Laparoscopic surgery uses a thin, lighted tube (laparoscope) that is inserted into the abdominal cavity through a very small incision in the wall of the abdomen. The laparoscope allows the surgeon to see inside the abdomen without making a large incision. Surgical instruments can also be inserted through additional small incisions.
Laparoscopic surgery may take about the same or more time to perform as open surgery, but the time required for recovery is usually shorter. It costs about the same as open surgery, which requires a large incision. The main advantages of laparoscopic surgery are that the small incisions leave smaller scars, and recovery from the surgery takes less time.
Laparoscopic surgical techniques are being used more often to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). When choosing a surgeon, experience is the most important consideration. Find out the number of these procedures the surgeon has performed and their success rate.
Credits
| Author | Merrill Hayden |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Katy E. Magee, MA |
| Associate Editor | Michele Cronen |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Peter J. Kahrilas, MD - Gastroenterology |
| Last Updated | April 18, 2006 |
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