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.

There are two types of problems that women can have in their abdomen that can cause infertility and are difficult or impossible to detect without surgery. These two problems are endometriosis and pelvic adhesions (scar tissue). Fertility laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that allows a physician to see inside the abdomen and pelvis. Laparoscopy for fertility is concerned primarily with seeing the outside of the uterus, the fallopian tubes and the ovaries.

The laparoscope is a thin, fiber optic telescope. It is approximately the size of one of your fingers. The fiber optics allow light to be brought into the abdomen. Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas is put into the abdomen to separate the organs inside the abdominal cavity, making it easier for the physician to see the reproductive organs. The gas is removed at the end of the procedure. The laparoscope is inserted through the umbilicus (belly button) through a 10 mm incision. If needed, additional incisions can be made on the left and right at about the level of the pubic hair line. The additional incisions are about 5 mm and are used to introduce thin instruments that allow the surgeon to perform whatever operation is required.

It is extremely important that do not eat or drink anything after 7:00 p.m. the night before surgery. Do not smoke or chew gum. It is okay to brush your teeth but do not swallow water. If you are currently taking medication, ask you doctor if you should stop taking it.

Check with your doctor to see if medication should be taken the night before the surgery in order to lessen the risk of blood clots forming during the surgery.

Nail polish, make-up and jewelry should be removed the night before surgery. Wear loose-fitting clothes.

Immediately before fertility laparoscopy

Please arrive at Naperville Fertility Center one hour before your procedure. After you check in at the Naperville Fertility Center front desk, you will be taken to a private admit / recovery room. You will be asked to remove all of your clothing (including underwear) and put on a patient gown. The nurse will complete a medical history and you will be asked to sign consent forms. One of our board certified anesthesiologists will also review your medical history and will then place an intravenous (IV) line in your arm. At this point, there is nothing but saline going into your veins, but later, the anesthesiologist will use this to administer medications to you.

Immediately prior to surgery, you will be asked to empty your bladder. Glasses, contact lenses, and jewelry (including piercings) should be removed. AFC has installed a locker in each admit / recovery room. Your valuables can be locked up and you can take the key with you or given to the person who accompanied you.

For fertility laparoscopy procedures, you will be taken to the operating room on a cart (essentially a bed on wheels). You will be asked to slide over to the cushioned operating room table. At this point, everyone in the operating room will be asked to stop what they are doing and perform a “time out”. During the time out, you will be asked to say your first and last name, date of birth and the type of surgery you are having. You will be asked to confirm whether or not you have any allergies. Then, the various members of the operating room will complete a checklist to make sure that all of the equipment for the surgery is present and working and to confirm that any medications are identified to the surgeon and labeled correctly. At the conclusion of the time out, the anesthesiologist will administer the medication to allow you to drift off to sleep for the surgery.

After fertility laparoscopy

After surgery, you will wake up in the same room that you were first admitted to prior to the surgery. You will be connected to monitors that allow the recovery room nursing staff to check your blood pressure, pulse and temperature frequently. The anesthesia medication will cause you to have limited short term memory. This
means that you may not remember things you said or heard even a few minutes before. This is normal and will last only a short time.

There are different phases of recovery. In phase 1, the staff is making sure that you are stable and not having any problems after the surgery. You will not be allowed to have visitors in phase 1. In phase 2, you may have visitors and will be given something to eat and drink.

Your physician will discuss the findings with your family immediately after the surgical procedure is complete. The surgeon will have high resolution digital images to view on a tablet.

Medication will be available for pain or nausea. Medications will initially be administered though the IV until you are able to drink. Once you are able to drink, you can take oral medications.

You may notice a sore throat after the fertility laparoscopy. This is caused by irritation from the breathing tube placed in your throat (trachea) during anesthesia. It usually lasts for just a few days and can sometimes be helped by throat lozenges.

You will remain in the recovery area at NFC until you are determined stable and able to be discharged. For most patients, you can expect to stay in the recovery area for one to two hours. The nursing staff will be evaluating your:

Vital signs to make sure you are stable
Ability to empty your bladder
Ability to tolerate eating and drinking without experiencing nausea or vomiting.

Once you can demonstrate all of these things, you will be allowed to go home. You will be given prescription pain medication and nausea medication to take at home.