What is minimally invasive surgery?
A minimally invasive procedure is an alternative to traditional, or what is known as “open” surgery, in which a large incision must be made to expose the area of the body to be operated on. The minimally invasive procedure eliminates the need for this long incision. Small incisions are made to accommodate small tubes called trocars. These create a passageway for special surgical instruments and a laparoscope. A laparoscope is a fiber-optic instrument that is inserted in the abdominal wall and is used to visually examine the interior of what is known as the peritoneal cavity. This device is used to transmit images from within the body to a video monitor, allowing the surgeon to see the operative area on the screen.
