Gynecologic Laparoscopy at St. Luke's Medical Center

Gynecologic laparoscopy is a procedure in which a surgeon uses a laparoscope (a long, thin tube with a high-resolution camera and a high-intensity light at its end) to see inside your lower abdomen. The camera on the laparoscope sends images to a video monitor. This means that the surgeon will be able to see your ovaries, fallopian tube, and uterus (womb) in real-time, without open surgery. They will also be able to see other parts of the body, such as the bowel and bladder.

Gynecologic laparoscopy can be used to determine what’s causing your symptoms, as well as treating various conditions. It can be done to:

• Diagnose and treat endometriosis (endometrial tissue ablation)

• Diagnose and remove an ovarian cyst

• Diagnose infertility

• Diagnose pelvic abscess or pus

• Diagnose pelvic inflammatory disease

• Diagnose and treat fibroids

• Diagnose and treat an ectopic pregnancy (a condition in which a fertilized egg starts to develop outside of your womb)

• Remove scar tissue (scars can develop after infections, such as pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis)

• Perform tubal ligation or sterilization (cutting or closing your fallopian tubes to permanently prevent pregnancy)

• Remove your ovaries (oophorectomy) or womb (hysterectomy)

• Diagnose cancer or investigate whether cancer has spread.

During a gynecologic laparoscopy, the surgeon may take a small sample of tissue (biopsy). This sample can be sent to a laboratory for testing to see whether the cells in the sample are cancerous or not cancerous.