My daughter needs to undergo a surgical procedure, and the
doctor has recommended "minimally invasive" surgery. What type
of surgery is this? Will it be as safe — and effective — as
standard surgery? - Julianne Minimally invasive surgery is
becoming more and more common in hospitals. These procedures are
performed through tiny incisions instead of one large opening.
Because the incisions are small, patients tend to have quicker
recovery times and less discomfort than with conventional
surgery — all with the same benefits. During a minimally
invasive procedure, surgeons make several small incisions in the
skin — just a few millimeters, in some cases. A long, thin tube
with a miniature camera attached at the end (called an
endoscope) is passed through one of the incisions. Images from
the endoscope are projected onto monitors in the operating room
so surgeons can get a clear (and magnified) view of the surgical
area. Special instruments are passed through the other openings.
These instruments allow the surgeon