Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery
Fibroids
Uterine fibroids, also known as myomas, are non-cancerous tumors of the lining or muscular walls of the uterus. More than 40% of all women develop fibroids, and most fibroids do not cause symptoms or require treatment. However, fibroids may require treatment in the following circumstances:
- if they are growing large enough to cause pressure on other organs, such as the bladder.
- if they are causing abnormal bleeding
- if they are causing problems with fertility
Fibroid tumors can often be removed in a surgical procedure called a laparoscopic myomectomy. For patients who are candidates, this surgical approach allows a woman to avoid a large incision in her abdomen, which is the way traditional myomectomies are performed.
A laparoscopic myomectomy is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia. Gas (carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide) is used to inflate the abdomen via a tiny incision. This is done to push the abdominal wall away from the organs, allowing better visualization during surgery. The laparoscope, which is a tiny telescope connected to a camera, is then inserted through another small incision through the umbilicus, and the internal organs are examined. Depending on the size of the fibroid removed and the size of the incision on the uterus, some women may require a caesarean delivery with future pregnancies.
Laparoscopic myomectomy typically requires an overnight stay in the hospital and a 2-3 week recovery time. When the operation has been completed, the abdominal incisions are closed with a few stitches that will dissolve. Usually there is little or no scarring. After the surgery you may experience pain in your shoulder which can be a side effect of the gas used to inflate the abdomen dissipating from the body.
** You should not eat or drink for at least 8 hours prior to the procedure.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus (the endometrium) and is shed each cycle during menstruation, is found growing outside of the uterus, such as in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bowel, or bladder. Because uterine tissue, no matter where it is situated in the body, responds to the natural hormone cycle by bleeding during menstruation, endometriosis can be extremely painful, especially in those sites where there are no natural escape routes for the blood. Endometriosis can cause inflammation, scarring, and blockage inside the pelvic cavity, and it is thought that 50% of women with endometriosis may have problems getting pregnant. In some cases, endometriosis scars and obstructs the fallopian tubes so severely that the tubes cannot pick up the egg. In other cases, ovaries may become so scarred by endometriosis that ovulation may not occur.
Laparoscopy is the surgical treatment of choice for diagnosing and treating endometriosis. It involves inserting a tiny telescope connected to a camera called a laparoscope through a small incision in the umbilicus in order to view the reproductive organs. Laparoscopy> makes examination of the abdominal cavity possible without a large abdominal incision.
Laparoscopic treatment of endometriosis is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia and usually takes less than an hour. The abdomen is inflated with gas (carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide) to push the abdominal wall away from the organs so that they can be seen clearly. The laparoscope is then inserted through a small incision, and the internal organs are examined. Additional incisions may be used to insert instruments and to move internal organs and structures for better viewing. Laparoscopy is used to diagnose and treat endometriosis at the same time. When present, sites of endometriosis (implants) may be destroyed by laser beam or electric current (electrocautery) or cut away and removed.
This procedure typically requires an overnight stay in the hospital and a 2-3 week recovery time. When the procedure has been completed, the abdominal incisions are closed with a few stitches that will dissolve. Usually there is little or no scarring. After the surgery you may experience pain in your shoulder which can be a side effect of the gas used to inflate the abdomen, dissipating from the body.
** You should not eat or drink for at least 8 hours prior to the procedure.
Ovarian Cysts
For women who suffer from ovarian cysts, surgical options include removal of the cyst or in more advanced cases the removal of one or both ovaries. More than 90% of benign ovarian cysts can be removed with laparoscopic cystectomy, a minimally invasive procedure.
Laparoscopic treatment of ovarian cysts is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia and usually takes less than an hour to perform. The abdomen is inflated with gas (carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide) to push the abdominal wall away from the organs so that they can be seen clearly. The laparoscope is then inserted through a small incision in the umbilicus, and the internal organs are examined. Laparoscopy is used to diagnose and treat ovarian cysts at the same time.
This procedure typically requires an overnight stay in the hospital and a 2-3 week recovery time. When the procedure has been completed, the abdominal incisions are closed with a few stitches. Usually there is little or no scarring. After the surgery you may experience pain in your shoulder which can be a side effect of the gas used to inflate the abdomen, dissipating from the body.
** You should not eat or drink for at least 8 hours prior to the procedure.
Hysterectomy
If you are told that you have to undergo a hysterectomy, a fairly new technique called a laparoscopic hysterectomy can shorten your hospital stay and recovery time by half, compared to a traditional hysterectomy.
A laparoscopic hysterectomy is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia and usually takes a couple of hours to perform. The surgery involves inserting a tiny telescope connected to a camera called a laparoscope through a small incision in the umbilicus so that the reproductive organs can be seen. The abdomen is inflated with gas (carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide) to push the abdominal wall away from the organs so that they can be seen clearly. A cutting and stapling instrument is used to detach the uterus and seal its supporting vessels with triple rows of tiny staples. The uterus is then removed through the vagina and the minute incisions on the abdomen are sealed with sutures.
The operation usually requires a hospital stay of 1-3 days, and a 2-3 week recovery time. When the operation has been completed, the abdominal incisions are closed with a few stitches. Usually there is little or no scarring. After the surgery you may experience pain in your shoulder which can be a side effect of the gas used to inflate the abdomen, dissipating from the body.
** You should not eat or drink for at least 8 hours prior to the procedure.
Our doctors also perform traditional hysterectomies through an abdominal incision (laparotomy) for patients who are not candidates for a laparoscopic hysterectomy.