Laproscopic or “minimally invasive” surgery is a specialized technique for performing surgery. Compared to traditional open surgery, patients often experience less pain, a shorter recovery, and less scarring with laproscopic surgery. Most intestinal surgeries can be performed using the laproscopic technique. These include surgery for Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, cancer, rectal prolapsed and severe constipation.
Laproscopic surgery is as safe as traditional open surgery. At the beginning of a laproscopic operation the laproscope is inserted through a small incision near the belly button (umbilicus). The surgeon initially inspects the abdomen to determine whether laproscopic surgery may be safely performed. If there is a large amount of inflammation or if the surgeon encounters other factors that prevent a clear view of the structures the surgeon may need to make a larger incision in order to complete the operation safely.