Laparoscopic surgeries being offered in southern region
HE Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) has been making strides as it continues to offer patients laparoscopic surgeries as part of its strategic plan to improve the delivery of quality and advanced health care to patients.
Laparoscopic surgery, or minimally invasive surgery, is a modern technique in which operations in the abdomen are performed through small incisions, rather than the larger incisions needed in open surgery, a release from the SHRA said.
With the advances in surgical principles and techniques, laparoscopic surgery is considered the standard of care and is being offered at the Mandeville Regional and Percy Junor Hospitals in Manchester, and the May Pen hospital in Clarendon, following the acquisition of four state-ofthe-art high-definition laparoscopic towers, the release said.
SRHA said in 2017, the three hospitals completed 61 surgeries, while in 2018, 201 surgeries were performed. So far for 2019, 65 surgeries have been done.
Senior registrar from the Department of General Surgery at the Mandeville Regional Hospital, Dr Ashok Kotagiri , explained that the type of surgeries performed using this type of cutting-edge technology includes: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic appendectomy, diaphragmatic repair, hernia repair, and diagnostic laparoscopy.
He added that other surgeries done regularly include bilateral tubal ligation, hysterectomy, ovarian cystectomy, diagnostic laparoscopy and peritoneal stripping, nasal polypectomies and sinus surgeries.
“Our patients have been very receptive and thankful for getting minimally invasive surgeries. Some people even ask us before we tell them: ‘It is laparoscopic surgery I am going to get right?’ It is difficult to imagine health care without minimally invasive surgery going forward,” Dr Kotagiri is quoted as saying.
For regional director of the SRHA, Michael Bent, laparoscopic surgery has proven advantages over open surgery, including less risk of bleeding, less risk of wound infections, less post-operative pain, and less need for painkillers.
He said that these surgeries result in quicker healing and recovery of patients, which translates into shorter hospital admissions and quicker return to work and overall reduced cost of care.
Bent also pointed out that the acquisition of the laparoscopic towers was funded with fees collected from individual health insurance, which is a means of assisting public health care facilities to achieve their development goals.