Gynecological surgery has evolved sequentially. In the past, surgery was quite difficult, but now it is easier and more convenient due to innovations and the expertise of doctors. Large incisions of several centimeters have been reduced to only 0.5-1 cm. Complications that were common with open abdominal surgery have decreased with laparoscopic surgery. Surgery can now treat or solve more diseases with less pain and faster recovery.
What is Gynecological Laparoscopic Surgery?
Laparoscopic surgery refers to surgery using a small cylindrical camera that replaces the doctor’s eye to view organs that cannot be seen directly. The camera is inserted through existing small body openings or small incisions made to access the desired organs. Small, long surgical instruments are inserted instead of conventional surgical tools to diagnose and treat gynecological diseases in the pelvic area, including the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.
Gynecological Diseases That Can Be Treated with Laparoscopic Surgery
- Ovarian cysts or certain types of ovarian tumors
- Uterine fibroids
- Endometriosis
- Chronic unexplained lower abdominal pain
- Infertility
- Pelvic adhesions
- Gynecological cancers such as ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and cervical cancer
Benefits of Laparoscopic Surgery
Normally, gynecological laparoscopic surgery can be performed both for diagnosis and treatment.
- For diagnosis, many diseases can be accurately diagnosed with laparoscopic surgery before surgery to prevent errors, such as diseases causing abdominal pain, abnormal uterine bleeding, infertility caused by uterine tumors, pelvic adhesions, inflammation, or endometriosis in the pelvis, or ectopic pregnancy causing lower abdominal pain. It also helps assess the best treatment method before actual treatment.
- For treatment surgery, modern tools and techniques can be used for various surgeries (previously requiring open abdominal surgery), such as removing adhesions, cysts or ovarian tumors, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, treating heavy menstrual bleeding, performing hysterectomy without opening the abdomen, and reversing sterilization to enable pregnancy.
How is Laparoscopic Surgery Better Than Conventional Surgery?
- It can diagnose many gynecological diseases that other methods such as physical examination, internal examination, CT scan, or MRI cannot diagnose.
- It allows assessment of the disease condition during examination to decide and conclude the treatment plan.
- It is minimally invasive surgery with small incisions about 0.5-1 cm (1-5 incisions depending on the type of surgery), resulting in less pain, easier care, faster wound healing, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, and quicker recovery.
- It offers economic benefits and improved quality of life in terms of less pain and faster return to normal life.
- It is safer and more convenient than open abdominal surgery.
- It allows more detailed surgery than conventional surgery because the camera can magnify images larger than actual size.
Currently, laparoscopic surgery uses an infrared light system combined with fluorescent dye (ICG: Indocyanine Green) to assist in surgery, which has the advantages of
- Clearer visualization of lesions
- Use of filtered light cameras to view blood vessel images
- Use of fluorescent dye to locate diseases and lymph nodes
Captain Dr. Sosakul Boonyawiroj
Gynecologic Oncology Specialist
Women’s Health Center, Phyathai 1 Hospital
