What is endoscopic surgery?
The term endoscopic surgery groups together several techniques for direct observation of the interior of an organ or cavity by means of an optical instrument (a tube with lighting connected to a video camera and a television monitor) that is introduced through natural orifices of the human body or the abdominal wall, such as hysteroscopy and laparoscopy.
It is a minimally invasive surgery that has been an advance over traditional open interventions, as it is a much more reliable and accurate technique, there is less subsequent trauma and also the aesthetic results are better. It is usually performed under general anesthesia.
Why is it performed?
Endoscopy is a technique that can be used for diagnosis and observation as well as for treatment and surgery. Specifically, endoscopic surgery is used in various fields of medicine: endoscopic surgery is very common in gynecology, called hysteroscopy, to treat pathologies of the uterus, such as cysts, endometriosis, myomas or even to perform tubal ligation, study infertility, or a hysterectomy or removal of the uterus. On the other hand, it is also common to treat these pathologies by laparoscopy, which differs in that it approaches the surgery from an orifice in the abdominal cavity.
It is also used in other fields, such as Otolaryngology, where endoscopic nasosinual surgery is very common to treat lesions or problems inside the nose that prevent normal breathing, affect the sense of smell or cause pain in the face and head. On the other hand, in General and Digestive System Surgery, the endoscopic or laparoscopic technique can be used in obesity surgery. An emergency endoscopy can also be performed, as in the field of Neurosurgery to treat a cerebral hemorrhage or cerebrovascular accident (Ictus).
What does it consist of?
Endoscopic surgery consists of the introduction of an endoscope, which is an optical instrument in the form of a tube with a video camera and lighting at the end, through one of the natural orifices of the body or through an incision, so that the specialist surgeon can observe through a television monitor the organ or area to be treated. In addition, different tools can be introduced through the endoscope to perform the surgery.
The endoscope is the fundamental instrument in this less invasive surgery.
Preparation for endoscopic surgery
Before the surgery, the patient must inform his physician about his state of health and the medication he is taking, as well as observing his medical history and undergoing various tests to assess whether he can undergo the operation. Generally, these preliminary diagnostic tests will include clinical analyses, although depending on the surgery and the patient’s characteristics, the specialist may require more specific tests.
As endoscopic surgery is performed under general anesthesia, the patient is also usually required to fast for 8 hours prior to surgery.
Care after the operation
The main advantage of endoscopic surgery is that since it is less invasive than other surgical techniques, it allows a much shorter postoperative period. Thus, the patient will remain hospitalized for a few hours and can even return home the same day of the operation. Generally speaking, the patient will be able to return to normal activity 48-72 hours after the operation.
Postoperative discomfort is also minor, so that the patient does not require absolute rest and can develop his life normally.
Alternatives to endoscopic surgery
The alternative to endoscopic surgery is conventional open surgery. This other technique is not an advance, but an earlier technique, which involves a greater risk of complications, a longer and more complicated postoperative period, as well as larger and more visible scars.
On the other hand, an advance in minimally invasive surgery techniques such as endoscopic surgery is robotic surgery, which consists of these techniques carried out by the surgeon specialist through a high-precision robotic system that allows an improved vision of the area to be treated and movements with the surgical tools that would be impossible to perform by a human, without the help of the robotic system.