A laparoscopy is more commonly known as keyhole surgery. Laparoscopy is a minimally-invasive surgical procedure which allows the surgeon to see inside the abdomen and pelvis without having to make large cuts through the skin. Instead only a small incision is needed, just big enough to allow a small tube with a light and camera into the body.
A laparoscopy is carried out under a general anaesthetic and is generally used to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the female reproductive organs, the urinary system or the digestive system.
At the Cadogan Clinic, we use laparoscopy surgery to investigate and treat common female conditions, such as ovarian cysts and fibroids. A laparoscopy can also be used to help diagnose certain types of cancer.
Because the procedure does not involve making large incisions, it means that diagnostic laparoscopy recovery time is much faster than open surgery and the risk of scarring and other complications is much lower. If you are having treatment during your laparoscopy, then your recovery time will vary from three to 12 weeks, depending on the type of surgery that you have.