Urological surgery has undergone significant progress in recent years with the development of technologies applied to the field. Urological endourology and urological laparoscopy have developed to the point of changing the way urologists act in their daily work, allowing them to perform minimally invasive and highly decisive surgery.
What does urological laparoscopy consist of?
Laparoscopy is the minimally invasive alternative to conventional open surgery. Through 3 or 4 small orifices of 0.5 – 1 cm, a small camera is introduced to see inside the abdomen and the necessary instruments to perform the various surgical procedures. The magnified image of the internal organs is transmitted to a television monitor through which the surgeon can be guided to perform the operation, with a better view than in conventional surgery.
What kind of operations can be performed with this technique?
The laparoscopic technique can be used to perform most of the procedures that have traditionally been performed by open surgery. The most frequent indications are:
– Radical prostatectomy
– Pyeloplasty in the case of pyeloureteral stenosis.
– Partial nephrectomy
– Radical nephrectomy
– Adrenalectomy
– Cystectomy
What are the advantages of laparoscopy for the patient?
Laparoscopic surgery offers the same therapeutic benefits as conventional open surgery but it also offers important advantages to the patient.
The minimally invasive approach produces a milder surgical stress response inflammation, with less postoperative pain that reduces the need for analgesics. It also allows a rapid recovery, with shorter hospital stays and a quicker return to work. Finally, it also offers a better aesthetic result.
These advantages mean that more and more often the motto in urological operating rooms is “operate minimally invasively”.