Management of patients after laparoscopic procedures

### What you need to know Laparoscopy has revolutionised abdominal surgery over the past 30 years. Fifteen million laparoscopic surgical operations are performed worldwide every year, of which 10% are performed in the UK.1 Laparoscopy involves the use of cameras and specially designed instruments that enable surgeons to perform operations without making large abdominal incisions. It has gained worldwide popularity and acceptance by surgeons and patients alike. Better intraoperative visibility, minimal scarring, less pain, shorter hospital stay, and faster recovery are the main advantages of laparosocopic surgery.2 This practice pointer discusses the considerations around management of patients following laparoscopic surgical procedures. It is predominantly UK focused, although information about wound care, thromboprophylaxis, and complications should equally apply elsewhere. As well as cholecystectomy, appendicectomy, and tubo-ovarian procedures, laparoscopy is now increasingly used for hysterectomy, bariatric procedures, and many gastrointestinal and urological cancer resections, and it is also possible to perform aortic aneurysm repair laparoscopically.345 Technological advances have resulted in the development of several variations on the "standard" laparoscopic approach. These are described in box 1. Box 1 ### Variations on standard laparoscopic techniques #### Single incision laparoscopic surgery The surgeon operates almost exclusively through a single entry point, typically the patient's umbilicus, leaving a single scar #### Natural orifice endoscopic surgery Performed with an endoscope passed through a natural orifice (eg, mouth or anus) then through an internal incision (eg, stomach or colon), thus … RETURN TO TEXT