Thanks to the progress of modern medical science, there are numerous ways of treatment of infertility. One such way is Laparoscopy for infertility treatment. It is a surgical procedure but is nominal in comparison to open surgeries. People do lose hope when they have an unexplained infertility report. Laparoscopy for infertility can change your fate by enabling you to conceive naturally.
So what is a laparoscopy? How does it help to cure infertility? What are the benefits and side effects of laparoscopy? What will happen to me during the laparoscopic surgery? When will I be able to get pregnant after Laparoscopy? These must be your questions. Read this article and you will get all your queries resolved.
In This Article
- What is Laparoscopy?
- When is Laparoscopy Procedure Recommended?
- How is Laparoscopy Performed?
- Is the Laparoscopy Procedure Painful?
- Benefits of Laparoscopy For Infertility
- Are There Any Side Effects of Laparoscopy For Infertility?
- What is the Recovery Time of Laparoscopy Surgery For Infertility?
- FAQ’s
What is Laparoscopy?
Laparoscopy is a minimal surgical procedure that can be used both for diagnosis and treatment of infertility. In laparoscopy, the doctor uses a laparoscope which is a fiber-optic tube along with light and a camera. The doctor will insert this laparoscope in the area around your belly button through a minor incision. With the help of the light and camera of the laparoscope thus your doctor will get a closer and clearer look at your reproductive organs. This will help the doctor diagnose the problems that may be interfering with fertility
When is Laparoscopy Procedure Recommended?
Your doctor will only suggest taking the laparoscopic procedure only if all your fertility tests fail to detect the reason for your infertility. Thus generally, laparoscopy is conducted for detecting reproductive problems in a woman suffering from unexplained infertility.
Doctors can also recommend a laparoscopy if they suspect any unusual cell growth such as cysts that may cause infertility or even cancer. They may also conduct laparoscopies for the treatment of endometriosis. In the case of endometriosis, you may experience acute pain during bowel movements, menstruation, sexual intercourse, and urination. Doctors can thus suggest a laparoscopic treatment to rectify and remove scar tissues from your uterus.
[Read : Preconception Testing For Women]
How is Laparoscopy Performed?
Laparoscopy is a minor surgery that will take at least 30 to 45 minutes. Here is how this procedure is performed.
- The doctor will first administer anesthesia-either local or general so you do not feel pain during the procedure. With local anesthesia, you will be conscious during the entire process but you will not feel the sensation of the particular region of surgery.
- Then the surgeon will fill your abdomen with either carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide gas passing through a needle. This will move your internal organs and shift them a bit from the abdominal wall. This will help your doctor to get a prominent view of your internal organs.
- After the infiltration of gas finally, your surgeon will make a small incision to insert the laparoscope inside your belly. He/she can also do another incision to insert a probe to lift or move organs when necessary.
- Then with the help of the camera in the laparoscope, the surgeon will view the interior images of your pelvic cavity on a computer screen.
- The doctor can inject dye through your fallopian tubes to check if they have any blocks or not.
- Your surgeon will try to figure out the possible causes of infertility such as; faults in the fallopian tube, ovaries or uterus, fibroid tumors, scar tissues, endometriosis, etc.
- If any problem is detected then the surgeon may decide the immediate course of action and choose to remove growths or cysts. This will then become an operative laparoscopy.
- In an operative laparoscopy, your surgeon inserts small instruments through the laparoscope or an adjoint incision point.
- Through these small surgical instruments, the surgeon will fix problems like removing scar tissue and fibroids, cutting tissues with electrocautery or laser beam, etc.
- The surgeon will close the incision points through some stitches after completing the procedure.
- There will be little to no scar from these stitches after a few months.
[Read : Blocked Fallopian Tubes]
Is the Laparoscopy Procedure Painful?
Any surgery will cause pain after the effects of the anesthesia are over. According to a study by Springer Open, out of 150 patients, 91 regard the pain after laparoscopy as mild and well-bearable. As laparoscopic surgery is a minimal surgery, its pain will also be minimal. You will feel mild pain in the place of surgery. Additionally, you can feel muscle pain, and pain in the shoulders for one or two days.
Benefits of Laparoscopy For Infertility
This minor surgical procedure is beneficial for lots of couples suffering from unexplained infertility. The benefits of laparoscopy for infertility are
1. Minimally Invasive
It is a less invasive surgery in comparison to an open surgery. As a result, the chances of pain, blood loss, and post-surgery complications are very low.
2. Helpful in the Detection of Various Conditions
Some factors of infertility such as blockage and abnormalities of the fallopian tube, and pelvic pathologies are hard to detect through normal fertility tests. Laparoscopy helps to detect as well as treat such problems. Ovarian cysts, more specifically PCOD, is one of the major cause of unexplained infertility according to a report by NIH. Laparoscopy can also successfully detect PCOD. Through laparoscopy, doctors can prominently identify and treat endometriosis and fibroids in the uterus that often cause infertility.
[Read : Can You Get Pregnant With Endometriosis?]
3. Improves Chances of Conceiving Naturally
Laparoscopy can help detect various hidden issues that can otherwise go undetected with routine tests and sometimes even treat them. As a result, your chances of natural conception get high after laparoscopy. With a successful laparoscopy, you can escape the costly IVF process by conceiving naturally.
Are There Any Side Effects of Laparoscopy For Infertility?
The side effects of laparoscopy can vary in different persons. Minor side effects such as skin irritation, infection, and itchiness at the place of surgery are common. It is only 1 to 2 percent of patients that can experience serious complications. The severe to mild side effects of laparoscopy for infertility are
- Adhesions
- Hematomas in the walls of the abdomen
- Injury in pelvic organs by the laparoscope or surgical instruments
- Blood clots
- Bladder infection as a result of urine retention during the surgery
- Allergic reaction
- Itchiness in the incision site
- Shoulder pain and bloating because of the carbon dioxide gas
- Tiredness, nausea, and muscle pain
What is the Recovery Time of Laparoscopy Surgery For Infertility?
The time of recovery here will depend on the type of laparoscopy you get. If it is a diagnostic or grade 1 laparoscopy then you will get your discharge on the same day after a few hours of observation and rest. And after a few days of rest, you will get a complete recovery. But if it is a surgical laparoscopy, you may have to stay a day or two in the hospital, depending on your health condition. The recovery time for surgical laparoscopy can also extend to 6 weeks to 3 months after surgery.
So laparoscopy for infertility is an effective treatment for rectifying the cause of infertility. You can try this procedure if all other fertility tests of yours fail to detect the infertility problem in you. This mild surgery is safe and effective if it is done by an expert. So choose your hospital and surgeon wisely by examining their previous records on similar cases.
FAQ’s
1. Is Laparoscopy Better Than IVF?
Laparoscopy is the first choice of doctors before they recommend you the ultimate process of conception, IVF. This is because if the laparoscopy can detect and treat the hidden cause of infertility in you, then there will be no need for an IVF.
2. How Long After a Laparoscopy Can I try to Conceive?
According to a study by NIH, 41.9% out of 43 infertile women naturally conceive within 3 to 6 months after laparoscopy. The study also suggests a prompt attempt for natural conception to get the benefits of laparoscopy in case of endometriosis. So you can try for conception as soon as your stitches heal and your doctor permits.
3. What is the Success Rate of Laparoscopy For Infertility?
Almost 30 to 50% of women can conceive naturally within one year of laparoscopic surgery. The success rate of laparoscopy in unblocking the fallopian tubes is almost 20 to 40%. This impacts a lot as it creates a smooth passage for the egg and sperm to interact freely.
Read Also: Your Comprehensive Guide to an IVF Treatment
