Laparoscopy, also known as keyhole or minimally invasive surgery (MIS), is a modern surgical technique that describes the performance of surgical procedures with the assistance of a video camera and several instruments. During a Laparoscopic procedure, small incisions (5-10mm) are made and short narrow tubes called ports are placed through these. The abdomen is inflated with gas to create a working and viewing space. Through these ports a long narrow camera and instruments are then inserted to allow access to the inside of the patient.

The video camera transmits an image of the abdominal organs onto a television monitor. During the operation the surgeon uses the image from the video camera to enable them to manipulate the instruments that are used to cut and sew tissue inside the patient's body to perform the operation.

Benefits of Laparoscopic procedures are:

• Less post operative discomfort
• Faster recovery time
• Shorter hospital stay
• Earlier return to full activities
• Much smaller scars

With most procedures, the same operation is performed as with traditional open surgery but with much smaller incisions. One exception to this is Inguinal (groin) Hernia Repair where the laparoscopic approach has enabled a re-think of the reinforcement giving much greater mechanical strength.

Laparoscopy Auckland Surgeons have been instrumental in introducing these techniques to this country. John Dunn became the first New Zealand surgeon to perform Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in 1990. Andrew Bowker has helped pioneer the development of Laparoscopic Herniorrhaphy in this part of the world and continues to lecture on and teach the operation nationally and internationally. They have both popularized and refined Laparoscopic Fundoplication and other techniques.