Minimally invasive surgery in gynecology
Minimally invasive surgery has represented an impressive advance for medicine and the treatment of many pathologies, especially in patient recovery. Dr. Rubio Valtueña , one of the specialists at the Women's Unit of the Ruber International Hospital, explains what this technique involves from a gynecological perspective.
What does it consist of minimally invasive surgery gynecological?
Minimally invasive surgery in gynecology insists on operating through small incisions and taking advantage of natural orifices.
From a gynecological point of view, we would talk about a laparoscopy , which is accessing the inside of the abdomen with these small incisions; hysteroscopy , which consists of operating inside the intrauterine cavity, which is accessed through a natural orifice already existing, which is the vagina; and what is called minilaparotomy , which is making small incisions, of 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.
Currently, virtually all cancers can be operated on using this approach . Perhaps the only exception is ovarian cancer when it is quite advanced within the abdominal cavity, because in those cases a large abdominal incision is necessary to access the entire cavity and remove all the 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, the use of highly precise instruments with advanced optics, which magnify the surgical fields much more clearly than the human eye, allows for precise delimitation and dissection of tissues, more thorough bleeding controls, and a significant reduction in intraoperative complications.
But perhaps the greatest advantage, undoubtedly, is the excellent postoperative recovery . These small incisions mean that patients barely need pain medication, and that allows most to go home between 12 and 24 hours after surgery . We're talking about all kinds of procedures, even the most complex. Uterine cancer, cervical cancer… Nowadays, patients are being discharged within 24 to 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 pre-operatively, intra-operatively, and post-operatively.
These measures aim to optimize the body's health , so that the physical aggression that surgery represents has the least possible impact.
We begin with a pre-operative consultation , providing advice on physical activity, nutrition, and other relevant topics. In the hours leading up to surgery, the patient is given pain medication and carbohydrates to maintain normal glucose levels. During the procedure, we further enhance the minimally invasive nature of the approach, using small incisions, by administering 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 specialist in Gynecology and Obstetrics, the Women's Unit at Ruber International Hospital has a specialized department in this area. You can request more information by calling 91 387 51 72/73/74 or schedule an in-person appointment with top specialists.