Many women face infertility in their lives. Sometimes, the infertility is being caused by endometriosis. Endometriosis causes scar tissue, or adhesions, to grow and attach to your ovaries, fallopian tubes and the uterus. This can make it very difficult to become pregnant. If you are concerned about your fertility and you are seeing an infertility specialist, then laparoscopy may have been recommended to you.
Laparoscopy is used to diagnose and remove endometrial tissues that may be causing your problems. Endometriosis is a progressive condition, meaning that it can get worse and worse as time goes on. Symptoms can be mild to severe and can mimic other disorders. This is why it is very hard to diagnose without laparoscopy.
A laparoscopy procedure can help your infertility specialist actually see the endometriosis and have a definite visual confirmation that it is present. Many women with endometriosis experience painful periods, intercourse, and lower back pain. They may also have irregular and/or heavy periods. At first, these symptoms are consistent with normal menstruation and may not be considered abnormal. Over time, the symptoms can get a lot worse and alert you that something may be wrong. Infertility is the first sign of endometriosis for many women.
Your doctor will first perform a pelvic exam if endometriosis is suspected. This involves the doctor feeling and looking for abnormalities that could be caused by endometriosis. Enlarged ovaries, severe tenderness, nodules and an abnormal uterine location are things that you doctor will be looking for. The only way to know for sure that endometriosis is present, is to actually look inside of your abdominal cavity and inspect your reproductive organs. Your doctor can use a laser or surgically remove growths and lesions during a laparoscopic procedure.
Laparoscopic removal of endometriosis can greatly improve your chances of becoming pregnant. Even if your endometriosis is mild, it may cause infertility. In these mild cases, thorough removal of small implants of endometriosis via laparoscopy may help you become pregnant. If the endometriosis is a little more severe, then laparoscopy has been proven to greatly improve your chances of conception, assuming that no other major factors of infertility are at play. However, if your endometriosis is extremely severe or advanced, damage to your reproductive organs, such as your ovaries or fallopian tubes, can be extensive. In these cases, laparoscopy may not be very effective in restoring fertility. In severe cases, such as this, your doctor may give you other options for treatment, such as in vitro fertilization.
In any case, you need a skilled, experienced infertility specialist to help you tackle your infertility. Ask about pregnancy success rates, patient testimonials and experience when selecting your doctor. The doctors skill is critical when youre trying to achieve fertility through laparoscopy for endometriosis. Ask a lot of questions and make sure that you are comfortable with the surgeons experience and success before you begin treatment.
