Exploratory Gynecological Minimally Invasive Surgery
If you experience heavy bleeding during your periods, suffer through excruciating menstrual cramps, or are unable to get pregnant, then your gynecologist may recommend a type of minimally invasive surgery known as laparoscopic surgery. During this procedure, your doctor will make a couple of small incisions around your naval just big enough to insert the scope instrument and small camera. The exploratory gynecological minimally invasive surgery can reveal a number of disorders such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and ovarian cysts. Here are some things to expect before and after your gynecological laparoscopic procedure.
Before Your Laparoscopy
Even though your surgeon will not be making large abdominal incisions during your procedure, you will still be given general anesthesia, which means that you will be asleep during your minimally invasive surgery. A general anesthetic is preferred over local anesthesia, where you are awake during your procedure. This ensures that you will remain perfectly still and so you do not accidentally sneeze or cough while the scope and camera are inside of the abdominal cavity.
Any unusual movement can raise the small risk of organ perforation, and because of this, gynecological minimally invasive surgery is never done under local anesthesia. Because you will be given general anesthesia, you will not be able to eat or drink after midnight the night prior to your procedure. This is to ensure that you do not aspirate food or fluid into your lungs while your gag reflex is suppressed under general anesthesia.
After Your Laparoscopy
Although your minimally invasive gynecological surgery can take hours to complete, you may be able to go home the same day or the day after your procedure. You will not have a large incision but the small ones will be closed with a couple of sutures and special wound strips. Pain from minimally invasive gynecological surgery is typically mild because the surgeon does not need to cut through large muscles and expansive areas of soft tissue.
Despite the absence of severe post-operative pain, you may still experience some nausea as a result of the general anesthesia. If you feel nauseous after surgery, the surgical staff can give you anti-nausea medication and ice chips to help you feel better.
If you are anticipating gynecological minimally invasive surgery, consider the above things to expect before and after. Once your doctor determines the reason for your heavy periods, severe menstrual cramps, or infertility, they will recommend an effective treatment plan suited to your personal situation.
Speak to your OBGYN doctor to learn more about minimally invasive surgery.