Reduced Risk of Infection: Smaller incisions( 0.5 to 1.5 cm) mean less exposure of internal organs to the outside environment, lowering the risk of post-surgical infections.
Improved Cosmetic Outcome: Smaller incisions leave significantly smaller, more discreet scars.
Shorter Hospital Stays: Many laparoscopic procedures are performed as outpatient or day-case surgeries, allowing patients to go home faster.
Less Risk of Hernia: Smaller incisions better maintain the integrity of the abdominal wall, reducing the likelihood of developing postoperative hernias.
Improved Surgical Precision: High-definition monitors provide magnified images, allowing surgeons to operate with greater accuracy.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists gives similar advantages but includes Lower Risk of Adhesions: Performing the operation within the abdominal cavity, while avoiding excessive
29 MAL71 / 26 ISSUE handling and drying of internal organs, may reduce the formation of postoperative adhesions, which can cause future complications like bowel obstruction.
So, was my patient denied these benefits of laparoscopic surgery? This question is one that may not be answered in the long term but fortunately Stella is recovering well.
Laparoscopy is just but one example of many other areas where this type of information is emanating from. Other health care services are affected such as implants in Orthopaedics and I’ m sure most specialties are affected by this new trend of writhing they will not pay for certain drugs, commodities and equipment.
In as much as we know that health care costs are ballooning and as we continue to make laws and an environment that is hostile to encouraging local industry, it is becoming inevitable that these costs may never come down soon. Countries like India have succeeded in keeping their health care costs down but this is in part due to 2 things:
They have developed their own industry for making drugs and medical equipment so even International brands have to compete with the prices of locally manufactured medicine and equipment.
Sheer numbers of the population by default gives them massive volumes sold giving them profits even on small margins.
There may be other more intrinsic reasons but these are what is top of mind. While the insurance companies may not have control of this end of the heath care continuum we would urge patients and human resource professionals to look keenly at their health insurance providers and shun any provider that would deny them access to services that are known to reduce their risks and improve the quality of care they are receiving and particularly with the high cost of health insurance.
Dr. Maureen Owiti is a practicing Obstetrician Gynaecologist and fertility consultant based in Nairobi. You can commune with her on this or related matters via email at: Drmaureenowiti @ gmail. com.