The team at Orthopaedic Specialists of Austin is proud to offer surgical techniques focused on restoring mobility and wellness to our patients. When performing advanced back, neck, and spine surgery, for instance, we take great care in selecting the right surgical approach that maximizes wellness.
One of the major advances in surgical care in recent years is the use of small incisions and tools to perform procedures. We'd like to consider endoscopic surgery and why it has so many advantages over traditional surgery techniques of the past.
What Is Endoscopic Surgery?
Endoscopic surgery refers to surgical procedures that are done with a small incision or sometimes a few small incisions. Through an incision, a small tube is inserted into the area that requires surgery. In this tube is a small camera as well as precision surgical equipment. The entire procedure can be carried out in this manner, with sutures used to seal the incision site after the procedure is completed.
A Way of Avoiding Open Surgery
Endoscopic surgery is a way of avoiding open surgery when possible. Open surgery means the presence of a large incision, with major complications and risks involved. The benefits of endoscopic surgery that we will note below should all be considered relative to the nature of open surgery.
Smaller Incisions
While open surgery sometimes require major incisions that can be inches long, endoscopic surgery requires just an incision of a few centimeters in length. In some cases, general anesthesia will not be necessary for the procedure, just some local anesthetic and sedation.
Minimal Blood Loss
Since the incision is small, patients will experience far less blood loss during an endoscopic procedure than they would during an open surgery. This limits the need for transfusions and reduced surgical risks during the procedure.
Minimized Damage to Muscle Tissue
Endoscopic surgery is far less invasive than open surgery, allowing surgeons to work around muscle tissue without having to tear it or affect it in a major way.
Lower Risk of Complications
Given the nature of endoscopic surgery, there are far fewer risks of surgical and post-op complications, such as infection, poor wound healing, excessive blood loss, and so forth.
Reduced Healing Times Compared to Open Surgery
A smaller incision and less affected tissues means that patients will heal much faster after endoscopic surgery than they would after an open surgery. Depending on the part of the body that's operated on, healing times may be cut in half.
Post-op Side Effects Tend to Be Less Severe
Part of the improved healing time, patients often experience less serious side effects as they are recovering from their surgery. This means less pain, discomfort, bruising, swelling, and so on. It really is a great option for patients when the option is available.
Smaller Scars After Surgery
With smaller incisions, that means smaller scars. Patients are less likely to have visible scarring in the area that's operated on. Since the scars are very small, they may not even be detectable up close depending on the patient's own history with surgical scarring.
Learn More About Endoscopic Surgery
For more information about endoscopic surgery and your many options for addressing serious health and wellness issues, be sure to contact our advanced surgery center today. The team at Orthopaedic Specialists of Austin is here to help you.