Laparoscopic surgery is a modern medical technique that has been applied in many surgical specialties in recent years. Its aim is to achieve the same or even better diagnostic and therapeutic result compared to classical open surgery, which is performed through an incision in the abdominal wall.
The conventional open method uses incisions approximately ten centimeters (10 cm) long or larger, which allow the surgeon to see the internal organs with the naked eye and use their hands to perform the desired surgical treatment, such as the removal of the uterus, fibroids, or endometriosis in the field of gynecology. These incisions are closed at the end of the procedure, usually with surgical sutures. In contrast, laparoscopic surgery does not require such large incisions, but only small ones, usually between half a centimeter and one centimeter (0.5–1 cm). Through these, the operation is performed using specialized surgical instruments, and the image is displayed on screens via a camera.
The advantages of this method include the magnified high-definition image, which allows the surgeon to diagnose conditions with precision and treat them more effectively.
A characteristic example of this is the case of endometriosis.
Endometriosis is a relatively common condition among women, affecting approximately one in seven (1:7), who develop small or large deposits of endometrial tissue (the tissue that sheds from the uterus each month during menstruation) on the internal organs of their abdominal cavity.
The result is pain during menstruation, pain during sexual intercourse, lower back pain, and sometimes infertility. With the laparoscopic approach, diagnosis and treatment are achieved more successfully, even in cases of mild endometriosis, for which open surgery might not provide adequate diagnosis or treatment, causing these usually young women to suffer for years and face fertility issues that could have been resolved with laparoscopic removal of the disease.
Beyond the superior surgical visualization, laparoscopy in gynecology offers both immediate (during surgery and hospitalization) and long-term or indirect benefits (through the prevention of adhesions). Postoperative pain is significantly reduced, enabling patients to leave the hospital and return home the same or next day (regardless of the severity of the procedure), compared to the 3 to 7 days typically required after open surgery. Recovery at home and return to work are also faster.
Laparoscopic surgery is equally safe and is associated with less blood loss compared to open procedures. Due to the small abdominal incisions, extensive local tissue reaction is avoided, and therefore fewer postoperative adhesions form.
These benefits are particularly evident in the removal of uterine fibroids, benign tumors found in up to one in three (1:3) women of reproductive age, often associated with heavy menstrual bleeding and infertility. Laparoscopic fibroid removal increases the likelihood of conception and treats problematic periods, while causing less blood loss during surgery and fewer adhesions than open procedures performed either through classical laparotomy or even smaller mini-laparotomy incisions.
We therefore have at our disposal a surgical method that has evolved over the last 25 years and now offers numerous advantages to patients, clearly surpassing conventional open surgeries with large incisions.
