Percutaneous abdominal surgery

Abstract

Percutaneous surgery encompasses a wide variety of minimally invasive, image-guided diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that utilize needles, catheters, guidewires, and stents, under the guidance of ultrasound, computed tomography, fluoroscopy, or magnetic resonance imaging. Among the advantages of this approach are a reduced inflammatory response, shorter hospital stay, less postoperative pain, and fewer surgical wound complications. However, it presents a challenge:  the need for specialized training and a longer learning curve, both for image interpretation and for mastering the technique.