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A study shows that laparoscopic surgery for cancer of the colon has benefits over open surgery. Isn't it amazing what they can do with keyhole surgery these days? Have you heard the one about the retired gynaecologist who did a car mechanics course and passed his final exam with a mark of 150 percent? The task was dismantling then rebuilding an entire engine. When the doctor asked why he got 150 percent, the teacher told him the extra marks were because he'd never seen it done through the exhaust pipe before. Anyway back to business, because I've only a minute. One of the latest techniques to get the approval tick is keyhole colon surgery to remove bowel affected by cancer. A very careful study comparing so called laparoscopic colectomy versus the open operation through a large incision, performed by accredited surgeons, showed that keyhole removal resulted in slightly less time in hospital, less need for pain relief and the same safety and effectiveness as the open operation. The things you need to be know are that your surgeon's done a lot of them, it takes longer under anaesthetic and there was a 20 percent chance the surgeon had to convert to an open operation anyway.
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