The world of infertility is filled with a wide range of treatment options. This includes treatment options such as IVF and IUI. Among many such options, laparoscopy is one of the supporting treatments that goes alongside the primary infertility treatments. But some of you may ask, "What is laparoscopy?" Laparoscopy is a form of surgical procedure that allows a doctor to see inside the body. When this procedure is a part of fertility testing, the doctor evaluates the structures of the reproductive system, including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. Now, some of you may have questions regarding the benefits, risks, and recovery process when it is used in infertility treatment.
In this blog, we discuss the uses of laparoscopy in infertility treatment, along with the risks and benefits of laparoscopy treatment for infertility. So, with this in mind, let's get started.
As mentioned prior, laparoscopy is a surgical procedure. This procedure involves making a small incision through the abdomen through which a laparoscope (a thin, flexible tube with a camera and a light) is inserted. This small device allows surgeons to view the inside of the abdomen and pelvis in real time. Therefore, it is a popular supporting technology for the treatment of conditions such as infertility and ovarian cysts. It's favored because it's minimally invasive, which typically results in less pain, shorter recovery times, and smaller scars compared to traditional open surgery. Now, some of you may question, "Why is laparoscopy done for infertility?"
As you may already have guessed from the definition of laparoscopy, this treatment is widely used in infertility treatment. Therefore, it should be natural to assume that laparoscopy plays an important role in infertility treatment. Some areas where laparoscopy plays an important role in infertility treatment are as follows:
According to a paper on Tspace. library, one of the key roles of laparoscopy is in endoscopic tubal surgery. Some of you may wonder, what is endoscopic tubal surgery? Well, this is a form of surgical procedure performed using endoscopic techniques to treat the issues related to fallopian tubes. This form of surgery involves using specialized instruments like an endoscope inserted through small incisions in the body to visualize and operate on internal organs.In the context of infertility treatment, endoscopic tubal surgery is primarily aimed at addressing tubal factors that may be contributing to infertility.
Adhesiolysis is a surgical procedure performed to break down and remove adhesions, which are bands of scar tissue that form between internal organs and tissues. In the case of infertility, adhesions associated with fallopian tubes are often seen as a cause of infertility. The decision to treat such decisions can increase fertility. As per the paper, the decision to remove adhesions can result in an improvement in fertility.
Besides the conditions mentioned in the papers. Laparoscopy can also be used to test the openness of fallopian tubes. If there are blockages or abnormalities, the doctors may use procedures such as tubal cannulation or tubal reanastomosis using laparoscopy to restore fertility.
If the female patient has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and is not ovulating regularly, the doctors may conduct an ovarian drilling procedure using laparoscopy as an aid. This process involves making a small puncture in the ovary using a small laser or a current and inserting the tube with a camera for a better view while conducting the drilling process.
Laparoscopy can be used prior to IVF to diagnose and treat conditions that may affect the success of the procedure, such as endometriosis or adhesions. Additionally, during IVF, laparoscopy may be used for procedures such as egg retrieval (transvaginal oocyte aspiration) or embryo transfer.
These are some of the reasons why laparoscopy is done for infertility. Besides the ones we mentioned here, laparoscopy can be added to other procedures depending on the needs of the procedure.
After knowing the basics of laparoscopy for infertility, some of you may wonder about its procedure. The specific procedure changes depending on your individual circumstances. However, some of the common steps in the laparoscopy procedure are as follows:
Now, depending on what the doctor sees, there may be additional steps. Some of the additional steps are as follows:
These are just some of the steps involved in the process of using laparoscopy in infertility treatment procedures. As mentioned prior, depending on the specifics of the circumstances, there may be additional steps involved in this process. But some of you may wish to know about the things to expect during this process.
The things you might need to expect during this process depend on your individual circumstances. However, there are a few things that are common regardless of the procedure. Some of these common aspects are as follows:
Do note that besides minor pain in the shoulders, the rest of the symptoms are rather rare. Therefore, if you have other symptoms, you should contact your doctor immediately.
There are many benefits of laparoscopy for infertility treatment. That said, one of the key benefits of this treatment is the ability to get a first-person view of the procedure. Besides this, some other reasons why laparoscopy is done for infertility are as follows:
Overall, laparoscopy is a valuable tool in the diagnostics and treatment of infertility. It offers you a safer, less invasive and more effective approach to addressing infertility conditions.
Although the risk is small, we cannot ignore the risks of laparoscopy. Some of the key risks of laparoscopy for infertility are as follows:
Do note that these risks are rather small when compared to the overall benefits. Still, they are still there and you should have the knowledge of the said risks before starting the laparoscopy for infertility treatment.
While it is good to know the risks, benefits, and what to expect after the procedure, you should also know aspects associated with laparoscopy recovery. Now, it is important to know that many people recover within a week or two after laparoscopy (effects of other treatments not included). Therefore, unless specified otherwise, you can resume your regular activities after a week or two. The small cuts on the outside of the body heal rather quickly, and the inside takes roughly a week or two to go back to normal. Along with this, there are some risks of activities that you should note while recovering from laparoscopy. Some of these restricted activities include the following:
These are just some of the activities that we do not recommend doing while recovering from laparoscopy. Besides the general ones we mentioned here, the specific recommendations can vary depending on your circumstances and doctors' recommendations.
So why is laparoscopy done for infertility? Well, there are several reasons for this. One of the key reasons is that laparoscopy allows doctors to see the insides of the body better which aids in the use of other treatments. Besides this, laparoscopy also leaves smaller scars and has a lower risk of infection when compared to other forms of assistive surgeries. Besides this, they have many other benefits and some risks as well.
In this blog, we discussed why laparoscopy is done for infertility, its risks and benefits for infertility treatment, procedures, and things to avoid during recovery. We hope you found this helpful. If you want further insights into other various aspects of laparoscopy do check out some of our other blogs. And if you want the best infertility treatment in Nepal, please contact Hardik IVF and Fertility Center also known as the best IVF center in Nepal. Thank you for reading till the end.
Laparoscopy allows doctors to see the growths and cysts that hamper the fertility of female patients. This further aids in enhanced success in the treatment of fertility treatments. Therefore, laparoscopic surgery is good for infertility.
The five key benefits of laparoscopic surgery are as follows:
The key advantage of the laparoscopic approach is avoiding large open wounds or incisions and thus decreasing blood loss, pain and discomfort.
Laparoscopy is typically an aid to enhance the success rate of other infertility treatments. Therefore, in general, IVF is recommended over laparoscopy.
The key disadvantage of laparoscopic surgery is that some anesthesia is usually needed to have the surgery, which can cause a sore throat upon waking up.
The procedure is mildly painful. Furthermore, after the procedure is successfully completed, you may have mild pain in the shoulder and incision area for a few weeks.
Laparoscopy aids the doctors to see what is inside the body. This further enables doctors to conduct infertility treatments such as IVF and IUI with better precision, enhancing the overall success rates of infertility treatment.
Although laparoscopy does not directly increase the chance of pregnancy, it does have a positive effect on infertility treatment. This in turn can result in higher chances of pregnancy.
Laparoscopy rarely affects fertility chances. However, when combined with other forms of infertility treatment, it does have a positive impact enhancing the success rate of infertility treatment by a slight margin.
In general, laparoscopy for infertility is indeed safe. However, there are some risks such as infection, bleeding of the wound and pain during the procedure that can negatively affect the patient. That said, these risks only have a small chance of occurring.