Traditional laparoscopy requires incisions of at least 5mm, most of the time 1cm or 1.5cm to place a cannula for instruments (cameras, graspers) to perform the surgery.
There has been recent interest in the last 10 years to perform surgery with tools even smaller! "Pediatric" sized instruments under 3mm in diameter can now be used for adult surgeries. This field is known as "Mini-Laparoscopy", and this created new opportunities for surgical treatment. However, the limitations of early instruments inhibited widespread adoption. In the last 5 years, there has been a significant advancement in technology in creating a 2nd generation of miniature "pediatric" sized instruments that are more durable than ever before, making adult laparoscopic surgery less painful, safe with smaller incisions, and provide better cosmesis with less scarring. As a result, Mini-Laparoscopy is being increasingly applied to adult procedures across specialties. Please see the CMC magazine news article below published in 2018 regarding Mini-laparoscopy below. |
Adult operations now being performed with 3mm instruments ("Mini-laparoscopy"). I have performed numerous surgeries below using 3mm instruments for the past several years.
Please inquire during your visit to see if mini-laparoscopy can be used for your operation.
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