Surgery is often the only option left after prolonged illness or late diagnosis of an infarction in its advanced stages. In this article, we shall compare the most important aspects of open surgery and minimally invasive surgery.

Open Surgery

As is well-known, open surgery is the traditional method of treating target internal organs by gaining access to tilt through one line incision in the abdomen or nearby areas. The process is maximally invasive and has the following pros and cons.

Pros

Thorough visibility: The viscera surrounding the target organ, the condition of tissues around it, and the final shape in which the surgeon sutures up the incision, every aspect of open surgery is conducted under broad visibility. Although this makes the process thorough, minor details like nerve damage or blood vessel clotting might go unnoticed in open surgery.
Superior diagnosis: Any sign of secondary infection that was not detected earlier is easily discernible and treatable in open surgeries.
Easy troubleshooting in case of complications: Whether it is a case of excessive bleeding or nerve damage, control of mistakes or complications that arise during the surgery are easily applicable in open surgery.

Cons

Lengthy recovery time: Usually the incision takes time to heal and this can cause lengthy recovery time.
Follow up medication like pain killers: Heavy pain-killer doses are often required to reduce the intense post-operative pains.
Scarring on patient body: Permanent and extensive scars are left behind on the patient body.

Minimally Invasive Surgery

Accomplished with tiny incisions at the target area, minimally invasive surgery can be either laparoscopic or robotic. The main pros and cons of the process are:

Pros

Minor incisions: The size of the incisions is not beyond one centimeter in length accomplished by laparoscopic instruments and therefore, minimizes bleeding and scarring.
Less blood loss: Due to minimal invasion, quantity of blood lost in laparoscopy procedure is negligible compared to that lost in open surgery.
Reducedscarring: Other than four or five blots at the points of incision, minimally invasive surgery does not leave any extra scars on the operated skin surface.
Faster recovery: The amount of time required for recovery is less and therefore, the patient can resume daily activities within a few days.

Cons

Serious risk factors: These include technical snag or instrument malfunction. The worst scenario is instrument breakage due to clash with other laparoscopic instruments at the site of operation.
Excessive bleeding: During a laparoscopy procedure, excessive bleeding can cause serious hindrance and in cases of da Vinci robotic surgery, it is very difficult to control the situation.
Chance Complications: Any other complication that might arise during or after the process cannot be treated by a subsequent minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery and will require a complete open surgery to correct.

Minimally invasive surgical procedures are highly popular owing to the many advantages of going for the process. However, one must not forget that open surgery is the ultimate recourse when minimally invasive techniques fail. This article sums up the pros and cons of both types of surgical procedures.