What happens during a laparoscopy?Laparoscopic surgery is usually done in a hospital or outpatient clinic. It usually includes the following steps:You will remove your clothing and put on a hospital gown.You will lay on an operating table.Most laparoscopies are done while you are under general anesthesia. General anesthesia is a medicine that makes you unconscious. It makes sure you won't feel any pain during the surgery. You will be given the medicine through an intravenous (IV) line or by inhaling gases from a mask. A specially trained doctor called an anesthesiologist will give you this medicineIf you are not given general anesthesia, a medicine will be injected in your abdomen to numb the area so you won't feel any pain.Once you are unconscious or your abdomen is completely numb, your surgeon will make a small incision just below your belly button, or near that area.The laparoscope, a thin tube with a camera attached, will be inserted through the incision.More small incisions may be made if a probe or other surgical tools are needed. A probe is a surgical instrument used to explore internal areas of the body.During the procedure, a type of gas will be put into your abdomen. This expands the area, making it easier for the surgeon to see inside your body.The surgeon will move the laparoscope around the area. He or she will view the images of the abdomen and pelvic organs on a computer screen.After the procedure is done, the surgical tools and most of the gas will be removed. The small incisions will be closed up.You will be moved to a recovery room.You may feel sleepy and/or nauseous for a few hours after the laparoscopy.
