Laparoscopy

 Some of the operations outlined above, including pouch surgery, may now be carried out using laparoscopy (minimally invasive surgery). This is also known as ‘keyhole surgery’. Instead of making one large opening in the wall of the abdomen, the surgeon makes four or five small incisions (cuts) each only about 1cm (half an inch) long. Small tubes are passed through these incisions and a harmless gas is pumped in to inflate the abdomen slightly and give the surgeon more space. A laparoscope, a thin tube containing a light and a camera, is used to relay images of the inside of the abdomen to a television monitor in the operating theatre. Small surgical instruments can also be passed through the incisions and guided to the right place using the view from the laparoscope. If a section of the intestine needs to be removed, this can be done through a separate larger incision.

Laparoscopic operations tend to take longer than ‘open’ surgery, but can have a number of advantages, such as:

• less pain after the operation

• smaller scars

• faster recovery for example, being able to eat and drink more quickly after the operation

• reduced risk of a wound infection

• a shorter stay in hospital. 

  However, laparoscopic surgery may not be available in all centres and may not be appropriate for some procedures, particularly if you have already had abdominal surgery.

 

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