Many people who have blocked veins or arteries in their legs or who have aneurysms of the chest or abdominal area may need surgery to correct them. However traditional surgical techniques can make for a long, painful recovery. Fortunately, laparoscopic surgery can usually be done, and this has several benefits.
What Is Laparoscopic Surgery?
Laparoscopic surgery refers to a type of minimally invasive surgery performed by making several small incisions in the body, instead of one long incision, which is used in traditional surgeries. A metal tube with a tiny telescope, which is the laparoscope, is placed through the incisions so the surgeon can see the area which needs to be repaired. Then, using special instruments in place of a surgeon’s hands, the repairs are made and the incisions are closed.
Benefits of Laparoscopic Surgery
There are several benefits to having laparoscopic instead of traditional surgery, but not every patient qualifies for laparoscopic procedures. If the issue is an abdominal aneurysm and the patient has had abdominal surgery before, then there may be adhesions in the area which prevent the option of using laparoscopic techniques. In addition, a patient’s weight and other health conditions may make them an unsuitable candidate.
Reduced Risks
Although there are risks associated with any surgery, they are not as great with laparoscopic surgery as they are with traditional surgeries. The risk of infection is reduced because the incisions are much smaller, so they don’t open a section of the body like in traditional surgeries. Also, since the incisions are much smaller, there is less blood loss during surgery.
Less Scarring
With the incisions being only a few centimetres long, there is far less scarring when laparoscopic vascular surgery is performed.If veins or arteries of a leg are repaired, people will be less apt to be embarrassed about wearing shorts or skirts because of scarring. With laparoscopic surgery, the scars may not be visible once they’ve healed.
Shorter Hospital Stays
As it is minimally invasive, laparoscopic surgery only requires short hospital stays, if any. Sometimes a patient can go home the same day, depending on the extent of the surgery. Due to increased risks of infections and trauma to the body and pain, those who’ve had traditional surgeries may need to remain in the hospital several days after their procedure.
Less Expensive
Even though laparoscopic surgery is done with special equipment, the costs involved are lower than they are with traditional surgeries. Some procedures can be done in a doctor’s clinic instead of a hospital. Since hospital stays are usually shorter, the hospital and recovery costs are less expensive than those of traditional surgeries.
Laparoscopic surgeries are being done more often and are taking the place of traditional surgeries for many areas of the body. Knee surgeries, cardiovascular procedures, and back surgeries are usually performed with laparoscopic techniques. If you have varicose veins or need an aneurysm repaired, ask the doctor if you’re a candidate for laparoscopic surgery so you can get back to your life quicker.
