Laparoscopic Surgery

What is Laparoscopic Surgery?

A laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure Dr. jorge Castillo does to look for problems in your stomach or pelvic area. They use a tool called a laparoscope, which is a thin, telescopic rod with a video camera on the end.

Dr. Castillo puts the laparoscope through a small cut (incision) in your belly (abdomen) measuring half an inch or less. Surgeons may make up to three more cuts to insert other surgical instruments so they can see all the organs in your belly and find any problems.

The laparoscope camera projects an image of the inside of your belly or pelvis onto a monitor in real time. Using these images, surgeons can watch their hand motions during the procedure.

Dr. Illich Navarro, the founder of Tijuana Bariatric Surgery, might recommend laparoscopic surgery if other diagnostic tests can’t identify the cause of your condition.

What is laparoscopy done for?

Traditional surgeries best suited for laparoscopic surgeries include:

• Cyst, fibroid, stone and polyp removals.
• Small tumor removals.
• Biopsies.
• Tubal ligation and reversal.
• Ectopic pregnancy removal.
• Endometriosis surgery.
• Urethral and vaginal reconstruction surgery.
• Orchiopexy (testicle correction surgery).
• Rectopexy (rectal prolapse repair).
• Hernia repair surgery.
• Esophageal anti-reflux surgery (fundoplication).
• Gastric bypass surgery.
• Bariatric Surgery.
• Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) for gallstones.
• Appendectomy (appendix removal).

Is a laparoscopy a major surgery?

Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure, but that doesn’t always mean it’s a minor surgery. Many abdominal procedures can be done as laparoscopic surgeries, but they’re still major surgeries. Your surgeon is the best person to tell you if your procedure is a major surgery, how to prepare for it and what to expect during recovery.

How should I prepare for a laparoscopy or laparoscopic surgery?

Follow these guidelines before the procedure or surgery:

• Don’t eat, drink (including water) or smoke after midnight the day before your procedure or surgery.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing. You’ll have some abdominal tenderness and cramping.
• Wear low-heeled shoes on the day of surgery. You might be drowsy from the anesthesia and unsteady on your feet.
• Don’t wear any jewelry. (You can wear your wedding ring.)
• Remove any nail polish before the procedure.
• Arrange for someone to drive you home after the surgery.

What happens during a laparoscopy or laparoscopic surgery?

You’ll lay on the operating table slightly tilted with your head lower than your feet. Your anesthesiologist will give you general anesthesia to relax your muscles and prevent you from feeling pain during surgery.

Dr. Jorge Castillo will then make a small cut near your belly button or under your rib cage. They’ll insert a gas tube into this incision to fill your belly with gas. Pumping the area with gas makes your organs easier to see on the monitor.

After removing the gas tube, your surgeon inserts the laparoscope. They may insert surgical instruments through incisions nearby to take tissue samples or perform surgical procedures.

Dr. Castillo will let the gas out of your body once the procedure is over and close your incisions.

A diagnostic laparoscopy usually takes from 30 minutes to one hour. Laparoscopic surgery can take from one to three hours, depending on how complicated your condition is. If Dr.Castillo can’t safely complete the operation using laparoscopically, they may need to switch to a traditional open procedure with a larger incision.

What happens right after the procedure?

After surgery, you’ll usually stay in a recovery room for about one hour while providers monitor your vital signs until you wake up.

Will I be in pain when I wake up?

You may have pain after surgery from small amounts of gas left in your body, as well as internal pain from the surgery or around your incisions. It’s also common to have shoulder pain. Your provider will give you pain medication to make you more comfortable.

Before leaving the hospital, schedule your follow-up appointment so your healthcare provider can check your healing progress.

What are the advantages of laparoscopic surgery?

The advantages of having laparoscopic surgery include:

• Less trauma to the insides of your belly.
• Less blood loss and a lower risk of hemorrhage.
• Smaller scars.
• Less risk of infection.
• A shorter hospital stay, which means you’ll be able to recover more comfortably at home. Less time in the hospital is also less expensive.
• Faster recovery time and return to your usual activities.
• Less pain during healing, so you won’t need as much pain medication.

What should I do when I get home?

After you get home from laparoscopic surgery, you’ll want to take it easy for at least a day or two. You should follow these steps:

• Don’t drink alcohol for at least 24 hours after surgery.
• Keep the incisions clean and dry.
• Follow the instructions on how to bathe that your healthcare provider gives you.
• You can remove the bandage the morning after surgery. Steri-Strips™ — which look like tape — can be removed two to three days after surgery.
• If you have glue on your incisions, leave the glue until it falls off. Pat dry after a shower.
• Don’t worry if your urine (pee) is green. Your surgeon might have used a blue dye to check if your fallopian tubes are open.
• It may take a few days before you can poop as usual.