Minimally invasive surgery in gynecology
La minimally invasive surgery It has been an impressive advance for medicine and the treatment of many pathologies, especially in the recovery of patients. Dr. Rubio Valtueña, one of the specialists of the Women's Unit of the Ruber International Hospital tells us what this technique consists of from a gynecological point of view.
What is minimally invasive gynecological surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery in gynecology insists on operate through small incisions and take advantage of natural holes.
From a gynecological point of view, we would speak of a laparoscopy, which is to access the inside of the abdomen with those small incisions; the hysteroscopy, which consists of operating within the intrauterine cavity, which is accessed through an existing natural orifice, which is the vagina, and what is called the minilaparotomy, which involves making small incisions, less than 7 cm, which are often complementary to laparoscopy, and which allow intervention in complex pathologies, such as large uteruses, large fibroids, endometriosis, etc.
What types of gynecological pathologies are treated with minimally invasive surgery?
Today, this approach can be used to treat virtually all gynecological conditions, including the most complex. These procedures range from the simplest, such as an ovarian cyst, to intermediate procedures, such as hysterectomy, the removal of normal-sized uteruses, to more complex procedures, such as endometriosis, large uteruses, large fibroids, and even oncologic surgery.
At present, Virtually all cancers can be operated on from this accessPerhaps the only one that can't be operated on is ovarian cancer when it's quite advanced within the cavity, because in these cases, a wide abdominal incision is required to reach the entire cavity and remove all existing disease. But virtually all other pathologies can be operated on through this minimally invasive approach.
What has minimally invasive surgery meant for the treatment of gynecological pathologies?
Minimally invasive surgery has been a major advance in gynecology, as it has in all medical-surgical specialties, primarily because it radically and substantially reduces complications, both intraoperatively and postoperatively.
At the intraoperative level, use very precise instruments, with highly advanced optics, which expand surgical fields much more clearly than the human eye, allowing for precise delimitation and dissection of tissues, more thorough bleeding controls, etc. All of this significantly reduces intraoperative complications.
But perhaps the biggest advantage, undoubtedly, is the excellent postoperative recoveryThese small incisions mean that patients hardly need any analgesia, and that makes most can go home between 12 and 24 hours after surgeryWe cover all types of procedures, even the most complex. Uterine cancer, cervical cancer... Today, patients are discharged within 24 and 48 hours thanks to this minimally invasive approach.
This postoperative improvement not only affects the hospital, but also continues at home. Women can lead much more active lives, returning to their daily activities and, of course, their regular jobs sooner.
What is postoperative care like? Is rehabilitation necessary?
In minimally invasive surgery, to achieve maximum optimization of these surgical techniques, they must be accompanied by a series of measures, which are implemented both preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively.
These measures are intended to achieve a optimization of the body's health status, so that the physical aggression that the surgery represents on him has the minimum impact.
We start with a preoperative consultation, giving a series of tips on physical activity, nutrition, etc. In the hours before surgery, you are given analgesic medication and carbohydrates to maintain normal glucose levels. At the intraoperative level, what is done is to further promote the minimally invasive approach with these small incisions, putting local anesthetics or adding regional analgesics.
Early physical activity is encouraged during the postoperative period. Patients are being woken up 4-6 hours after surgery, fed, and, of course, significantly speeding up hospital discharge and subsequent recovery.
If you found this article interesting and would like to be seen by a professional expert in Gynecology and Obstetrics, the Women's Unit at Ruber International Hospital has a specialized unit in this area. You can request more information by calling the following numbers: 91 387 51 72/73/74 or make an appointment for an in-person consultation, always with the best specialists.