Laparoscopic GYN surgery is also known as minimally invasive surgery.
There are many benefits associated with this type of surgery compared to having an open surgical procedure known as a laparotomy. One of the major benefits include the fact that there are small incisions made in your body as well as a shortened recovery time.
When undergoing an open laparotomy, there is much more trauma to the body and the likely need for more hospitalization and recuperation. We doing laparoscopic surgery, doctors use fiber optic tools in order to visualize your internal organs and then use specially designed instruments that are inserted into the small incisions, known as ports, in order to perform the surgery.
One of the risks associated with the performance of laparoscopic GYN surgery is an injury that can occur when a needle is inserted into your belly in order to inflate it. Insertion of this needle is technically a blind procedure. There have been instances where a doctor has punctured an artery or vein upon inserting the needle and even has perforated the bowel. If this were to occur, it is incumbent upon the surgeon to recognize that an injury has occurred immediately upon entering the belly.
While typically happens is that after the needle is inserted into your belly and gas is inserted into the abdomen to inflate it, a fiber-optic video camera is then inserted into one of the side ports. The doctor will look around to make sure everything is stable. Other instruments will then be inserted into other ports to begin the surgical procedure.
Before completing the surgical procedure and removing all instruments, the surgeon will explore the abdominal cavity again using the fiber-optic video camera to look for any defects or problems that may have occurred during the course of surgery.
Our medical experts tell us that injuries can occur upon insertion of a needle when beginning laparoscopic GYN surgery. If the surgeon fails to timely recognize and treat that injury, that can rise to the level of medical carelessness, also known as medical negligence or medical malpractice.
