Minimally invasive surgery includes any surgical procedure that uses advanced tools and techniques to reduce how large an incision must be. In some cases, procedures are able to be done without any incision at all. Many minimally invasive surgeries use specialized robots and cameras to let doctors perform intricate procedures in hard-to-reach and compact areas of the body.
Minimally invasive surgeries have been developed in almost every medical field, but they're especially widely used in gynecology. Laparoscopic hysterectomies, laparoscopic myomectomies, laparoscopies, and hysteroscopic myomectomies are all examples of minimally invasive procedures used in the specialty of gynecology.
Minimally invasive surgeries have two main advantages over comparable traditional surgeries. Because minimally invasive surgeries aren't as involved or invasive, they have a lower rate of complication and shorter recovery periods. The lower risk of complication increases the success rate of procedures, and the shorter recovery times let people get back to their normal activities faster.
The length of time of minimally invasive surgeries varies often. Many factors, such as what procedure is being done, the patient’s overall health, and what type of anesthesia is needed, influence how much time any one procedure will require.
Minimally invasive procedures almost always take less time than the same traditional surgeries do, though. In many cases, minimally invasive procedures can be done in a single day as outpatient surgeries, which means patients are free to return home and recover in their own home once the surgery is finished.
Any woman who needs gynecological surgery should ask if minimally invasive surgery is an option. It often is, and it’s usually the preferable option when a procedure can be done via minimally invasive or traditional techniques.
