Laparoscopy for
Gynecology & General Surgery

Overview of Laparoscopy for Gynecology

Laparoscopic surgery has a number of applications within the overall field of gynecology. It is especially useful in this area because of all the delicate organs involved, and because laparoscopic generally uses precision instruments and smaller incisions to conduct surgery. It’s possible to use diagnostic laparoscopic to identify such conditions as fibroids or endometriosis. A skilled surgeon can also perform a tubal ligation, an ovarian cyst removal, and even a hysterectomy using laparoscopic surgery.

Overview of Laparoscopy for General Surgery

When laparoscopic is used for general surgery, it’s a minimally invasive approach to surgery which invariably involves fewer risks than traditional surgery. An instrument called a laparoscope is inserted through a small incision in the body, and its high intensity light and high-resolution camera are capable of providing clear pictures of internals, all of which are sent to a video monitor. It’s very often used to identify the source of abdominal pain, or to obtain biopsy samples without requiring a more invasive method of traditional surgery. Laparoscopy has quickly become a preferred surgical approach, because it involves far fewer risks, and because the smaller incisions make for a much shorter recovery time than the larger incisions necessary for open surgery.

What is the Typical Recovery Time for Laparoscopic Surgery?

While recovery times are different for all individuals, it can be stated that the recovery time associated with laparoscopic surgery is invariably much less than it would be for traditional open surgery. The actual recovery time necessary after laparoscopic surgery will depend on the type of treatment which was conducted. For instance, if you’ve had your appendix removed, it would generally be possible to get back to normal activities in less than three weeks. If you’ve had major surgery performed, such as the removal of ovaries or kidneys due to cancer, that would require a longer recovery period, possibly as much as 12 weeks. If the surgery conducted was merely informational or diagnostic in nature, recovery time may be two weeks or less. Once the type of procedure is known, your doctor will be able to give you a fairly accurate forecast on how long it will take you to recover from laparoscopic surgery.