How is laparoscopic surgery different from open surgery?
Laparoscopy is considered a more technologically advanced, less invasive approach to surgery. It requires that the surgeon have special training and skills in the laparoscopic technique. While open surgery uses an 8- to 10-inch incision (cut) to open the abdomen, the laparoscopic approach involves six small incisions (¼ or ½ inches long). Through these small incisions, a fiber optic tube (the laparoscope) connected to a camera and long-reaching instruments are inserted. The entire operation is performed “inside” the abdomen. Using laparoscopy, patients usually recover faster, require a shorter hospital stay, and have fewer complications, including less pain and scarring.
