Laparoscopic surgery, also called minimally invasive surgery, is a modern surgical technique that incorporates the benefits of endoscopy with video technology, so that the surgeon is able to perform standard surgical procedures through very small incisions ranging from 0.5-1.5 cm in diameter. If these procedures were to be done though traditional open surgery, they would require very large incisions compared to the ones needed for laparoscopic surgery. This technique may be used to access almost any cavity within the human body.
Once within the cavity of choice, the surgeon will be able not only to identify the pathology but correct it as well. One of the great advantages of laparoscopic surgery, when compared with traditional open surgery, is that the patient will experience less pain after the procedure, and the patient will also have a shorter period of recovery. Therefore, the patient will return to his daily activities sooner than expected. Additional advantages present with this technique include: decreased hemorrhage, less trauma to the tissues, better visualization of the surgical field and gives access to multiple organs through the same number of incisions.
The key element in laparoscopic surgery is the use of a fiber optic scope called the laparoscope. The laparoscope is connected to a video system that allows the physician to view the patient’s internal organs. The abdomen is insufflated with CO2 gas to create a working and viewing space. The gas used is natural to the human body and will be absorbed by tissue and removed by the respiratory system.
Laparoscopic surgery has been widely used for the purpose of diagnostic and surgical procedures all throughout the 20th century. Nonetheless, it has only recently been accepted as a standard option for most surgical procedures.
It is difficult to credit one individual with the pioneering of the laparoscopic approach. Many have contributed to enhance and popularize this modern surgical approach. In 1902 Georg Kelling, of Dresden, Saxony, performed the first laparoscopic procedure in dogs and in 1910 Hans Christian Jacobaeus, of Sweden, reported the first laparoscopic operation in humans. Many important developments have occurred since then; among others, the insuflator, CO2 regulator, specially designed laparoscopic instruments and the merging of modern day fiber optics with the field of video imaging techniques.
For example, the introduction of the television camera, in the early 70’s, gave laparoscopic surgery the means to project a magnified view of what was being observed into a monitor; filming and recording of such procedures followed allowing the dissemination of medical education in this field. The surgeon was now able to have both hands accessible performing even more complex procedures in an easier manner.
Other historical landmarks continued, but among the most important was one that revolutionized today’s surgical field, making it one of the most ‘patient friendly’ surgical procedures: Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. Originally performed in 1986-1987 and widely reported in 1988 by Drs. Reddick-Olsen-Saye, it is considered today as the golden standard for the treatment of Gallbladder disease.
With better design and newer technological advancements, the field of laparoscopy continues to grow, as evidenced by the incorporation of robotics. As a result of all of this, Laparoscopic Surgery is a much safer and accepted option for treatment.