Laparoscopy for Infertility
Infertility
Dr. Smriti
Jul 23, 2021
What is Laparoscopy?
Laparoscopy is generally used to diagnose any infertility-related complications. This is a surgical procedure where one, two, or three minor cuts are done in the abdomen. Through those holes, the surgeon inserts a specially made surgical instrument named a laparoscope. This is nothing but a fiber-optic tube, thin in size, and is fitted with a camera and light to operate efficiently. If you want to know Laparoscopy meaning, then it is just another operation on the human body with a difference. In normal cases, a large section of our body is cut to make space for operational instruments. It is also done to widen the space so that entire body parts can be seen at a glance. If needed, other parts are also taken care of at the same time during any emergency period.
But, in Laparoscopy, surgeons can check the body organs without making any major cuts in the body. Usually,a larger incision takes more time to recovery along with a stay at the hospital. In Laparoscopy, it is a smooth process, and one can do any activity after a specific time subject to the doctor’s approval.
Laparoscopy for infertility
Like any other surgery, Laparoscopy for infertility is also an important one. For obvious reasons, it is done once a doctor checks other aspects and thinks this is the best solution for a woman. It varies in multiple cases depending on the condition of the woman, stages of pregnancy, degree of Infertility, and so on. So, none can give a definitive guideline about the execution of Laparoscopy for infertility unless she is appropriately diagnosed.
When to do Laparoscopy for infertility?
Well, your doctor is the ideal person when to undergo for laparoscopic operation. Laparoscopy is performed after all other infertility tests have been done, and no result is achieved in those cases. Suppose a doctor observes that typical treatment is not enough to bring a pregnancy to a woman and certain hindrances are present to stop that. In that case, he usually then prefers Laparoscopy.
Here are a few situations where doctors suggest Diagnostic laparoscopy:
- If the woman is experiencing pain regularly during her sexual intercourse
- If the lady is having severe pelvic pain or critical menstrual cramps regularly
- If endometriosis is suspected from moderate to the acute level
- If the doctor suspects any pelvic adhesions or any inflammatory disease related to pelvic
- If a lady is suspected of ectopic pregnancy, one of the fatal ones if not treated at the right time
- If somehow, the doctor can find out any problem in Diagnostic laparoscopy for infertility, then those issues can be repaired in general ways. If not, then the doctor has to take the option of laparoscopic surgery based on the criticalness of the condition.
What is Laparoscopy for infertility?
If Diagnostic laparoscopy cannot sort out the issue and you still are facing the problem like before, then laparoscopic surgery is the only option left to treat you fully. Laparoscopy for infertility is a prevalent process, and several women undergo this treatment. It is responsible for removing any unwanted obstacle from pregnancy, and one can give birth to a child peacefully. Infertility is a big issue nowadays courtesy of various modernized factors, including our food habits, lifestyle, etc. To counter those, we have to take the most straightforward path to remove those obstacles. Laparoscopy for infertility gives you that space to smile after some time.
When do doctors suggest Laparoscopic Surgery?
Laparoscopic surgery can be used to treat infertility in women. The surgeon might refer for laparoscopic surgery if he suspects the below mentioned things:
- In several cases, endometrial deposits do affect fertility. They reduce the efficiency of being pregnant. However, there is a debate among surgeons on what should be done in this case; some favor removing the deposits. On the other hand, a few doctors prefer to keep those unless the pelvic pain is acute as they believe it accelerates the pregnancy in women’s bodies.
- If the doctor suspects an ovarian cyst is blocking the fallopian tube, then surgery is ordered immediately. Ultrasound is used in the preliminary stages to drain those cysts. Sharp but tiny needles are there to remove those cysts.
- In several cases, fibroids block the fallopian tube or distort the uterus, and cause severe pain. Laparoscopic surgery is the best option in those cases.
- If you have any polycystic ovary-related trouble (PCOS), your doctor will invariably suggest laparoscopic surgery. Three to eight tiny holes are made depending on the situation, and the woman is treated so that Infertility can be removed.
- The fallopian tube is blocked, and this is known as Hydrosalpinx. You need to remove that affected tube at any cost if pregnancy is wanted. Removing this affected fallopian tube can significantly improve your IVF success rate if you are committed to doing IVF treatment for pregnancy. Doctors always advise going straight for IVF treatment after this type of surgery as it helps to bring pregnancy much faster than other ways.
Why is Laparoscopy done for Infertility?
Some special and critical cases can only be treated using Laparoscopy. This is the main reason for using Laparoscopy in infertility situations. You can avail the facility of Diagnostic laparoscopy to find Endometriosis, but this surgery is required if you have any fibroid or cyst inside you. That growth might be malicious and may attract other fatal illnesses unless adequately taken care of. Laparoscopic surgery in those cases is the best to remove those harmful sections.
Apart from removing fibroids or endometrial deposits through laparoscopic surgery, one can use it to remove scar tissues and in dealing with Infertility. As most things are either directly or indirectly related to Infertility and pregnancy, the importance of Laparoscopy is a huge one in our body. To date, this is the best solution where you will be cured without taking much time to recovery. And, most importantly, you can’t feel that an operation has been done on your body. You can feel free to do whatever you want subject to the doctor’s guidelines.
How is Laparoscopy done?
Diagnostic laparoscopy can be done in a fertility clinic. Although not recommended, the laparoscopic operation is always performed in a hospital. General or local anesthesia is applied based on the situation. a hospital is the best choice as in case of any emergency, you have to go there only from clinics.
Consult your doctor about the readiness programs related to Laparoscopy. He will give you the necessary instructions on how you will be prepared for surgery. Generally, it would help if you did not eat or drink eight hours before the operation happens, and your doctor might prescribe you to take some specific medicines like antibiotics.
In the operation theater, once anesthesia is done, the doctor will make a small hole in your abdomen. Through this hole, a needle will be entered to pass carbon dioxide. This is done to see the organs. Then the laparoscope is entered to diagnose your issue. Then the surgeon completes his duties, and if he finds anything suspicious, he prefers to send those to the laboratory to check whether those are malicious or not. The entire laparoscopy operation is closely linked to the infertility issue as those obstacles are the primary reason for not having a pregnancy on your body.
Risks associated with Laparoscopy for infertility
With the advent of modern facilities and the latest mechanisms, hardly any failure is seen in such operations. That might be a rare case out of millions. Still, as this is an operation and involves Infertility at the core, a few complications might arise.
Common Complications:
- Irritation of skin around the area of the incision
- Infection of the bladder after the surgery is done
Less Common Complications:
- Infection in other areas
- Adhesion formation
- Affected hematomas of the abdominal wall
Rare & Serious Complications:
- Blood clots in any area
- Urinary retention issues
- Damage of the nerves
- Allergic reaction after the surgery
- Blood vessels in the abdomen
It is advised to consult the doctor or surgeon immediately whenever you are facing discomfort in all these cases. Don’t suppress those unwanted things, as they might take a more oversized shape in the future. And, your pregnancy might also be affected due to this.
Benefits of Laparoscopy for infertility
- Severe endometriosis can be identified
- Pelvic adhesions can be taken care
- Ovulation and Ovarian Reserve can be checked
Cost Associated with Laparoscopy
Like any other surgery, Laparoscopy also is a costly affair. As this is linked to your pregnancy and Laparoscopy for infertility is a burning issue, hence lots of tests need to be done. After all types of tests are completed, and if still, you don’t have a pregnancy, then Laparoscopy comes into play. It does not use the conventional way of cutting your abdomen to a large extent. Instead, it makes a few holes to enter the tube with a camera for operation. Post-surgery, you can recover much faster than the normal one as you need to take care of those pieces only. When you get such a long list of benefits, you will not hesitate to pay some extra money. Nowadays, lots of financial including insurance options, are available, so it will not affect much to your pocket. Instead, the surgery will help you overcome the odds and become pregnant from now onwards. The Laparoscopy cost in India for infertility is very reasonable, and you can consult individual doctors or clinics to find the exact rates.
Success Rate of Laparoscopy
Several types of research have been made to investigate the influence of Diagnostic laparoscopy and laparoscopic surgery in the case of Infertility. Laparoscopy for infertility success rate is very high considering all the disturbing elements are either repaired or removed. This is the main reason doctors suggesting to go for Laparoscopy in case you are dealing with Infertility. Researchers have found that the natural conception rate is relatively high for those undergoing a laparoscopy operation.
But it also triggers a general debate on which is better IVF or Laparoscopy.
IVF or Laparoscopy?
Laparoscopy can treat women to overcome infertility issues. It is one of the essential procedures for any prospective IVF patient. It helps a lot to that couple who are planning for a baby but unable to have it. Your complications will be solved once you go for Laparoscopy for infertility treatment. Then your IVF can be a smooth process, and you can expect your baby at the earliest.
Initially, there was a conception that Laparoscopy is not good if anyone wants a baby through the IVF process. It was believed that Laparoscopic surgery increases the risk of an ectopic pregnancy. It was also said that removing endometriosis does not solve the issue of Infertility. But, in recent research, the excellent side of Laparoscopy comes out, especially for women who plan to have a baby using the IVF method. Many people have failed in the IVF method, and no baby was born despite following every process. That lead to research to find if they had any other complicacy or not. A large section of those women gave birth to a child later once they were treated with Laparoscopy for infertility. They successfully conceived after the Laparoscopic surgery is done. As many women suffer from PCOS or even fibroid without their knowledge, Laparoscopy for infertility comes as a boon for them.
There is no clash between IVF and Laparoscopy. Both complement each other, and both are helpful to bring pregnancy in a woman. It is the circumstances that might force someone to go for Laparoscopy if criticality is found. If there is a problem in the fallopian tube or even in Uterus, one must not take any chance to go for IVF unless it has been sorted out. IVF is a costly affair, and it takes a toll on your body for a specific duration. Hence you can’t do IVF on a trial-and-error basis. If you found any critical issues that might block the pregnancy, you must go for a Laparoscopy for infertility treatment. After successful treatment, you can quickly adopt the IVF method to have a beautiful child.
Conclusion
Laparoscopy for infertility is the ideal way to treat any unwanted obstacles coming in the path of pregnancy. With the increased number of infertile cases across India and the World, one must take proper care to fight against this. Laparoscopy is the way to determine as well as to remove those. Then only one can have a smooth pregnancy. Modern medical science is strong enough now to tackle all these problems, and under an able doctor, it gives the best result.
FAQs
Can Laparoscopy increase the chances of pregnancy?
Laparoscopy gives your surgeon a clear view of your abdomen. He can check if any malicious growth or cyst is present therein. If needed, he can remove those obstacles to increase the chances of pregnancy.
Why laparoscopy is done for infertility?
Sometimes Doctors suspect unusual growths that can be cysts. It can tamper fertility, so Laparoscopy is recommended. Endometriosis is also the reason in which women feels pelvic pain. Laparoscopy can additionally eliminate scar tissue that causes this pain.
Is laparoscopy better than IVF?
The repeated IVF process affects any human body. If you plan to have a Laparoscopy test before IVF, it will help you find the root cause. If you prefer to go for IVF directly and fail a couple of times, then Laparoscopy is mandatory to know reason for your Infertility.
How long after Laparoscopy did you get pregnant?
As you are undergoing Laparoscopy only to remove your Infertility woos, you must be patient in pregnancy. No need to hurry; let all the Laparoscopy related operations are completed. Then you can take three-to-four-week time to be pregnant in any way.
Is the period delayed after Laparoscopy?
It is usual for women to have bleeding in the vagina for nearly one month after surgery. It has been observed that several women had to wait for four to six weeks for their next menstrual cycle after the surgery.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3630290/
https://www.yourivfjourney.com