LAPAROSCOPY

• What is Laparoscopy

Laparoscopy is a surgical technique to “see” inside the abdomen and pelvis through a thin, fiber-optic telescope called laparoscope.

• When is Laparoscopy used

Laparoscopy is used to investigate symptoms such as abdominal or pelvic pain or swelling and if it is due to: endometriosis, inflammatory pelvic condition, ectopic pregnancy. Laparoscopy can also be used to diagnose if pelvic swelling is due to a liquid cyst or a solid ovarian cyst, or rather a uterine fibroid or myoma. Laparoscopy is used to investigate infertility, for example if infertility is due to the presence of adhesions or malformations of the internal reproductive system, which sometimes is associated with Hysteroscopy.

• What happens during Laparoscopy

The surgery is done under general anesthesia. An microtubal insert is placed in the vagina and throughthe cervical canal in order to keep the uterus flexible to then perform the salpingocromoscopy.During laparoscopy, a small incision is made in the belly. A hollow Verres needle is put through the incision and gas (carbon dioxide) is slowly put through the needle to inflate the belly. The gas lifts the abdominal wall away from the organs inside so the doctor can see clearly. Then a thin, lighted tube (laparoscope) is then put through the incision to look at the organs. Salpingocromoscopy is a procedure which investigates if a woman’s fallopian tubes are open or obstructed and photos are taken of their shape. A dye (indigo carmine) is injected though the cervical canal into the uterus and it is possible using laparoscopy to see the dye flow through the fallopian tubes and out into the abdominal cavity. Other tools can be used and inserted through the small incisions above the pubic area for an operative laparoscopy.After the surgery, the gas will be released from the abdomen and the incisions will be closed with stitches (dissolving).Diagnostic laparoscopy takes twenty minutes, whereas operative laparoscopy can take much longer depending on the complexity of the surgery required.

• What happens after surgery

After surgery, the patient may feel some mild disturbances that generally disappear after a couple days. There may be a slight pressure or achiness in the shoulder or abdomen due to the gas that was used to lift the abdominal wall. There may be nausea and also a sore throat caused by the anethesia. There can be blood spotting for several days after the surgery. The incisions close completely usually in 7 to 10 days after the surgery. The post-surgery convalescence is generally one or two nights. The patient can already get up and move on the same day as the surgery. Convalescence at home can vary from a few days for diagnostic laparoscopy to two to three weeks for operative laparoscopy. A gynecological check up is advised a month after the surgery.