Unlike traditional colon surgery, which requires a long incision in the abdomen, the laparoscopic technique allows surgeons to perform the same procedure through small incisions, about the width of a dime, resulting in less pain and reduced loss of blood, according to the release. A tiny camera is inserted through a small incision in order to give surgeons a three-dimensional view of the inside of the abdomen.
Traditional surgery to remove a portion of the colon generally requires a five- to eight-day stay in the hospital after the procedure, and full recovery can take up to six to 12 weeks, according to the release. Comparatively, the hospital stay after a laparoscopic procedure is usually three to four days, and recovery is closer to two to three weeks since patients don’t have to care for a large incision.
Patients are also able to return to a normal diet more quickly after laparoscopic surgery because the colon regains its normal function faster. There is also a smaller risk of injury to adjacent organs, such as the small intestine, ureter or bladder, according to the release.
Surgeons at Loyola also use the laparoscopic technique for procedures to treat other diseases of the colon, including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, colorectal caner and colonic polyps.
“This is the future of colon surgery,” Dr. Fisichella said in the release. “More and more patients needing colon surgery are going to be treated this way.”
Read Loyola’s release on laparoscopic surgery for colon diseases.
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