Diagnostic laparoscopy for gynecology

What is female pelvic laparoscopy?

How is female pelvic laparoscopy performed?

How do you prepare for a diagnostic laparoscopy?

Is female pelvic laparoscopy safe?

How long does a diagnostic laparoscopy take?

What is a diagnostic surgery?

Why is diagnostic laparoscopy performed?

Diagnostic laparoscopy for gynecology

Diagnostic laparoscopy for gynecology is a surgical procedure doctors use to view a woman’s reproductive organs. A laparoscope, or thin viewing tube similar to a telescope, is passed through a small incision (cut) in the abdomen. Using the laparoscope, the doctor can look directly at the outside of the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and nearby organs.

A female pelvic laparoscopy is often recommended when other diagnostic tests, such as ultrasound and X-ray, cannot confirm the cause of a condition. Your doctor might use laparoscopy to:

• Find the cause of pain in the pelvic and abdominal regions
• Examine a tissue mass
• Confirm endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease
• Look for blockage of the fallopian tubes or for other causes of infertility

Read more about : Cervical cancer treatment

Read more about : Risk factors of cervical cancer

Read more about : Cystoscopy for female

Read more about: Vaginal hysterectomy 

Read more about: Ovarian cyst removal surgery 

What is female pelvic laparoscopy?

Diagnostic laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that doctors use to view a woman’s reproductive organs. A laparoscope, a thin viewing tube similar to a telescope, is passed through a small incision (cut) in the abdomen. Using the laparoscope, the doctor can look directly at the outside of the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and nearby organs.

A female pelvic laparoscopy is often recommended when other diagnostic tests, such as ultrasound and X-ray, cannot confirm the cause of a condition. Your doctor might use laparoscopy to:

• Find the cause of pain in the pelvic and abdominal regions
• Examine a tissue mass
• Confirm endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease
• Look for blockage of the fallopian tubes or for other causes of infertility

Read more about: Cystocele And Rectocele Repair Surgery 

Read more about: Cervical Biopsy Procedure

How is female pelvic laparoscopy performed?

The procedure is performed while you are lying down in a slightly tilted position, with your head lower than your feet. You will be given a general anesthetic to relax your muscles and prevent pain during surgery.

Next, a small incision is made near the navel. The laparoscope is inserted through this incision, and the abdomen is inflated to make the organs easier to view. The laparoscope might also be equipped with surgical devices for taking tissue samples or removing scar tissue.

A second incision might also be made at the pubic hairline. This incision provides an additional opening for instruments needed for completing minor surgical procedures.

After surgery, patients generally stay in a recovery room for about one hour. Patients are then taken to an outpatient surgery unit for continued observation.

You will be discharged after you receive instructions for your home recovery. In most cases, patients can leave the hospital about four hours after laparoscopy. Rarely a patient will need to stay overnight to aid recovery.

Patients are asked to return to their doctors for follow-up checkups within two to eight weeks. Please confirm your follow-up appointment before leaving the hospital.

You will be unable to drive for 24 hours after surgery. You must have someone pick you up and stay with you for 24 hours after surgery.

Read more about: Pelvic Ultrasound Procedure

Read more about: Bartholin Cyst Surgery

How do you prepare for a diagnostic laparoscopy?

Depending on the type of laparoscopic procedure being performed, you’ll usually be asked not to eat or drink anything for 6 to 12 hours beforehand.

If you’re taking blood-thinning medication (anticoagulants), such as aspirin or warfarin, you may be asked to stop taking it a few days beforehand. This is to prevent excessive bleeding during the operation.

If you smoke, you may be advised to stop during the lead-up to the operation. This is because smoking can delay healing after surgery and increase the risk of complications such as infection.

Most people can leave hospital either on the day of the procedure or the following day. Before the procedure, you’ll need to arrange for someone to drive you home because you’ll be advised not to drive for at least 24 hours afterwards.

Preparing for laparoscopy

Please follow these guidelines before coming to the hospital for your laparoscopy:

• DO NOT eat, drink (including water), or smoke after midnight prior to the day of surgery.
• Wear low-heeled shoes the day of surgery. You might be drowsy from the anesthesia and unsteady on your feet.
• Do not wear jewelry. (Wedding rings may be worn.)
• Wear loose-fitting clothing. You will have some abdominal tenderness and cramping after surgery.
• Remove nail polish prior to surgery.

Is female pelvic laparoscopy safe?

Yes. Laparoscopy is very safe. About three out of every 1,000 women who have laparoscopy have complications. Possible complications include injury to nearby organs, bleeding, or a problem related to the anesthesia. Discuss any concerns you have with your doctor.

Read more about: Laparoscopy

Read more about: Female Pelvic Laparoscopy

After laparoscopy

• Recovering at home
  • Don’t drink alcohol or drive for at least 24 hours after surgery.
  • You can bathe any time after surgery.
  • You may remove the bandage the morning after the surgery. Steri-strips, which resemble tape, can be removed 2 to 3 days after surgery.
  • Patients can return to work 3 days after surgery. (If you need a doctor’s letter excusing you from work, please request one at your pre-operative appointment.)
  • Do not be concerned if your urine is green. A blue dye might have been used to check if your fallopian tubes are open.
• Discomforts
  • Your abdomen might be swollen for several days after the surgery. You may take acetaminophen to relieve pain.
  • You might have a sore throat for a few days. Try using a throat lozenge.
  • You might have mild nausea. Try eating a light evening meal the day of surgery. Tea, soup, toast, gelatin, or crackers might help relieve nausea.
  • Gas in the abdomen might cause discomfort in the neck, shoulders, and chest for 24 to 72 hours after surgery. Try taking a warm shower, using a heating pad, or walking.
• Vaginal bleeding and menstruation

Vaginal bleeding up to 1 month after surgery is normal. Many women do not have their next normal menstrual cycle for 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. When your normal cycle returns, you might notice heavier bleeding and more discomfort than usual.

Wait 2 to 3 menstrual cycles before determining if laparoscopy has helped to relieve your condition.

• Sexual activity

You can resume sexual activity 1 week after surgery. However, pregnancy can still occur during recovery. If you wish to prevent pregnancy, use a contraceptive.

How long does a diagnostic laparoscopy take?

When laparoscopy is used to diagnose a condition, the procedure usually takes 30-60 minutes. It will take longer if the surgeon is treating a condition, depending on the type of surgery being carried out.

Most women feel better within the first week following surgery; however, do not lift, push or pull any heavy objects until after your doctor says it is OK. Do not resume sexual intercourse until your doctor says it is OK. Full recovery takes about two weeks to allow for internal healing.

Read more about: Pelvic Ultrasound Procedure In Iran

Read more about: IUI Process In Iran

What is a diagnostic surgery?

A laparoscope is a telescope designed for medical use. It is connected to a high intensity light and a high-resolution monitor. In order for the surgeon to see inside your abdomen, a hollow tube (port) is placed through your abdominal wall, and the laparoscope is inserted into the port. The image of the inside of your abdomen is then seen on the monitor. In most cases, this procedure (operation) will be able to diagnose or help discover what the abdominal problem is.

Why is diagnostic laparoscopy performed?

1. Abdominal pain. Laparoscopy has a role in the diagnosis of both acute and chronic abdominal pain. There are many causes of abdominal pain. Some of these causes include appendicitis, adhesions or intra-abdominal scar tissue, pelvic infections, endometriosis, abdominal bleeding and, less frequently, cancer. It is used in patients with irritable bowel disease to exclude other causes of abdominal pain. Surgeons can often diagnose the cause of the abdominal pain and, during the same procedure, correct the problem.
2. Abdominal mass. A patient may have a lump (mass or tumor), which can be felt by the doctor, the patient, or seen on an X-ray. Most masses require a definitive diagnosis before appropriate therapy or treatment can be recommended. Laparoscopy is one of the techniques available to your physician to look directly at the mass and obtain tissue to discover the diagnosis.
3. The presence of fluid in the abdominal cavity is called ascites. Sometimes the cause of this fluid accumulation cannot be found without looking into the abdominal cavity, which can often be accomplished with laparoscopy.
4. Liver disease. Non-invasive imaging techniques such as ultrasound, CT scan (computed tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) may discover a mass inside or on the surface of the liver. If non-invasive imaging cannot give your physician enough information, a liver biopsy may be needed to establish the diagnosis. Diagnostic laparoscopy is one of the safest and most accurate ways to obtain tissue for diagnosis. In other words, it is an accurate way to collect a biopsy to sample the liver or mass without actually opening the abdomen.
5. “Second look” procedure or cancer staging. Your doctor may need information regarding the status of a previously treated disease, such as cancer. This may occur after treatment with some forms of chemotherapy or before more chemotherapy is started. Also, information may be provided by diagnostic laparoscopy before planning a formal exploration of the abdomen, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
6. There are other reasons to undergo a diagnostic laparoscopy, which cannot all be listed here. This should be reviewed and discussed with your surgeon.

Read more about: Gynecology hospitals

Read more about: laparotomy and laparoscopy