Which causes more harm: open surgery or laparoscopic surgery?

Generally speaking, open surgery tends to cause relatively greater trauma compared to laparoscopic surgery. The detailed analysis is as follows:

Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure widely used in clinical practice for treating various conditions, such as ovarian cyst removal, hysterectomy, appendectomy, and repair of gastric perforation. Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic surgery offers a smaller surgical field and limited operating space, requiring higher precision. However, it causes less trauma, reduces the risk of postoperative infection, imposes less psychological stress on patients, and features smaller incisions, less intraoperative bleeding, and faster recovery. In contrast, open surgery, as a traditional surgical approach, allows direct visualization of the patient's internal tissues during the operation. However, it involves larger wounds that are more prone to infection, greater blood loss, visible postoperative scarring, and a higher risk of complications. Overall, open surgery generally results in greater physical trauma. Nevertheless, for certain conditions—such as extensive abdominal adhesions caused by severe hemorrhage—laparoscopic surgery may not be feasible, making open surgery the only viable option.

Regardless of the type, all surgeries involve some degree of bodily harm; the difference lies only in severity. It is recommended to maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and stay healthy to minimize the likelihood of needing surgery.