Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgical technique that results in a faster recovery and less pain. At Oak Hills Women’s Center, P.A. located in San Antonio, Texas, the team of OB/GYNs offers laparoscopic gynecological surgery for procedures, including hysterectomy. To learn if you’re a candidate for this revolutionary technology, call the office or book an appointment online.
Laparoscopic surgery involves making tiny incisions. Into these incisions, your doctor inserts tiny instruments into the incisions to perform the necessary surgery. A laparoscope — a thin tube with a camera attached to the end — is one of these instruments. It projects images from inside your body onto a video screen to help guide the surgical process.
Laparoscopy is almost always done while you’re under general anesthesia. But, the procedure is usually outpatient — meaning you go home the same day.
Laparoscopy is effective for many gynecological surgeries. At Oak Hills Women’s Center, P.A., the team uses laparoscopy to perform procedures such as:
Laparoscopy can also resolve ectopic pregnancies, tubal cysts, and ovarian or tubal cyst torsion. If you elect a sterilization procedure for birth control — such as tubal ligation — laparoscopy is an effective, minimally invasive approach.
If you come to Oak Hills Women’s Center, P.A. with pelvic pain that can’t be diagnosed with ultrasounds, X-rays, or MRI, the doctors may suggest you undergo a diagnostic laparoscopic procedure.
The doctors use laparoscopy to diagnose many conditions, including:
Laparoscopy can also identify scar tissue or abscesses that may cause pain in your pelvic region. An advantage of using laparoscopy for diagnosis is that the doctors can also potentially address the issue at the same time, such as when they remove endometrial tissue or uterine fibroids.
Laparoscopy is less invasive than traditional open surgery. The benefits of smaller incisions include:
Laparoscopy generally results in less pain for you too.
Although recovery is much shorter than with conventional surgery, the doctors give you specific instructions to lay low and restrict activities for some time following the surgery. The exact time you need for recovery depends on the procedure you had performed.
To learn more about laparoscopic surgery for gynecological conditions, call the office of Oak Hills Women’s Center, P.A. or book an appointment online.