What type of anesthesia is required for laparoscopic surgery?
A general anesthetic is required for almost all cases of elective laparoscopic surgery. That means that the patient is completely asleep and will not remember anything about the surgical procedure.


What type of surgery can be done laparoscopically?
Most of the abdominal surgical procedures can be done laparoscopically. In some cases there are other factors that might make it impossible to do the surgery laparoscopically. A patient should discuss this with a surgeon to make a final decision about the laparoscopic possibilities. For many diseases in the abdomen requiring surgery, a high percentage of cases can be done laparoscopically.

Why should the surgery be done laparoscopically?
The most important reason to most patients is the quicker recovery. In many cases of abdominal surgery, the recovery is reduced by half the time or more. For some types of surgery the incidence of complications, such as infection in the incision, is reduced with laparoscopic surgery.

How soon can I go back to work?
The length of time to recover enough to return to work varies by the type of procedure and sometimes from individual to individual. However, for many surgical procedures such as gallbladder surgery and hernia surgery, most patients can return to work in about one week. For other types of surgery such as fundoplication, splenectomy, and adrenalectomy, most patients can return to work in about 2 weeks. For gastric bypass and colon surgery, most patients can return to work within a 3 week period.