We see various kinds of surgeries like open surgery, angioplasty, knee replacement etc, minimally invasive surgery is a different kind of method to perform a surgery, in this minor cuts or holes are made in your body, a laparoscope (a small tube with a camera) is inserted in this cuts to guide the doctor to perform a surgery.
Minimally invasive surgery involves less pain, a shorter hospital stay and fewer complications. Some of the minimally invasive surgeries are associated with robotic surgery, it provides a magnified, 3D view of the surgical site and helps the doctor operate with precision, flexibility and control.
WHY SHOULD YOU PREFER MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY OVER OPEN SURGERY?
The word open surgery defines itself, sizeable cuts are made in the affected part to see inside our body and repair it, open surgery causes a lot of pain, discomfort and a lot of time to heal, we have to spend more time in hospitals and take a lot of medications to heal the wounds caused by surgery. Talking about minimally invasive surgery, minor holes or cuts are made to insert a tube called a laparoscope which allows the surgeon to see the damage and perform a surgery according to it, an advantage of performing minimally invasive surgery is that there is less pain, discomfort and complications caused by the surgeries are less and we don’t have to stay in hospitals or take an unnecessary amount of medicines to heal the wounds caused by the surgery.
TYPES OF MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERIES.
Laparoscopy: Laparoscopy is one of the first types of minimally invasive surgery, the camera sends live pictures of the body on the monitor which allows the surgeon to perform the surgery with minimal pain. Laparoscopy is used for diagnostic purposes, to examine organs and abnormalities, or to take tissue samples.
Arthroscopic surgery: This surgery is used to examine, diagnose or repair any kind of joint damage.
Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES): This is a surgery that allows access to the abdominal cavity through natural orifices, such as the oral, rectal, or vaginal openings, with little to no scarring.
Bronchoscopy: Bronchoscopy is a flexible tube inserted through the mouth or nose to look inside your lungs, this surgery helps to diagnose lung problems, remove foreign bodies, and take samples of tissues or fluid.
Sigmoidoscopy: A small, flexible tube with a light and a camera lens at the end (endoscope) is used to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon.
Endoscopy: Endoscopy means diagnosing inside of the digestive tract, tissue samples can also be collected through this method.
RISKS AND BENEFITS OF THE SURGERY
Let’s talk about the advantages first of the minimally invasive surgery:
- Less trauma
- Fewer complications
- Less blood loss and lower risk of infection
- Quick recovery, as compared to open surgery
- No or shorter stay at hospitals
Every surgery has its perks and cons. It is one of the less risky surgeries but can have various types of side effects like bleeding, infection and injury to the organs. If the surgery is performed under an expert the possibility of risks lowers, yet talk to your doctor regarding the risks before performing minimally invasive surgery.
Minimally invasive surgeries are one of the most performed surgeries by surgeons as they have been said to be the safest surgery for the doctor as well as the patients. Consult your doctor and ask any questions regarding the surgery before performing it.