WHAT IS FLEXIBLE LAPAROSCOPY?

In just the past 20 years, medical innovations have advanced the effectiveness and reduced the invasiveness of most surgical procedures.

In the 1990’s many surgeons began transitioning certain procedures from large, open incisions to multiple, smaller incisions through laparoscopic surgery. The surgeons had to learn an entirely new technique for performing complex surgeries, but the patient benefits of less invasive procedures drove many surgeons to embrace this innovation.

In conventional laparoscopic surgery, surgeons place multiple incisions in the abdomen in order to utilize several, specialized instruments to achieve the necessary angles and access to critical anatomical structures. Though laparoscopic surgery often represents a significant advance from open surgery, many surgeons continue to seek ways to further minimize the invasiveness of surgical procedures.

The advent of Flexible Laparoscopy is a significant advance in surgeons’ efforts to reduce the invasiveness of surgical procedures while continuing to offer patients safe, effective treatments.

FLEXIBLE LAPAROSCOPY: THE EVOLUTION OF SURGERY CONTINUES

Flexible Laparoscopy was born from combining the proven technologies of catheter-based treatments with laparoscopic surgery.

Catheter-based techniques have been proven effective at treating a range of conditions without the risks, scarring and extended recovery time associated with some traditional open surgeries. In medicine, a catheter is simply a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, a blood vessel, or a duct. Today, cardiac catheterization procedures have become an alternative to open-heart surgery for many patients. The advent of catheter-based treatments has reduced the invasiveness, scarring and recovery time for many patients. In neurology, catheter-based treatments have greatly reduced the need for certain invasive surgeries that often required access through the skull. Clearly, small, catheter-based technologies are a big innovation in medicine.

Flexible Laparoscopy brings the capabilities of catheter technology to a wide range of abdominal surgeries. Small, catheter instruments are manipulated through steerable channels, giving the surgeon control and dexterity. The flexibility of the instruments allow for intra-abdominal triangulation greatly increasing the ability of the surgeon to visualize and access critical anatomy. In conventional laparoscopy, triangulation is achieved only through spreading multiple incisions around the abdominal wall.

FLEXIBLE LAPAROSCOPY ADVANCES SINGLE INCISION SURGERY.

Early attempts at reducing the number of incisions in laparoscopic surgery have required surgeons to overcome several limitations. Using straight, chopstick-like instruments through a single incision often forces the surgeon to cross their hands—using the left hand to control the right instrument, and the right hand to control the left instrument. Also, the lack of triangulation makes visualization and access of critical anatomy potentially difficult. Flexible Laparoscopy eliminates these drawbacks through intra-abdominal triangulation, and gives the surgeon true left and right motion to control flexible instruments. The capabilities of Flexible Laparoscopy build on the already familiar techniques of conventional laparoscopy.

THE FUTURE OF FLEXIBLE LAPAROSCOPY

Flexible Laparoscopy provides surgeons with a new way to further minimize the invasiveness of surgery. The potential of this new class of surgery is just beginning to be realized. Many surgical technologies can be enabled through flexible, steerable channels, and the advances to come will further enable surgeons to offer effective, less invasive surgical treatment.