Laparoscopy how long does it take

The instrument is inserted through an incision in the abdominal wall. As it moves along, the camera sends images to a video monitor. Laparoscopy allows your doctor to see inside your body in real time, without open surgery. Your doctor also can obtain biopsy samples during this procedure.

Laparoscopy is often used to identify and diagnose the source of pelvic or abdominal pain. The procedure may also be used to take a biopsy, or sample of tissue, from a particular organ in the abdomen. As well, your doctor may be able to perform an intervention to treat your condition immediately after diagnosis.

The most common risks associated with laparoscopy are bleeding , infection, and damage to organs in your abdomen. However, these are rare occurrences. Contact your doctor if you experience:. There is a small risk of damage to the organs being examined during laparoscopy. Blood and other fluids may leak out into your body if an organ is punctured.

In some circumstances, your surgeon may believe the risk of diagnostic laparoscopy is too high to warrant the benefits of using a minimally invasive technique. Performing laparoscopy in the presence of adhesions will take much longer and increases the risk of injuring organs. Your doctor will tell you how they should be used before and after the procedure. Your doctor may change the dose of any medications that could affect the outcome of laparoscopy.

These drugs include:. This will reduce the risk of harm to your developing baby. These tests can help your doctor better understand the abnormality being examined during laparoscopy.

The results also give your doctor a visual guide to the inside of your abdomen. This can improve the effectiveness of laparoscopy. You should also arrange for a family member or friend to drive you home after the procedure.

Laparoscopy is often performed using general anesthesia, which can make you drowsy and unable to drive for several hours after surgery. Laparoscopy is usually done as an outpatient procedure. It will take longer if the surgeon is treating a condition, depending on the type of surgery being carried out. After laparoscopy, you may feel groggy and disorientated as you recover from the effects of the anaesthetic.

Some people feel sick or vomit. These are common side effects of the anaesthetic and should pass quickly. You'll be monitored by a nurse for a few hours until you're fully awake and able to eat, drink and pass urine. Before you leave hospital, you'll be told how to keep your wounds clean and when to return for a follow-up appointment or have your stitches removed although dissolvable stitches are often used.

For a few days after the procedure, you're likely to feel some pain and discomfort where the incisions were made, and you may also have a sore throat if a breathing tube was used. You'll be given painkilling medication to help ease the pain. Some of the gas used to inflate your abdomen can remain inside your abdomen after the procedure, which can cause:.

These symptoms are nothing to worry about and should pass after a day or so, once your body has absorbed the remaining gas. In the days or weeks after the procedure, you'll probably feel more tired than usual, as your body is using a lot of energy to heal itself. Taking regular naps may help. The time it takes to recover from laparoscopy is different for everybody.

It depends on factors such as the reason the procedure was carried out whether it was used to diagnose or treat a condition , your general health and if any complications develop. If you've had laparoscopy to diagnose a condition, you'll probably be able to resume your normal activities within 5 days. You will probably need to take 2 weeks off from work. It depends on the type of work you do and how you feel.

You may shower 24 to 48 hours after surgery, if your doctor okays it. Pat the cut incision dry. Do not take a bath for the first 2 weeks, or until your doctor tells you it is okay. If your stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods such as plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt. Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Choose water and other caffeine-free clear liquids. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor before you increase the amount of fluids you drink.

You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery. Avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. You may want to take a fibre supplement every day. If you have not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, ask your doctor about taking a mild laxative. Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines.

You will also get instructions about taking any new medicines. If you take aspirin or some other blood thinner, ask your doctor if and when to start taking it again. Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do. Take pain medicines exactly as directed. If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.

If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine. If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. We analysed retrospectively consecutive operative laparoscopies on a procedure-by-procedure basis.

Diagnostic laparoscopy and laparoscopic sterilization were specifically excluded from the analysis. The various laparoscopic procedures were grouped and analysed under six major categories. The average operating time for all cases was In 38 cases 3. The average operating time for treating ectopic pregnancy and tubal disease was approximately 60 min range 13— Surgery for endometriosis and ovarian cysts averaged 72 min range 10— Laparoscopic myomectomy and hysterectomy averaged and min respectively range 25— Our results show that while the operating time for most operative laparoscopies is less than 75 min, the range of operating times is great.

The relative lack of predictability in procedure times means that the efficient utilization of fixed theatre sessions is difficult. Until the early s, intra-abdominal endoscopic procedures in gynaecology were used mainly for diagnostic purposes.

Instrumental and technical developments have transformed this diagnostic procedure into a broad spectrum of intra-abdominal endoscopic surgery which could replace most of the traditional gynaecological abdominal operations Semm and Mettler, ; Tulandi, As the list of laparoscopic procedures grows constantly, it appears that any abdominal or pelvic surgical procedure can be done laparoscopically if the surgeon is persistent and innovative Howard, Although there is clear advantage of this type of surgery in terms of duration of hospitalization and recovery, there is also a feeling that even in experienced hands endoscopic procedures can take considerably longer to perform than open surgery Reich, If true, the duration and unpredictability of surgical time has important financial and practical implications for the management of operating sessions and waiting lists.

Fewer patients may get treated per unit time, and procedures may have to be postponed because of over-running of planned lists. To assess how long common gynaecological laparoscopic procedures actually take, we analysed operations on a procedure-by-procedure basis. Diagnostic laparoscopy and laparoscopic sterilization were specifically excluded from the analysis, as were the first five operative laparoscopies of each specific procedure, representing the early learning curve of one of the authors A.

The main indications for surgery included one or a combination of the following symptoms or pathologies: pelvic or abdominal pain, menstrual disturbance, ectopic pregnancy, adnexal mass, fibroids and infertility. The mean age of the women was A total of women underwent more than one laparoscopic procedure.

Patient characteristics according to the various pathological conditions are described in Table I. Surgery was performed under general endotracheal anaesthesia with a CO 2 pneumoperitoneum. A three- or four-puncture technique was used in the majority, utilizing a 10 mm subumbilical port for the laparoscope and two to three 5. All procedures were monitored using a video camera and high resolution colour monitor.

Modalities used for haemostasis included monopolar and bipolar electrocoagulation, suturing, endocoagulation and, rarely, staples. Scissors, electrosurgery and CO 2 laser were used for dissection and ablation of endometriosis. A total of procedures involved removal of tissue from the peritoneal cavity.

In 27 cases, the method of tissue removal was not stated in the coding sheets. All cases of laparoscopic hysterectomy were also analysed. A total of of the laparoscopies was completed successfully. Reasons for converting the remainder to laparotomy included dense intra-abdominal adhesions or other unexpected findings in 23 cases, excessive bleeding in six cases, bowel injury in two cases, bladder injury in four cases, lost needle in one case and failure to deliver large fibroids from the abdominal cavity in two cases.

No deaths occurred. The operating time was not recorded in 44 cases, and these women were excluded from subsequent analysis. The average operating time for all patients was Excluding two cases, all the other 20 cases of operating time longer than 3 h involved laparoscopic hysterectomy or myomectomy. The operating time for the 38 women requiring laparotomy was significantly longer at The emergency cases were shorter than the elective cases [mean operating time of A total of women was treated for extra-uterine pregnancy, including two cases of cornual pregnancy managed laparoscopically.

Four 2. Surgery averaged less than 1 h. Conservative surgery in the form of salpingotomy was generally quicker than salpingectomy by 7 min The operating time was longer in 14 cases where salpingotomy was attempted but had to be converted to salpingectomy because of persistent bleeding from the Fallopian tube mean Laparoscopic adhesiolysis as the sole procedure was done for 70 patients and generally took less than 1 h mean Multiple procedures such as salpingostomy or fimbrioplasty and adhesiolysis averaged 75 min.

Endometriosis was diagnosed in patients of whom were treated conservatively. Of these, patients Simple electrosurgical or CO 2 ablation of mild disease took about 40 min range 10— Laparoscopic uterine nerve ablation LUNA in association with fulguration or adhesiolysis also lasted less than 1 h.