Laparoscopic surgery uses a special instrument called a laparoscope. The laparoscope is a long, slender device that is inserted into the abdomen through a small incision. It has a camera attached to it that allows the obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn) to view the abdominal and pelvic organs on a screen.
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If a problem needs to be fixed, other instruments can be used. These instruments usually are inserted through additional small incisions in the abdomen. They sometimes can be inserted through the same single incision made for the laparoscope. This type of laparoscopy is called “single-site” 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
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bleeding or a hernia (a bulge caused by poor healing) at the incision sites
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internal bleeding
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infection
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damage to a blood vessel or other organ, such as the stomach, bowel, bladder, or ureters
Rarely, the ob-gyn begins with laparoscopy but must change to open surgery. This might happen if the ob-gyn finds something that may be cancer and a larger incision is needed to remove it. It also might happen if the ob-gyn finds something unexpected (infection, for example) or a complication develops that requires open surgery to resolve. Talk with your ob-gyn about what will happen if he or she needs to switch to open surgery.
After you are given anesthesia, a small incision is made in or below your belly button or in another area of your abdomen. The laparoscope is inserted through this small incision. During the procedure, the abdomen is filled with a gas. Filling the abdomen with gas allows the pelvic reproductive organs to be seen more clearly.
The camera attached to the laparoscope shows the pelvic organs on a screen. Other small incisions may be made in the abdomen for surgical instruments. Another instrument, called a uterine manipulator, may be inserted through the vagina and cervix and into the uterus. This instrument is used to move the pelvic organs into view.
After the procedure, the instruments and most of the gas are removed. The small incisions are closed. You will be moved to the recovery room. You will feel sleepy for a few hours. You may have some nausea from the anesthesia.
If you had outpatient surgery, you will need to stay in the recovery room until you can stand up without help and empty your bladder. You must have someone drive you home. You usually can go home the same day. More complex procedures, such as laparoscopic hysterectomy, may require an overnight stay in the hospital.
For a few days after the procedure, you may feel tired and have some discomfort. You may be sore around the incisions made in your abdomen and belly button. The tube put in your throat to help you breathe during the surgery may give you a sore throat. Try throat lozenges or gargle with warm salt water. You may feel pain in your shoulder or back. This pain is from the small amount of gas used during the procedure that remains in your abdomen. It goes away on its own within a few hours or days. If pain and nausea do not go away after a few days or become worse, you should contact your ob-gyn.
Benign: Not cancer.
Bladder: A hollow, muscular organ in which urine is stored.
Cervix: The lower, narrow end of the uterus at the top of the vagina.
Chronic Pelvic Pain: Pain in the pelvic region that lasts for more than 6 months.
Complications: Diseases or conditions that happen as a result of another disease or condition. An example is pneumonia that occurs as a result of the flu. A complication also can occur as a result of a condition, such as pregnancy. An example of a pregnancy complication is preterm labor.
Cyst: A sac or pouch filled with fluid.
Ectopic Pregnancy: A pregnancy in a place other than the uterus, usually in one of the fallopian tubes.
Endometriosis: A condition in which tissue that lines the uterus is found outside of the uterus, usually on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and other pelvic structures.
Fibroids: Growths that form in the muscle of the uterus. Fibroids usually are noncancerous.
General Anesthesia: The use of drugs that create a sleep-like state to prevent pain during surgery.
Hysterectomy: Surgery to remove the uterus.
Infertility: The inability to get pregnant after 1 year of having regular sexual intercourse without the use of birth control.
Laparoscope: A thin, lighted telescope that is inserted through a small incision (cut) in the abdomen to view internal organs or to perform surgery.
Laparoscopic Surgery: A type of surgery that uses a thin, lighted telescope and other devices inserted through small incisions (cuts) in the abdomen.
Laparoscopy: A surgical procedure in which a thin, lighted telescope called a laparoscope is inserted through a small incision (cut) in the abdomen. The laparoscope is used to view the pelvic organs. Other instruments can be used with it to perform surgery.
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Malignant: A way to describe cells or tumors that are able to spread to other parts of the body.
Obstetrician–Gynecologist (Ob-Gyn): A doctor with special training and education in women’s health.
Pelvic Floor: A muscular area that supports a woman’s pelvic organs.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP): A condition in which a pelvic organ drops down. This condition is caused by weakening of the muscles and tissues that support the organs in the pelvis, including the vagina, uterus, and bladder.
Tubal Sterilization: A method of sterilization for women. The fallopian tubes are tied, banded, clipped, or sealed with electric current. Tubes also can be blocked by scar tissue from insertion of small implants. The tubes also can be removed.
Ureters: A pair of tubes, each leading from one of the kidneys to the bladder.
Urinary Incontinence: Uncontrolled loss of urine.
Uterus: A muscular organ in the female pelvis. During pregnancy, this organ holds and nourishes the fetus. Also called the womb.
Vagina: A tube-like structure surrounded by muscles. The vagina leads from the uterus to the outside of the body.
What is a laparoscopy?
A laparoscopy is a type of surgery that lets a surgeon look inside your body without making a large incision (cut). It's used to help diagnose and sometimes treat conditions that develop in your belly or pelvis.
To do a laparoscopy, a surgeon makes a small cut near your belly button that's usually a half-inch long or less. The surgeon inserts a long, thin tube with a camera through the cut and into your body. This tube is called a laparoscope. The camera sends images from inside your body to a video monitor. This allows the surgeon to see inside your body.
The surgeon may make one or two other small cuts in your belly for inserting special surgical tools into your body. Using these tools, the surgeon can remove samples of tissue to check for signs of disease (a biopsy).
Sometimes during a laparoscopy, the surgeon will use these tools to do procedures to treat certain problems. For example, if a laparoscopy finds a tumor, the surgeon may remove it completely during the same surgery. Many common surgical treatments can be done with laparoscopic surgery.
Laparoscopy is sometimes called "minimally invasive surgery" or "keyhole surgery," because it requires smaller cuts than traditional, "open" surgery. The use of smaller cuts has several benefits, including:
- Shorter hospital stays
- Less pain
- Faster recovery and smaller scars
Other names: diagnostic laparoscopy, exploratory laparoscopy
What is it used for?
Laparoscopy is used to help diagnose the cause of symptoms in the belly or pelvis. It's usually done if imaging tests, such as x-rays, ultrasounds, and MRI scans, haven't provided enough information to confirm a diagnosis.
The test is often used to help diagnose:
- Digestive diseases
- Urinary disorders
- Disorders in the female reproductive system, which includes the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes
A surgeon uses laparoscopy to:
- Examine organs and glands to look for:
- Abnormal growths, such as cysts and tumors (cancerous and not cancerous)
- Scar tissue and adhesions
- Bleeding
- Infections
- Collect tissue samples to check for disease
- Find out if a known cancer has spread in the body
Why do I need a laparoscopy?
There are many reasons why you may need a laparoscopy, including if:
- You have pain or other symptoms in your belly or pelvis and imaging tests haven't been able to find the cause.
- You've been in a serious accident or have been wounded and may have organ injuries.
- You have cancer and your health care provider needs to know if it has spread to other parts of your body. This information helps choose your treatment.
- You've had abnormal liver tests and your provider doesn't know why.
If you're female, you may need a laparoscopy to:
- Find out what's causing problems getting pregnant
- Diagnose symptoms that may involve your reproductive organs, including:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Endometriosis
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Uterine fibroids
- Ovarian cysts
What happens during a laparoscopy?
Laparoscopy is usually done in a hospital or an outpatient clinic. In general, it includes these steps:
- You'll wear a hospital gown and lay on an operating table.
- Usually, you will have general anesthesia, which is medicine to make you sleep during the surgery. The medicine is injected into your bloodstream through an intravenous (IV) line that's inserted into a vein. You may also inhale a gas from a mask to make you sleep.
- To do the laparoscopy, the surgeon will:
- Make a small cut near your belly button
- Put carbon dioxide gas into your belly to open up space between your organs so it's easier to see them
- Insert the laparoscope and small camera into your belly
- Move the laparoscope to look at your organs and glands on a computer screen
- If you need to have a biopsy or another procedure, the surgeon may need to make more small cuts to insert surgical tools.
- When the surgeon is done, the tools and most of the gas will be removed from your body, and the small incisions will be closed and bandaged.
- After surgery, you will be moved to a recovery room. In most cases, you'll be able to go home after a few hours, but that depends on what procedures were done during the laparoscopy. Before you leave, you'll get information about what to expect over the next few days at home.
Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test?
Your provider will let you know how to prepare. Be sure to follow all the instructions. You will need to fast (not eat or drink) for a period of time before a laparoscopy. Ask your provider whether you should take your usual medicines and/or supplements. But don't stop taking any medicine without talking with your provider first.
Plan to wear loose-fitting clothes because after the surgery, your belly may be bloated from the gas and a little sore. You're also likely to feel groggy, so you'll need to plan to have someone take you home.
Are there any risks to the test?
You may have mild abdominal pain or discomfort for a few days after a laparoscopy. You may also have neck or shoulder pain. That's because the gas used in the surgery may irritate nerves in your belly that run through your shoulder.
After a laparoscopy, serious problems are very uncommon. But they can include bleeding, infection, blood clots, damage to an organ or blood vessel, and problems from the medicine that made you sleep during the procedure.
What do the results mean?
The results of a laparoscopy depend on the reason for doing the procedure. Your provider can explain what was found and what that information means for your health. In general, your provider will be able to make a very accurate diagnosis of your condition based on the information from a laparoscopy.
Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results
References
- ACOG: Women's Healthcare Physicians [Internet]. Washington D.C.: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; c. FAQ: Laparoscopy; [updated Feb; cited Nov 16]; [about 7 screens]. Available from: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/laparoscopy
- Ballehaninna U.K. Exploratory (Diagnostic) Laparoscopy. [Updated Jan 12; cited Nov 15]. Medscape eMedicine Drugs & Diseases: Clinical Procedures [Internet]. Atlanta (GA): WebMD LLC; c-. Available from: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/-overview#a4
- Brigham Health: Brigham and Women's Hospital [Internet]. Boston: Brigham and Women's Hospital; c. Laparoscopy; [cited Nov 16]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://www.brighamandwomens.org/obgyn/minimally-invasive-gynecologic-surgery/laparoscopy
- Cleveland Clinic [Internet]. Cleveland (OH): Cleveland Clinic; c. Laparoscopy; [cited Nov 16]; [about 13 screens]. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/-laparoscopy
- Endometriosis.org [Internet]. Endometriosis.org; c-. Laparoscopy: before and after tips; [updated Jan 11; cited Nov 16]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: http://endometriosis.org/resources/articles/laparoscopy-before-and-after-tips
- Mayo Clinic [Internet]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; c-. General anesthesia: About; [cited Nov 16]; [about 7 screens]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/anesthesia/about/pac-
- Mayo Clinic [Internet]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; c-. Minimally invasive surgery: About; [cited Nov 16]; [about 5 screens]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/minimally-invasive-surgery/about/pac-
- Merck Manual Consumer Version [Internet]. Kenilworth (NJ): Merck & Co. Inc.; c. Laparoscopy; [modified Sep; cited Nov 16]; [about 1 screen]. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/digestive-disorders/diagnosis-of-digestive-disorders/laparoscopy
- Mount Nittany Health [Internet]. Mount Nittany Health; What Is Reproductive Laparoscopy?; May 8 [cited Nov 16]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://www.mountnittany.org/wellness-article/reproductive-laparoscopy-what-is
- SAGES [Internet]. Los Angeles: Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons; Diagnostic Laparoscopy Patient Information from SAGES; [updated Mar 1; cited Nov 16]; [about 11 screens]. Available from: https://www.sages.org/publications/patient-information/patient-information-for-diagnostic-laparoscopy-from-sages
- UCSF Medical Center [Internet]. San Francisco (CA): The Regents of the University of California; c-. Medical Tests: Laparoscopy; [reviewed Jun 11; cited Nov 16]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/medical-tests/diagnostic-laparoscopy
- UF Health: University of Florida Health [Internet]. Gainesville (FL): University of Florida Health; c. Diagnostic laparoscopy: Overview; [updated May 17; cited Nov 16]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://ufhealth.org/diagnostic-laparoscopy
- University of Rochester Medical Center [Internet]. Rochester (NY): University of Rochester Medical Center; c. Health Encyclopedia: Hysterectomy; [cited Nov 16]; [about 11 screens]. Available from: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=92&contentid=p
- University of Rochester Medical Center [Internet]. Rochester (NY): University of Rochester Medical Center; c. Health Encyclopedia: Laparoscopy; [cited Nov 16]; [about screens]. Available from: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=92&contentid=P
- UW Health [Internet]. Madison (WI): University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority; c. Health Information: Anesthesia; [updated Feb 16; cited Nov 16]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://patient.uwhealth.org/healthwise/article/en-us/tp
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.
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