Diagnostic Pelvic Laparoscopy (medical animation video)

Pelvic laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that examines and treats pelvic organs through a small surgical viewing instrument (laparoscope) inserted into the abdomen at the navel.

Pelvic laparoscopy is used both for diagnosis and treatment. It may be recommended for:

* Diagnosing a woman who may have appendicitis or salpingitis
* Evaluating infertility
* Looking at and removing an abnormal pelvic mass found on abdominal ultrasound
* Pelvic pain due to:
o Infections (pelvic inflammatory disease) that don't respond to drug therapy
o Uterine tissue found outside the uterus in the abdomen (endometriosis)
o Ovarian cyst
o Scar tissue (adhesions) in pelvis
o Suspected twisting (torsion) of an ovary
* Puncture (perforation) of the uterus after a D and C or by an IUD
* Removing the uterus (hysterectomy)
* Removing uterine fibroids (myomectomy)
* Sterilization (tubal ligation)
* Surgically treating a tubal pregnancy

Pelvic laparoscopy is not recommended for patients with:

* Severe obesity
* Severe adhesions in the pelvis from other surgeries