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What are the Advantages of Non-Invasive Surgery?
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
The term non-invasive surgery is used to describe procedures that don’t require cutting into or using instruments to penetrate the patient’s body. For example, bypass surgery is one type of invasive surgery while a laser mole removal is an example of non-invasive surgery. Often, this type of surgery is used for procedures related to the skin. For example, laser surgery may be used as a treatment for someone who wishes to have wrinkles removed and look years younger. It can also be used to give someone better eyesight, and it may even be used to help reduce the size of certain types of tumors.
There are important advantages of having non-invasive surgery, and one of them is reduced risk. A person takes on much more risk when his body is being punctured and cut than without incisions. For example, with non-invasive surgery, he doesn't have to worry about losing too much blood. The opposite is true with invasive surgery. Though blood loss is often minimal, the potential exist for extreme blood loss requiring blood transfusions, especially in the case of very long procedures.
There is also less risk of wound infection, as there is no insertion of foreign bodies into the patient’s body, and there are no open wounds in which bacteria can easily form. Patients may even be at less risk of hospital–borne infections, as a hospital stay isn’t necessary after many procedures; some patients can go home in just minutes or hours instead of days or weeks. Non-invasive surgery can even provide the patient with a faster recovery time and less pain while healing. There may also be less risk of the development of scar tissue.
Though it is true that there is less risk of infection when a person has non-invasive surgery, that doesn’t mean no risk at all; there is some chance of developing an infection after non-invasive surgery. However, the risk is typically much lower than with invasive procedures. Additionally, there is anesthesia to consider. Local anesthesia is used for many types of non-invasive procedures and some may be performed with no anesthesia at all. However, it may be necessary to use general anesthesia with some procedures, which carries its own risks, such as serious breathing difficulties and problems with heart rhythms.
Nicole Madison
Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a TheHealthBoard writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.
Learn more...
Nicole Madison
Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a TheHealthBoard writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.
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![Non-invasive surgery does not require the use of a scalpel.]()
By: iofotoNon-invasive surgery does not require the use of a scalpel. -
![Cutting and probing tools are mandatory in invasive surgeries.]()
By: Alex TihonovCutting and probing tools are mandatory in invasive surgeries. -
![Some types of surgery are more invasive than others, requiring that the patient receives general anesthesia.]()
By: maska82Some types of surgery are more invasive than others, requiring that the patient receives general anesthesia. -
![Invasive surgery exposes the patient to more risks of infection.]()
By: Arkady ChubykinInvasive surgery exposes the patient to more risks of infection. -
![A laser mole removal is a non-invasive surgery.]()
By: mkrberlinA laser mole removal is a non-invasive surgery.
Discussion Comments
To me, by far one of the best advantages of non-invasive surgery is the reduced risk of infection. I think it's a great innovation. A man who went to our church had back surgery and got an infection from an instrument that hadn't been properly cleaned and sterilized.
He had to have a wound vac and go to the hospital for antibiotic injections about four days a week, for about eight weeks. The wound finally healed, but it took a long, long time -- all because someone didn't get an instrument cleaned like it was supposed to. So non-invasive sounds like the way to go for me, whenever possible.
My dad had laser surgery on his eyes to seal off some tiny bleeding blood vessels. Diabetics can get these little hemorrhages, and they can be serious if they're not treated very quickly.
The methods have been refined even more since he was having laser done, and it's much more pinpointed now than it was even then.
Thankfully, a non-invasive procedure was available to treat the hemorrhages, and the doctor was able to save his eyesight. That was in 1983, so you know the methods have greatly improved since then, and many patients can't even tell they've had laser now.
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