What is urological laparoscopy?
Laparoscopy is a surgical technique for inspection of the abdominal cavity that does not require large incisions. This surgical technique has been an innovation in the last decade as part of minimally invasive surgery, since it achieves excellent results with fewer incisions and postoperative period than conventional surgery.
Why is it performed?
Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive technique used as a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure in various fields of Medicine and Surgery. Specifically in Urology, it is used mainly in prostate and renal pathologies, for example prostate cancer surgery, bladder cancer, renal cancer or renal lithiasis, among other surgical procedures.
In addition to being a surgical procedure, laparoscopy in Urology can also be a diagnostic process: the tool used, the laparoscope, is a thin tube containing an optical system coupled to a light source at one end, with which the specialist can observe the structures and identify possible pathologies.
What does it consist of?
During the procedure, a laparoscope is inserted into the abdomen. The camera it incorporates allows the physician to inspect, from a monitor, the pelvic organs and, if necessary, to introduce other instruments, generally forceps, scalpel or scissors, through the same laparoscope to correct any problems. Incisions in laparoscopic surgery usually measure 0.5 to 1.5 cm, while these same operations in conventional surgery could involve incisions of between 10 and 20 cm.
It is also possible to introduce CO2 gas to favor the vision of the abdominal cavity and to perform the surgery in a wider space.
The advantages of laparoscopy in urology are many, such as shorter hospitalization and recovery time, less chance of infectious complications, less postoperative pain and no visible scars.
Instruments for laparoscopic surgery
Preparation for urological laparoscopy
Not all patients are suitable to undergo urological laparoscopy, being not recommended for example for patients with morbid obesity, COPD or other previous surgeries that may interfere. For this reason, the patient will have to undergo some clinical tests and control his health status before the operation.
Depending on the surgery to be performed, the patient may need to fast for several hours before the procedure.
Post-operative care
The benefits of laparoscopy include rapid recovery and postoperative care compared to conventional surgery. Thus, in many cases the patient can be discharged the same day of the operation.
In other cases the patient may remain hospitalized for 24 hours, but in general the patient will not need to follow a special care routine, beyond the medication prescribed by the urologist specialist to avoid postoperative pain.
Alternatives to urological laparoscopy
In addition to laparoscopy, there are other surgical techniques for urological procedures, such as endoscopy or open surgery. The choice of technique will depend on the patient’s needs and the characteristics of the pathology, especially if the patient is unable to undergo urological laparoscopy.