What is minimally invasive surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery uses a few small cuts instead of one large one. According to the National Cancer Institute, the surgeon puts a long, thin tube into one of the cuts. The tube has a tiny camera on it and is called a laparoscope. The camera sends pictures from inside the body to a monitor. That lets the surgeon see what they are doing. Special surgery tools go in through the other small cuts. The surgeon uses them to remove the tumor and some healthy tissue.
Open surgery is different. There the surgeon makes one large cut to remove the tumor, some healthy tissue, and maybe some nearby lymph nodes.
Because the cuts are smaller, minimally invasive surgery takes less time to recover from than open surgery. Your healthcare team can tell you which approach is planned for you, and why.
Want the full picture? Read our complete explanation: What Is Surgery for Cancer?
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