John Paquet III BME 281 S01 20 November 2013

 Direct view of abdominal organs and structures without major surgery ◦ endocrine, gastrointestinal, reproductive, and urinary systems  Implementations include: ◦ Assessing for lesions, tumors, internal bleeding ◦ Treating cancer ◦ Organ removal  Most common laparoscopic procedure = cholecystectomy  Over 1 million cholecystectomies per year in US ◦ Over 96 % are through laparoscopy

 Small incision below navel  CO 2 is passed through needle through incision ◦ Elevates abdominal wall like a dome above organs  Thin, flexible tube inserted through incision  Tiny video camera (laparoscope) inserted into tube ◦ Produces images on monitor  Instruments are introduced into abdomen via trocars – hollow tubes that prevent CO 2 leakage

 Shorter recovery time  Reduced amount of pain due to: ◦ Smaller incisions ◦ Less bleeding  Reduced risk of infection due to decreased exposure to external environment

 Tighter range of motion, less depth perception  Difficult to judge appropriate force on tissue  Risks include: ◦ Misplacement of CO 2 ◦ Organ puncture ◦ Injuries from insertion of trocars  Hernias  Infection  Penetration of blood vessels/bowel

 "Diagnostic Laparoscopy." MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 Jul Web..  "Laparoscopy." Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library, n.d. Web..  "Laparoscopic Surgery." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web..