Laparoscopy

What Is Laparoscopy?

Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows your doctor to view and treat the pelvic organs. This procedure uses small incisions to insert the laparoscope—a small, thin rod with a camera attached to it. Smaller incisions result in a short recovery period and less overall risk for our patients.

A laparoscopic procedure allows the fertility surgeon to easily diagnose and repair issues in the reproductive organs during the same surgical procedure. The surgeon will make two or more small incisions measuring about a quarter inch across. The first is typically made in the navel and the second in the lower abdomen.

Diagnostic Laparoscopy

Our specialists may recommend a diagnostic laparoscopy as part of your fertility testing. If we are unable to find any potential causes of infertility from blood tests or pelvic ultrasounds. Laparoscopy can be used to diagnose several conditions that may be affecting your ability to conceive, such as:

• Endometriosis
• Uterine fibroids
• Ovarian cysts
• Pelvic floor disorders

Fertility Treatment

In many cases, some causes of infertility that are found during a laparoscopic procedure can be treated during the same procedure. Your doctor will be able to insert other tools, if needed, to treat the pelvic organs. During the procedure, doctors may take tissue samples, drain cysts, or fix additional structural issues, such as removing adhesions or fibroids.

Robotic surgery can also be used to treat some structural causes of infertility. Using robot arms to guide the laparoscope, your doctor can treat the surgical site with the utmost precision and accuracy.

Are There Any Risks to Laparoscopy?

Compared to other forms of surgery, laparoscopy is considered minimally invasive. Since any abdominal incisions made are small, you will have less risk of infection, and your resulting scars will be smaller.

Your procedure will be done under general anesthesia, which may cause nausea for some patients. We also ask that you reach out to our specialists and seek medical care if, after your procedure, you notice any of the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Severe or worsening pain
• Heavy vaginal bleeding
• Redness, swelling, or discharge from incision
• Fainting
• Inability to empty your bladder

Once the laparoscopy has been performed, our specialists will have a better understanding of your health and fertility, so we can proceed with the right fertility treatments.

Learn if Laparoscopy Is Right for You

The specialists at the Fertility Institute are here to assist you through every step on your path to parenthood. With advanced, minimally invasive procedures like laparoscopy, we can determine what fertility treatments are most effective for you.

To start your fertility journey with us and learn more about testing, request a new patient consultation today.

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