Laparoscopic surgery is rapidly gaining ground in becoming the most preferred option in modern day surgery although certain factors limits its wide spread use for certain major surgeries as well as in complicated procedures. In any event, the popularity of laparoscopic surgery was dependent upon its less invasive nature, smaller incisions, shorter duration of hospital stay as well as lower rate of complications when compared to some of the traditional surgical techniques.
Although it seems that laparoscopic surgery does not have any disadvantages, it is not so. Some factors do exist in its repertoire as disadvantageous and thus requires time and effort to alleviate. These factors are some of the main elements which prevent it from being adapted to wider selection of surgeries which at the moment do not even think about adapting laparoscopy.
High cost and technology requirement:
Even at present, not all surgical theaters are able to accommodate a laparoscopic unit and therefore not all institutes will be able to offer the facility to each and every surgery. Thus, it may take some time for this technology to become cost effective for less affluent institutes to make available for a wider patient population.
Special skills required for its use:
The skills acquired by the surgeons during their training would have to be enhanced when using laparoscopic techniques for surgical practices and this may require them to undergo training in relation to performing a specific surgical technique. This can be a factor that inhibits a surgeon to undertake laparoscopic surgery although it may not be so in the next generation of surgeons.
Not suitable to perform complicated surgeries:
When there is a need to have a 3 dimensional field of vision, laparoscopic surgery might not be the suitable tool. Thus, when a surgery is performed in a region which has been operated before, the laparoscopy may not be suitable as there might be adhesions complicating the visual field as well as preventing the laparoscope to access without releasing such adhesions. At the same time, when the surgery is aimed at removing a relatively large chunk of tissues such as in case of a tumor, the laparoscopy may not be useful in which case open surgeries will be the preferred choice.
May need secondary open surgery:
In case there are unusual findings which were not expected and if complications develop during laparoscopic surgery, there may be a need to re-open the wound in the usual way. Therefore, such patient may require two surgeries and may be at a higher risk of developing complications.
Apart from the above mentioned disadvantages, there can be other less prominent ones although it is a technology which is here to stay and would be seen more often than what is seen today.
