Minimally Invasive Surgery Unit of P. Faliro Medical Center
1. What is Minimally Invasive Surgery?
Minimally Invasive Surgery is the set of surgical techniques that aim to perform the required surgical procedure with the least possible trauma for the patient.
Its main goals are reducing postoperative pain, quickly mobilizing the patient after surgery, optimizing the aesthetic result, and quickly refeeding the patient. The main concern is for the patient to have the smoothest possible postoperative course and to return to the pre-operative state quickly and effectively.
It includes techniques such as laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery and hybrid surgery. Most surgeries are performed as a day hospital.
2. What is day surgery?
Day surgery means that the patient is admitted to the hospital for less than a day. In a day surgery, the patient is admitted to the hospital on the day of the surgery and does not sleep in the hospital after the surgery but returns home.
This assumes that before returning home the patient has been assured that he is pain-free, walks on his own without support, can eat without any discomfort and can urinate without assistance.
When the patient returns home, he is in constant telephone communication with the medical team who ensures that his recovery is ideal. In some cases, monitoring is done using telemedicine technology. The patient naturally sees his surgeon again with scheduled appointments depending on the patient’s needs.
3. What are the advantages of day surgery? Why would a patient choose to return home on the day of surgery?
The advantages of this strategy are many for both the patient and his family. No matter how careful the hospital environment is, patients only feel good and healthy when they return to their familiar home environment.
At the same time, returning home on the afternoon of surgery allows for family planning not to be disrupted, which is particularly important in the case of patients with demanding work schedules, elderly patients and patients with small children.
In the purely medical aspect, minimizing the hospital stay reduces the risk of hospital-acquired infections and transmission of COVID disease, promotes rapid mobilization, reducing the risk of blood clot formation in the patient’s lower extremities.
4. Which general surgery procedures can be performed as a day case?
The most common general surgery procedures are now performed as a day case. Patients after surgery for inguinal and umbilical hernias, surgery for cholelithiasis (gallstones) and surgeries for benign anal conditions (fissures, hemorrhoids, fistulas) can safely return home on the day of surgery if they are operated on by a team that follows day case surgical protocols.
5. Where are these day case surgeries performed?
Day case surgery requires the existence of an organized team with specialized minimally invasive surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and secretarial support.
This team will assess the patient before surgery and ensure that both the surgery and the postoperative course are tailored to the needs of each patient.
At the same time, they will be by the patient’s side throughout the period after surgery until he returns to all his usual activities. Such a team is the one we have created at the Minimally Invasive Surgery Clinic of the Palaio Faliro Medical Center.
