Referrals for Laparoscopic Surgery

The Hospital has offered a diagnostic laparoscopy service for more than four years. This has been useful in the investigation of chronic cases of abdominal pain and weight loss. More recently this 'key hole surgery' technique has been applied to the removal of both intra-abdominal cryptorchid testicles and ovaries, using our new bipolar diathermy unit.

The Hospital welcomes patients for such procedures which offer several advantages over more conventional ‘open’ techniques. However it is important that patients should be starved adequately prior to referral to allow intra-abdominal access and visualisation. The period of starvation necessary will depend on the procedure and may be determined by consultation with the Surgery Department prior to referral.

The laparoscopic endoscope may be used to examine the pleural cavity in cases of chronic pleurisy, lung abscessation or suspected cases of thoracic neoplasia. The technique is complementary to thoracic digital radiography, trans-thoracic ultrasonography and bronchial video-endoscopy.