All operations carried out as keyhole surgery can also be carried out using ‘open’ surgery, that is, with a larger incision.
The patient will be given a general anaesthetic and will be asleep during the operation. Once the patient is asleep, the surgeon inserts a small metal tube called a cannula into his/her tummy button. A telescope, with a miniature video camera mounted on it, is inserted into this tube to project a very high quality video image onto a television screen. The abdomen is then inflated with carbon dioxide to create space in which the surgeon can operate. The operation is performed by inserting specialised instruments which are passed through small hollow tubes which are inserted through separate very small incisions. There may be two or more small incisions required to perform the operation. Once the operation is over, the surgeon will stitch up the inside of the holes and the patient will be taken to the recovery room to wake up from the anaesthetic.
After the operation, the patient will return to the ward to recover. He or she will always have some form of pain relief, which can include: epidural which is given through a small space between the bones in the back; nurse- or patient-controlled analgesia (NCA or PCA) which is given through a small plastic needle in the back of the hand. The amount of pain relief given is controlled either by the nurse or the patient. Your child may also have a naso-gastric tube, which is a tube passed through the nose into the stomach, so that he or she can be given feeds or medicines easily. The patient may also have an intravenous (into a vein) infusion of fluids as he or she may not feel like eating and drinking after the operation. You may be able to feel a few lumps under the skin by the wound sites, which are stitches inside the body. This is nothing to worry about and the stitches will dissolve on their own in about three months.
The patient may need some pain relief when you get home.
