Laparoscopy

Laparoscopy lets a surgeon look inside the abdomen and pelvis without opening them widely. Under general anesthesia, a small incision is made in or just below the navel and a hollow tube is inserted. Carbon dioxide gas is pumped in to lift the abdominal wall and create working space, and a laparoscope, a slender tube with a light and a video camera, sends images to a screen. Further small incisions let other instruments in.

Diagnostic laparoscopy is used when imaging has not explained abdominal or pelvic pain, to look for bleeding, scar tissue, infection, endometriosis or growths, to take biopsies and to check whether a cancer has spread. The same approach can also treat problems, as in removing the appendix or gallbladder, repairing hernias or performing weight-loss surgery. Compared with open surgery through one large incision, it usually means less pain, smaller scars, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery.

Most patients have some abdominal soreness afterward, and leftover gas can irritate nerves and cause shoulder pain. Less common risks include bleeding, infection and injury to organs or blood vessels. Laparoscopy is a leading example of minimally invasive surgery, and robotic systems now extend the technique.