What is Laparoscopy?
Whether you need a diagnosis for ongoing symptoms like heavy bleeding or pelvic pain, or you need surgery to treat a gynecologic problem, you’ll get the help you need with laparoscopy. Noreen Kamal-Mostafavi, MD, in Staten Island, New York, has extensive experience performing minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, including robotic-assisted laparoscopy using the advanced da Vinci® surgical system. If you face gynecologic surgery and you’d like to learn more about laparoscopy, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.
Laparoscopy Q&A
Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure used to examine the organs and structures in your pelvic area, diagnose health problems, and perform surgery to treat gynecologic conditions.
Dr. Kamal-Mostafavi begins your laparoscopic procedure by making a few small incisions in your abdomen. Then she inserts a specialized tool called a laparoscope through one incision.
The scope contains a light and a high-definition camera that sends magnified images from inside your body to a monitor. Dr. Kamal-Mostafavi uses the image to examine the problem area and diagnose the underlying cause of your symptoms. If you require treatment, she inserts narrow surgical tools through the incisions.
As she views the monitor, she controls the tools from outside your body to alleviate your symptoms and restore your health.
What is the da Vinci Surgical System?
Robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System allows Dr. Kamal-Mostafavi to perform minimally invasive procedures with improved precision and accuracy. The system is designed to expand a surgeon’s capabilities and give an alternative to traditional open surgery.
Dr. Kamal-Mostafavi has extensive training and experience performing laparoscopic surgery using the da Vinci surgical system. With this system, she uses sensitive finger sensors to control robotic arms that are holding the surgical tools.
The da Vinci surgical system’s robotic arms contain advanced instruments that allow for precise movements and a range of motion superior to human hands. The robotic arms are also smaller than human hands, so they easily access tight areas inside your body.
Additionally, Dr. Kamal-Mostafavi can calibrate the robotic arms to achieve exceptional control during delicate procedures. As a result, your surgery is more precise due to the advanced technology of the robotic arms.
What health conditions are identified and treated with laparoscopy?
The gynecologic conditions often diagnosed using laparoscopy include:
- Pelvic pain
- Ovarian cysts
- Pelvic adhesions
- Endometriosis
- Uterine fibroids
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
Dr. Kamal-Mostafavi performs many gynecological procedures using laparoscopic surgery, including cystectomy to remove ovarian cysts and myomectomy, which is a surgical procedure to remove uterine fibroids. In many cases, she uses the da Vinci Surgical System to perform hysterectomies.
What are the benefits of laparoscopy?
The small incisions used during laparoscopic surgery cause significantly less stress to your body compared to one, long open incision. As a result, you’ll experience:
- Less bleeding
- Less postoperative pain
- Lower risk of complications
- Faster recovery
- Minimal scarring
Dr. Kamal-Mostafavi performs many laparoscopic procedures on an outpatient basis. If you need to stay in the hospital, however, your stay is shorter compared to the hospitalization following open surgery.
If you need gynecologic surgery or you’d like to learn more about laparoscopy, call Noreen Kamal-Mostafavi, MD, or schedule an appointment online.