What are the risks of laparoscopic surgery?
The risks are similar for both laparoscopic and open surgery. First and foremost, there is always the possibility that surgeon may not be able to complete the procedure laparoscopically. This may be secondary to unexpected complications or because the surgery cannot be safely performed with a laparoscopic approach. Complications specific to laparoscopy include injury to the bowel, bladder and blood vessels at the time of insertion of the surgical instruments and hernia formation at an incision site. Other complications not specific to laparoscopy include infection, bleeding and deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in the legs). Death is also a potential but RARE complication of any type of surgery.
