Laparoscopy for Endometriosis and Ovarian Cysts

What is laparoscopy for endometriosis and ovarian cysts?

Certain women's health problems can be tough to diagnose. The symptoms, such as chronic pelvic pain or irregular periods, can overlap with a number of other illnesses, and sometimes ultrasound and other imaging tests can't show what's causing the symptoms. Endometriosis is notoriously hard to detect.

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue that is normally inside the uterus grows somewhere else in your body, usually in your abdomen or pelvis. It can be painful, and it can cause ovarian cysts and fertility problems. It's important to get a diagnosis and treatment. Thanks to laparoscopic surgery, you can get both at the same time. 

While some doctors may recommend hormone therapy to treat suspected endometriosis, laparoscopy is the only sure way to confirm that endometriosis is what's causing your symptoms. If you have symptoms of endometriosis, your doctor may recommend that you have an exploratory laparoscopic surgery.

This means that your doctor will make one small incision in your abdomen and insert a lighted scope with a camera. Using the camera, your doctor will look around for signs of endometriosis. If the scope shows that you do have endometriosis, your doctor will make one or two more small incisions in order to insert surgical tools.

Using these tools, your doctor will remove the abnormal tissue and any ovarian cysts that it may have caused. Your doctor may also take a small sample of the abnormal tissue and look at it under a microscope.