The first laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of gallbladder) in the U.S. was performed in 1988, but the procedure wasn’t widely adopted until the mid-1990s.
How Minimally-Invasive Surgery Works
Minimally-invasive procedures allow surgeons to make smaller surgical incisions through which they insert a special lens called a laparoscope that includes a thin, pencil-shaped camera. Using this tool, they can visualize the surgical site and insert additional surgical instruments through the small incisions.
These techniques can provide a shorter recovery time, less pain and reduced risk of infection over traditional open surgery, getting patients back to their daily routines faster.
How do you benefit from minimally-invasive surgery?
- Faster discharge – As a result of significantly less postoperative pain and faster healing, patients can be discharged from the hospital more quickly than with open surgery
- Fewer complications – A smaller incision means there is less chance of wound complications such as infection
- Less blood loss – With open surgeries, blood loss can be significant. Because the incisions associated with minimally-invasive procedures are very small, less blood loss occurs
- Minimal scarring – Better cosmetic results are achieved with the smaller incisions used in minimally-invasive surgery. Open surgeries often result in large scars
- Quicker recovery – With many of these procedures, a more rapid recovery is possible, meaning patients can return to work and other activities much sooner
- Reduced pain – Because these approaches are less invasive and often do not require splitting muscle layers or making large incisions, there is less pain involved during the healing process