Laparoscopy

Laparoscopy is a surgery that uses a thin, lighted tube put through an incision in the belly to look at the abdominal organs or the female pelvic organs . Laparoscopy is used to find problems such as cysts, adhesions, fibroids, and infection. In most cases, I am able to use  laparoscopy instead of laparotomy. Our scopes and anesthesia and technology are evolving rapidly and we use these methods to do your operation carefully and get you back home the same day and back to work often within a week. Rarely I will refer you to another specialist for a robotic approach if you and I decide it might be better for your condition. These procedures can often be done without needing to stay overnight in the hospital.

Why It Is Done

Laparoscopy is done to:

• Check for and possibly take out abnormal growths (such as tumors) in the belly or pelvis.
• Check for and treat conditions such as endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
• Find conditions that can make it hard for a woman to become pregnant. These conditions include cysts, adhesions, fibroids, and infection. Laparoscopy may be done after initial infertility tests do not show the cause for the infertility.
• Take out organs, such as the uterus, tubes, ovaries or possibly finding  the cause of sudden or ongoing pelvic pain.

How To Prepare

Tell your doctor if you:

• Have allergies to any medicines, including anesthesia.
• Have any bleeding problems or are taking any blood-thinning medicines, such as aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin).
• Are or might be pregnant.

Before laparoscopy:

• Follow the instructions exactly about when to stop eating and drinking, or your surgery may be canceled. If your doctor has instructed you to take your medicines on the day of surgery, please do so using only a sip of water.
• Leave your jewelry at home. Any jewelry you wear will need to be taken off before the laparoscopy.
• Remove your glasses, contacts, and dentures or a removable bridge before the laparoscopy. These will be given back to you as soon as you wake up after the surgery.
• Arrange for someone to drive you home after the laparoscopy.

You may be asked to use an enema several hours before or the day before the surgery to empty your colon.

The hospital or surgery center may send you instructions on how to get ready for your laparoscopy or a nurse may call you with instructions before your surgery.You will be asked to sign a consent form before having laparoscopy. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have about the need for the surgery, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form.