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What is Gynecological Laparoscopy ?

Gynecological Laparoscopy is an alternative to open surgery. It is a medical procedure where the surgeon uses a laparoscope to see inside the patient’s pelvic area or the lower abdomen that includes the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes.

A laparoscope is a thin, flexible tube with a camera at one end, which is connected to a monitor. This will help the surgeon get a better view of the patient’s uterus, the fallopian tubes, and the ovaries.

They will also be able to see other parts of the patient’s body, such as the bladder and bowel. The surgery is performed through tiny incisions so it is also called keyhole surgery.

Doctors usually prefer laparoscopy for the following reasons:

• Shorter healing time when compared to open surgery
• Surgeons create tiny incisions and hence smaller scars
• More economical than open surgery

When is Gynecologic Laparoscopic Surgery needed ?

Doctors usually recommend gynecological Laparoscopy for the following:

• Diagnostic laparoscopy : Here laparoscopy is used  to diagnose the following conditions
  • Endometriosis
  • Uterine fibroids
  • Ovarian cysts or tumors
  • Ectopic pregnancy
  • Pelvic abscess, or pus
  • Pelvic adhesions, or painful scar tissue
  • Infertility
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease
  • Reproductive Cancers
• Laparoscopy treatment : The surgeons usually perform a laparoscopy to treat the following medical conditions:
  • Hysterectomy
  • Removal of the ovaries
  • Removal of ovarian cysts
  • Removal of fibroid
  • Adhesion removal
  • Reversal of a contraceptive surgery called tubal ligation
  • Burch procedure for incontinence
  • Vault suspension to treat a prolapsed uterus
• Laparoscopy helps detect cancer: Laparoscopy can be used to  diagnose and asses the spread of cancer. Biopsy of tissues taken during laparoscopy can be sent for histopathological  examination.
• Laparoscopy to diagnose unexplained abdominal   pain: In some cases of abdominal pain , no cause can be found despite extensive investigations and scans. In such cases a diagnostic laparoscopy can often help in identify the cause.

Laparoscopy Procedure

Laparoscopy procedure is performed under general anaesthesia . It is also known as  ‘keyhole surgery’ as  the surgeon makes tiny incisions  in the lower abdomen. The surgeon will fill the abdomen with carbon dioxide gas to inflate the abdomen. This will keep the abdominal wall away from the internal organs, providing a better view, which in turn will reduce the risk of injury.

The surgeon will then insert the laparoscope, a thin flexible tube, with a camera at the end into one of the incisions. It will transmit images to the monitor connected to its other end, which will help the surgeon view the affected area. The surgeon will then insert tiny specialised surgical instruments that will be used, in case of surgery, with the help of the laparoscope.

After the procedure, the surgeons will remove all the instruments, including the laparoscope. Then the incisions are closed with stitches or glue. The patient can now be shifted to a bed for recovery.