How Minimally Invasive Surgery Has Changed Recovery

When you’re facing surgery, you want the experience to be as painless as possible, with the shortest recovery period. Minimally invasive surgery, which is any procedure where the doctor relies on a laparoscopic, robotic or endoscopic approach, shortens hospital stays from days to hours and helps you get back to work and daily life faster.

Here’s what you need to know about minimally invasive surgery.

Smaller Incision Sites

Minimally invasive surgeries, such as laparoscopic and robotic, require much less cutting through skin, fat, muscle and connective tissue than open surgery does. Your surgeon can access the target area with the least amount of intrusion possible.

Less Scarring

Smaller incision sites mean smaller scars and less scar tissue. In some cases, such as with a colo-rectal surgery, the surgeon can often hide the incision in another part of the body. By comparison, open surgeries can result in much bigger scars.

Outpatient Procedure

Minimally invasive surgeries can typically be performed as same-day, outpatient procedures. Even if you’ve had a prior surgery or if an emergency arises during the procedure, it’s incredibly rare that a surgeon would have to transition from a minimally invasive surgery to an open surgery.

Shorter Recovery Times

These surgeries result in less injury. The smaller wounds and smaller targeted areas cause less inflammation. The entire process puts less stress to the body, which means your post-surgery recovery is faster.

Less Pain

Minimally invasive surgeries are typically not as painful, which means you need less pain-medication, such as narcotics, during your recovery. Taking smaller doses and fewer pills means you face much less risk of pain medication addiction.

Robotic Surgery’s Role

Most surgeries now are robot-assisted. This tool gives surgeons a more accurate and detailed window of visualization. They have the aid of looking into a 3D, high-definition camera as they work, which allows them to access areas deeper inside the body.

Robotic surgery also allows for micromovements, giving the surgeon greater control and precision.

Robotic arms give the surgeon a wider range of mobility.

• 270 degrees of motion compared to stick laparoscopy's 180. This greater ability to rotate means there is no tugging or pulling to access the targeted area.
• Greater articulation.
• The ability to sew inside cavities.
• Access to areas human hands can’t reach.

Longterm Benefits

Depending on the site of the surgery, small incision sites also reduce your future risk of getting hernias. The old method of open surgery would create larger incision sites, which weakened muscles and increased your chances of getting hernias in the future.

Is Minimally Invasive Surgery Right for You?

You would likely be eligible for minimally invasive surgery. In some cases, patients can’t tolerate any cuts to the targeted area, potentially because of scarring from previous surgeries, existing inflammation due to Crohn’s or other diseases, or potential complications due to severe heart disease, advanced lung disease or other factors.

If you are considering surgery or if your doctor has suggested a surgery and you have questions, talk to your doctor for more information.

This content is not AI generated.