Laparoscopy

Laparoscopy For Diagnosis And Treatment

Laparoscopy can be used either to diagnose or to treat various conditions. Or it may be used to identify a problem and treat it in the same operation.

Diagnostic laparoscopy allows the doctor to look at structures inside the abdomen and see whether they appear normal or abnormal. It becomes valuable when physical examinations, lab tests, x-rays, and computerized scans don’t show exactly what is wrong and a diagnosis requires a direct look inside the body.

• It can be used to diagnose the cause of abdominal pain,pelvic pain, infertility, and other problems in abdominal organs.
• During a diagnostic laparoscopy, the doctor also can use tiny scissors and other instruments to snip a sample of tissue and take a biopsy. The tissue can be examined with a microscope to see if it is normal.
• Laparoscopy can be used to determine the stage of certain kinds of cancer. Stage means how far the cancer has advanced.
• Hospital emergency departments may use laparoscopy to decide on the treatment of patients with trauma, or accidental injury. The procedure can “see” internal bleeding or other problems that might not be detected otherwise.

Operative laparoscopy allows the doctor to treat a disease or condition. It usually involves removing diseased tissue or repairing damage to a structure in the abdomen. Laparoscopy also is used in assisted reproductive procedures for women who are infertile or having difficulty becoming pregnant.

For further information about infertility, go to Infertility.