You must have heard about laparoscopy surgery and endoscopy quite a few times by now. Did you know that these are two completely different surgeries that fall under the minimally invasive category and are now being opted by over 13 million people globally every year?
Modern-day medicine has evolved drastically in the last century. Every year modern science is taking enormous steps in making treatments more accessible and cost-effective while eliminating time and patient distress. Many people fear going to a doctor just because they think they might have to undergo painful treatments and procedures. While it is human nature to try and avoid pain, sometimes it is extremely crucial to reach out to a doctor on time to avoid further complications.
With the help of newer technologies and medical innovations, these painful procedures or surgeries are now being dealt with minimal invasions and faster recovery periods. Laparoscopy and Endoscopy are two such surgeries that eliminate the need for large skin invasions reducing pain and recovery time drastically.
But what’s the difference between Laparoscopy and Endoscopy Surgery? Aren’t they the same? Even though both these surgeries are commonly confused with each other, they are not the same.
What is laparoscopy surgery?
Laparoscopy takes its name from the tool that is used to perform this kind of surgery called a Laparoscope. It is a narrow long tool with a camera and light attached to its end. The laparoscope is inserted into the body through a very small cut on your body. With the help of the camera, the doctors are able to see what is happening inside the body on a monitor.
Multiple cuts, usually not more than half an inch long, are made through which the camera and surgical instruments go in. Before laparoscopy, surgeons had to make cuts as big as 6 to 12 inches long providing them with enough vision to understand what was wrong in the body. Laparoscopy is also referred to as keyhole surgery.
Read it also: What is Small Intestine Surgery?
What is endoscopy?
Similar to laparoscopy, Endoscopy also derives its name from the tool that is used to perform this procedure, called an Endoscope. Again, similar to a laparoscope, an endoscope also has a camera and light attached to the end of a long flexible tube that is inserted into the body enabling the surgeon to look at what’s wrong inside the body.
The endoscope is inserted into the body through the mouth passing the throat and into the esophagus for an upper abdominal (digestive tract) examination or through the rectum to examine the large intestine area.
Difference between Laparoscopy and Endoscopy Surgery
- Nobody or skin cuts are made while performing endoscopy. Natural orifices like the mouth or anal canal or vaginal hysterectomy are accessed to get a visual of the organs inside the body. Whereas, in Laparoscopy, small, keyhole-sized cuts are made to perform the surgery.
- While endoscopy is performed to examine and diagnose the digestive tract, laparoscopy is performed to examine and have a good view of the inside of the abdominal area.
- Endoscopy is performed while the patient is conscious. Sometimes local anesthesia has to be given to relieve the patient of minor discomforts. While in laparoscopy the patient has to be sedated under general anesthesia to perform the surgery.
- Endoscopy does not require the patient to stay overnight at the hospital. But, in laparoscopy, the patient needs to stay for a couple of days in the hospital.
- Endoscopy is prescribed for the diagnosis of body parts like the respiratory tract, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, ear, and female reproductive tract or for the removal of tumors or polyps in the digestive tract. Whereas, laparoscopic surgery is performed to repair the hernia, remove the spleen, remove the gallbladder, remove part of the liver, etc.
- An Endoscopy can be performed by a physician as well but only a surgeon can perform a laparoscopy.
- In Endoscopy the patient may feel soreness in the throat or mild discomfort in the digestive system while in laparoscopy the patient undergoes pain caused by the small incisions made during the procedure.
Both endoscopy and laparoscopy are considered very safe, but like every other medical procedure there’s a risk of unforeseen complications leading to infection, bleeding, reaction to sedation, perforation, injury to the bowel, injury to the bladder, etc. but the benefits of these procedures outweigh the risks any time.
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FAQ
Q: Difference between laparoscopy surgery and endoscopy?
Ans: Endoscopy is performed with a flexible tool called an endoscope which has a camera and light attached to its end and is inserted via mouth or rectum into the body enabling the physician to look into the digestive tract on a monitor. Laparoscopy is performed with a slender tool with a camera and light attached to it, similar to an endoscope, but is inserted through small skin incisions/cuts enabling the surgeon to see inside the abdomen negating the need for large skin cuts and a longer recovery period.
Q: Endoscopy vs Laparoscopy Surgery
Ans: Endoscopy is performed with a flexible tool called an endoscope which has a camera and light attached to its end and is inserted via mouth or rectum into the body enabling the physician to look into the digestive tract on a monitor. Laparoscopy is performed with a slender tool with a camera and light attached to it, similar to an endoscope, but is inserted through small skin incisions/cuts enabling the surgeon to see inside the abdomen negating the need for large skin cuts and a longer recovery period.