. This means that you’ll sleep through the procedure and won’t feel any pain. To achieve general anesthesia, an intravenous (IV) line is inserted in one of your veins. Through the IV, your anesthesiologist can give you special medications and well as provide hydration with fluids.
In some cases, local anesthesia is used instead. A local anesthetic numbs the area, so even though you’ll be awake during the surgery, you won’t feel any pain.
During laparoscopy, the surgeon makes an incision below your belly button, and then inserts a small tube called a cannula. The cannula is used to inflate your abdomen with carbon dioxide gas. This gas allows your doctor to see your abdominal organs more clearly.
Once your abdomen is inflated, the surgeon inserts the laparoscope through the incision. The camera attached to the laparoscope displays the images on a screen, allowing your organs to be viewed in real time.
The number and size of incisions depends upon what specific diseases your surgeon is attempting to confirm or rule out. Generally, you get from one to four incisions that are each between 1 and 2 centimeters in length. These incisions allow other instruments to be inserted. For example, your surgeon may need to use another surgical tool to perform a biopsy. During a biopsy, they take a small sample of tissue from an organ to be evaluated.
After the procedure is done, the instruments are removed. Your incisions are then closed with stitches or surgical tape. Bandages may be placed over the incisions.