Minimal invasive surgery
What is minimally invasive surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery is a type of surgery that uses special instruments that are designed to reduce the size of incisions and thus reduce damage to body tissues.
Next to endovascular surgery, which uses X-rays and is not in the domain of us gynecologists, there is another type of minimally invasive surgery, the one that uses optical instruments with which we see the inside of body cavities without opening them completely.
What are the different types of minimally invasive scope surgery?
There are a lots of different types. Their names are based on the body parts that are involved: thoracoscopy, laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, arthroscopy, endoscopy, colonoscopy.
In gynecology, we perform laparoscopic and hysteroscopic diagnostic and operative procedures.
How is minimally invasive surgery different from conventional surgery?
In general – but not always – this type of operation facilitates recovery. This is because:
- It usually involves several small wounds, rather than one big one
- The inside of the body does not get as exposed to open air as it would with regular surgery.
- The organs don’t get moved around as much.
Can patients always choose to have minimally invasive surgery?
No. Many procedures can now be performed with a minimally invasive approach, but it is not always up to the patient to choose what type of surgery to have. For example, there are gynecological-oncological surgeries that we perform the classic way for a better prognosis of the patient.
Even when we start the operation with a minimally invasive approach, there is no guarantee that the operation will remain so. However, a change of approach is rare and is always driven by the patient’s best interest.
