What Is Laparoscopy?
Source
Laparoscopy (pronounced "lap-a-ROSS-coe-pee") is a
surgical procedure performed through very small incisions in the abdomen, using
specialized instruments. A pencil-thin instrument called a laparoscope is
used, and it gives the surgeon an exceptionally clear view, on a TV monitor, of
the inside of the abdominal cavity.
A laparoscope has lenses like a telescope to magnify body
structures, a powerful light to illuminate them, and a miniature video camera.
The camera sends images of the inside of the body to a TV monitor in the
operating room. Specialized surgical instruments can be inserted through the
laparoscope, and through small incisions nearby.
This type of surgery is called 'minimally invasive' because of
the very small incisions used. Yet major procedures can now be performed using
this technique. The term laparoscopy is used when this type of surgery is
performed in the abdomen. It's called arthroscopy when performed in a joint, and
endoscopy when done through a natural opening in the body, such as the mouth or
nose.
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"Laparo" comes from a Greek word meaning "flank," which is
the side of the body between the ribs and hips. Doctors use this term to
refer to the abdomen. The term "scope" means to look at or examine.
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Many procedures once done through a large opening in the
abdomen can now be done with the small incisions of laparoscopy.
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Laparoscopy has become the preferred surgical technique for
some conditions, such as gallbladder disease.
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Facts About Laparoscopy
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Reducing the size of incisions has been a
dream of surgeons for thousands of years. Hippocrates described
a rectoscope in 400 BC. Albukasim, an Arab doctor of the 11th
century, developed a speculum illuminated by a set of light
reflectors. These early systems had limited applications because
the heat produced by candles and other artificial lights was
transmitted to the instruments and could result in burns.
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In 1901, George Kelling was the first person
to perform a laparoscopy on a dog using a technique to introduce
air into the abdominal cavity. The first laparoscopy on a human
was performed in 1911 by the Swedish doctor H. C. Jacobeus.
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Up to the 1970s, laparoscopy was mainly used
by gynecologists and gastroenterologists for diagnostic
purposes. Therapeutic laparoscopy
was introduced by gynecologists in the early 1970s.
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Rapid technical advances in miniaturized
surgical tools, fiber optics, and video systems enabled new
developments in minimally invasive surgery.
These methods greatly reduced post-operative complications so
that laparoscopy and other types of minimally invasive surgery
became widely used by surgeons around the world.
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In 1911, Dr. Bertram M. Bernheim, of Johns
Hopkins University, was the first to perform laparoscopic
surgery in the United States.
http://www.laparoscopy.com
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In the 1980s, the development of small,
high-resolution television cameras made the laparoscope a more
effective tool for operating inside the abdominal cavity.
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The first live broadcast of a laparoscopy via
the Internet took place in 1996.
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On March 3, 1997, a computer-enhanced robotic
system was used on a human for the first time by Dr. J. Himpens
to perform some steps of laparoscopic surgery.
http://www.lap-surgery.com
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Removal of the gallbladder with laparoscopy
is one of the most common operations in the United States. About
800,000 people undergo laparoscopic gallbladder removal each
year.
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