Dr. Avadh Patel is a colorectal surgeon in Kaizen Hospital, Ahmedabad. He has wide experience in treating complex colon and rectal diseases.
Traditionally, abdominal surgeries were performed with the open technique. In which surgeons put a large cut on the abdomen and perform the surgery. Minimally Invasive Surgery is the exact opposite of the traditional approach as it requires only 3 to 10 mm incisions, better known as ports for surgery. This makes the surgery safer with the advantage of less bleeding and less downtime.
In Minimally invasive abdominal surgery, surgeons make a few small incisions, which are called "ports." The exact size of the ports will vary from 3-10mm according to the procedure. Unlike open surgery, the surgeon typically will not need to make extensive cuts through skin, muscle, tissue, and nerves. The surgeon then works through the ports, inserting short, narrow tubes (metal or plastic) called "trochars." The next step is to insert surgical instruments, along with tiny video camera equipment, through the trochars. The surgeon manipulates the instruments to perform the surgery while watching video pictures sent back from the camera on a monitor. It is typically considered safer than open surgery.
Some minimally invasive surgeries for the abdomen are done with robotic technology that allows more precise control over the surgery. Other minimally invasive surgeries are done without robotic assistance, which is called laparoscopic.
You can also read: Minimally Invasive Surgery and Its Benefits
Obese patients have major benefits with minimally invasive surgery because operations that involve long incisions on a large amount of subcutaneous tissue are more likely to get infections, wound dehiscence, and pain.
These surgeries may also be more tolerable for people who have chronic pain issues, and for whom a large incision may result in more medicine to manage the pain, something that typically can be avoided with minimally invasive surgery.
Elderly people may also benefit from small incisions. Because of less pain, they can be mobilised early, which leads to fewer chances of clotting of blood in the legs.