Laparoscopy for Diagnosis and Treatment of Endometriosis

Endometriosis is not a very uncommon problem in women. It can lead to dysmenorrhea (pain during periods), dyspareunia (pain during sex), Dysphasia (pain during passing motion) and sometimes infertility is the only issue during endometriosis.

What is endometriosis?

There is tissue that lines the uterus, called the endometrium and sometimes the tissue can start growing on other organs such as the fallopian tubes or ovaries. The tissue eventually starts thickening and bleeds similarly during a menstrual cycle. Because of this, a woman's cycle can be painful.

Laparoscopy is the gold standard diagnostic tool

Laparoscopy has been used for a long time to diagnose and rectify endometriosis. The procedure includes inserting the laparoscope (which is a thin tube with a camera attached) inside a small incision over the abdomen and then observing the organs to check if there is evidence of endometriosis and if there is, then the doctor will need to see and score its severity.

Treating Endometriosis laparoscopically

Endometriosis can be operated upon with laparoscopic surgery. After the doctor has confirmed that you do have endometriosis, he or she might want to remove it either by cutting and removing the tissue or by burning it with electric current or a laser beam.

Why go for this treatment?

●       If you have severe endometriosis- This works great for people who have serious cases of endometriosis that may affect the bladder or the bowels.

●       If the pain caused by endometriosis doesn’t subside with hormone therapy.

●       If the endometriosis causes a cyst on the ovaries.

●       To improve fertility- Endometriosis usually causes infertility and the doctor will want to remove the tissue that may be causing the problem.

The most important reason that women go for this treatment is that of the pain

Endometriosis at a severe stage can cause a lot of abdominal pain. There are some women who don’t have much pain but that doesn’t mean that the issue should be taken lightly.

It is important that women get checked for endometriosis

 If they do have the issue, they should be treated as early as possible. It is important to get diagnosed as soon as possible and treated. Although there is medication for treating, there is no medicine that guarantees 100 percent effectiveness. The chances of recurrence of endometriosis are very high and most of the medication given is used to delay the process of recurrence

Endometriosis? Reach out to us today! 

Laparoscopy: Purpose, Procedure and Risks

Technology is changing the healthcare landscape in this 21^st century. One such implication of technological evolution in medical innovations is the laparoscopy. The use of this technology lies as the popular treatment and diagnostic tool.

Laparoscopy is a type of operative procedure that uses a tool called a ‘Laparoscope’

It is a long thin tube mounted with a high-resolution camera that helps the doctor to examine the internal organs especially the abdomen and the pelvis. The camera inserted via an incision over the abdomen. The camera is connected to a TV monitor which helps the doctor visualize the inside environment.

The purpose:

Laparoscopy is highly recommended to diagnose the abdominal or pelvic conditions. It is usually an addition to MRI, CT or ultrasound scans wherein they are unable to provide enough information or insight for a diagnosis of the patient. It is also used to take biopsy samples from a particular tissue of the abdomen. Moreover, it can be used for removal of damaged tissues, cysts, fibroids as well. There are diversified functions of laparoscopy these days like the viewing of the scar, or removal of a tumor, witnessing the repair of a hernia or to find out the source of pelvic pain. It also plays a critical role in the staging and treatment of a variety of cancers.

Procedure- 

The decision to perform this procedure needs to be guided on the basis of consultation between the doctor and patient with the consent of the latter. 

Before starting the procedure, food and drink are restricted for eight hours before the surgery.

The process involves the following steps:

1. The procedure is systematically done under anesthesia to ensure no experience of pain. Anesthesia will put you to sleep and thus you will not feel the pain.

2. The incision is made on the abdomen, which is 0.5 to 1 cm wide only. A tube called cannula is inserted in the cut and through this tube, the carbon dioxide is injected to expand abdomen, providing the doctor more space to view the organs.

3. The laparoscope is inserted through this cannula and images are displayed on the screen.

4. Depending on the demand of surgery and procedures that need to be performed more incisions can be made.

5. After the surgery, the gas is released and the cannula is removed. The incisions are closed with tape or stitches or staples.

These are some of the risks-

Laparoscopy is a relatively safe procedure, with very few and rare complications. Research has shown that the risks associated are 1 % only. The most common complications are pain in the abdominal incision region, swelling or redness at incisions, non-closure of the incision. Difficulty in breathing and cough are noted following general anesthesia. The rare complications are bowel injury and vascular injury. It is seen that Laparoscopic surgery on people who are obese can be difficult.

A laparoscopic is based on the minimal invasion technique and hence the results are extremely good. Short recovery is thus one of the added advantages. Do not be afraid to take the best course for good health and well-being.

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