What is Minimally Invasive Surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery is a popular buzzword in the medical field, but what does it really mean? Simply put, it refers to a surgical technique that aims to minimize damage to the muscles and soft tissue surrounding the surgical area. This can result in a variety of benefits for the patient, including:
Benefits of Minimally Invasive Surgery
Less inflammation: By avoiding the cutting of muscle tissue, minimally invasive techniques can result in less inflammation in the surgical area. This can lead to less postoperative pain and a quicker recovery process.
Faster recovery: Because there is less inflammation and tissue damage, patients who undergo minimally invasive surgery often experience a faster recovery process. This means they can get back to their normal activities and work more quickly. Combined with a same-day outpatient procedure recovery can be accelerated.
Decreased markers of inflammation and tissue damage: Studies have shown that minimally invasive techniques result in decreased markers of inflammation and tissue damage in the blood of patients. This further supports the idea that these techniques lead to a more efficient recovery process.
Examples of Minimally Invasive Surgery
There are several examples of minimally invasive surgery, including:
Anterior hip replacements: This involves making a small incision and spreading the muscles apart to access the surgical area, rather than cutting them.
Robotic knee replacements: These do not involve sticking any guides into the medullary canals, which can significantly decrease inflammation.
In summary, minimally invasive surgery is a technique that aims to minimize damage to the muscles and soft tissue surrounding the surgical area. This can lead to less inflammation, faster recovery, and decreased markers of inflammation and tissue damage. Examples of minimally invasive surgery include anterior hip replacements and robotic knee replacements.
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