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Minimally Invasive (Laparoscopic) Colon Surgery Laparoscopic colon surgery is a new technique that is rapidly gaining popularity. Advantages of laparoscopy over the open method of surgery include the following:
Laparoscopic colon surgery was introduced approximately 15 years ago. Yet, only a small proportion of all colon resections are performed this way in the Western world. Explanations for this may include, surgeon resistance to accepting this procedure as comparable to traditional operations; lack of surgeon experience with minimally invasive techniques; that laparoscopic colon surgery is an advanced procedure that takes a long period of time to master. The surgeon makes about four or five small 1 to 1.5cm long incisions. A laparoscope (a tiny telescope attached to a video camera) is inserted into one of the openings, allowing the surgeon to see inside the abdomen. Instruments are inserted through the other openings and are used to remove the diseased section of bowel and reattach the healthy segments ('end-to-end anastomosis'). A slightly larger incision is usually made to remove the diseased section of colon from the body. The surgery takes 2 to 3 hours. Also the operative time is slightly longer than for open procedures, the patient is out of the hospital more quickly and there is no large incision to suture. I was awarded a PhD in Medicine in 1999 for my research on the development of liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Since then, I have extended my laparoscopic skills into the surgical management of this pathology. It also includes the treatment of benign pathologies such as diverticular disease or colitis. The most common procedures that I perform include:
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