What is laparoscopy?

Laparoscopy is a way of doing surgery using small incisions (cuts). It is different from “open” surgery where the incision on the skin can be several inches long. Laparoscopic surgery sometimes is called "minimally invasive surgery."

What are the benefits of laparoscopy?

Laparoscopy has many benefits. There is less pain after laparoscopic surgery than after open abdominal surgery, which involves larger incisions, longer hospital stays, and longer recovery times. Recovery from laparoscopic surgery generally is faster than recovery from open abdominal surgery. The smaller incisions that are used allow you to heal faster and have smaller scars. The risk of infection also is lower than with open surgery

What are the risks associated with laparoscopy?

Laparoscopy can take longer to perform than open surgery. The longer time under anesthesia may increase the risk of complications. Sometimes complications do not appear right away but occur a few days to a few weeks after surgery. Problems that can occur with laparoscopy include the following:

Bleeding or a hernia (a bulge caused by poor healing) at the incision sites

Internal bleeding

Infection

Damage to a blood vessel or other organ, such as the stomach, bowel, bladder, or ureters

What is hysteroscopy?

Hysteroscopy is used to diagnose or treat problems of the uterus. A hysteroscope is a thin, lighted telescope-like device. It is inserted through your vagina into your uterus. The hysteroscope transmits the image of your uterus onto a screen. Other instruments are used along with the hysteroscope for treatment.

Why is hysteroscopy done?

One of the most common uses for hysteroscopy is to find the cause of abnormal uterine bleeding. Abnormal bleeding can mean that a woman’s menstrual periods are heavier or longer than usual or occur less or more frequently than normal. Bleeding between menstrual periods also is abnormal (see FAQ095 Abnormal Uterine Bleeding). In some cases, abnormal bleeding may be caused by benign (not cancer) growths in the uterus, such as fibroids or polyps.

Hysteroscopy also is used in the following situations:

• Remove adhesions that may occur because of infection or from past surgery
• Diagnose the cause of repeated miscarriage when a woman has more than two miscarriages in a row
• Locate an intrauterine device (IUD)
• Perform sterilization, in which the hysteroscope is used to place small implants into a woman’s fallopian tubes as a permanent form of birth control

What are the risks of hysteroscopy?

Hysteroscopy is a very safe procedure. However, there is a small risk of problems. The uterus or cervix can be punctured by the hysteroscope, bleeding may occur, or excess fluid may build up in your system. In very rare cases, hysteroscopy can cause life-threatening problems.