Laparoscopy and minimally invasive surgery
Laparoscopy is an operation performed in the abdomen or pelvis using small incisions with the aid of a camera. The laparoscope aids diagnosis or therapeutic interventions with a few small cuts in the abdomen.
Laparoscopic surgery is usually helpful in short term outcomes in the perioperative periods for patients with gastrointestinal or abdominal cancers such as postoperative pain, early discharge and better functional recovery. But unlike benign conditions malignancy also warrants further evaluation in terms of complete cancer removal, adequate lymphadenectomy, and limiting post operative complications. Long term outcomes such as disease free and overall survival are also to be considered. Hence careful patient selection for minimally invasive surgery and laparoscopy is essential in determining optimum outcomes dealing with different cancers in various stages.