What does endoscopic surgery consist of?
Endoscopic surgery is a surgical technique in which we introduce optical material for viewing and surgical material through small incisions to reach the lesion in situ, diagnose and treat it.
What advantages does it offer over conventional surgery?
Endoscopic surgery offers a number of advantages over conventional surgery. Although open surgery, or conventional surgery, is our main weapon, there are occasions when endoscopic surgery is indicated. When this is the case the advantages are indisputable. The minimal incisions mean that the complications associated with the wound are practically nil and the aggression to the tissues is minimal, which means that recovery times are much shorter and postoperative pain and postoperative discomfort are much less.
In which cases can it be used?
Endoscopic surgery is becoming increasingly common in all medical specialties. There are a multitude of trauma injuries that can be treated by endoscopic surgery. Two good examples are herniated discs -in endoscopic hernia surgery we are able to remove the herniated disc practically without damaging any of the adjacent tissues- and another good example would be ankle injuries, posterior impeachment, sequelae of sprains, tendon entrapments… a multitude of ankle problems that we can now solve by means of endoscopic techniques.
What care is necessary during the postoperative period?
The postoperative period for endoscopic surgery is much simpler than for traditional or conventional surgery. Firstly, the recovery time is much shorter. And secondly, the complications associated with scarring and damage to all the areas through which the lesion was approached are much less. Finally, the time of incorporation or reincorporation to the usual activity or to the usual activities, in the case of athletes to sport, is significantly less than with traditional surgery.