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Before we talk about treatment, let's start with a discussion about the human body and about your medical condition.
Your doctor has recommended a laparoscopic surgical procedure either to aid in diagnosis
or to treat a medical problem in your abdomen - the area between your chest and groin. But what does that actually mean?
A laparoscope is a narrow tube
that contains a light source and a small video camera.
Using a laparoscope the surgeon is able to operate
by making one or more very small incisions . . . through which the sterile laparoscope, and possibly other instruments, are inserted into the body.
Using the laparoscope's video camera, the surgeon is able to explore and inspect the interior of the abdomen - often allowing the surgeon to see with greater detail and with more clarity than with the human eye alone.
Non laparoscopic surgery means making an incision large enough
to allow the surgeon to see the entire operative field
- as well as to fit his or her hands and instruments into the area of the human body on which the operation is being performed.
Laparoscopic surgery benefits the patient because it is almost always less invasive than traditional surgery - which means that it reduces post-operative discomfort, causes less scarring and can dramatically speed both recovery and healing.