Minimally Invasive Surgery, some people refer to this simply as MIS, is a broad term for any procedure performed with small incisions (or sometimes no incisions at all).

A Diagnostic Laparoscopy is a basically an investigative procedure whereby a telescope is inserted into the abdominal cavity to examine the internal organs under direct vision. By manipulating the bowel with a pair of instruments, we can inspect the entire abdominal and pelvic cavity. We can also obtain specimens for pathological or bacteriological testing. If required, we can also perform a Laparoscopic Ultrasound using a probe fitted with an ultrasound sensor at the tip. Organs such as the liver, pancreas, kidney and adrenal gland can be evaluated with great accuracy. Depending on what is found, we can also proceed directly to treat the problem.

Hernias are defects and areas of weaknesses in the abdominal wall. These typically occurs in the groin area and appears as a soft bulge due to the protrusion of bowel and abdominal cavity contents through this defect. This swelling is small in the beginning and can be pushed back on lying down. With time, however, the hernia invariably gets larger and may become “irreducible”. When this happens, complications can occur when the blood supply to the hernia contents get cut off.

Hernias are abnormal protrusion of an organ or tissue through an opening that should not be there – for example the inguinal hernias found in the groin region. Incisional and umbilical hernias are hernias that result from a defect in the abdominal wall. For incisional hernias, this defect is through a weakening at the site of a surgical incision used for a previous operation. This can therefore be found anywhere on the abdominal wall. For umbilical hernias, the defect is through an opening for the umbilical cord that did fuse completely after birth.