Laparoscopy

Why It Is Done

Laparoscopy is done to:

• Check for and possibly take out abnormal growths (such as tumours) in the belly or pelvis.
• Check for and treat conditions such as endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). See an illustration of endometriosis.
• Find conditions that can make it hard for a woman to become pregnant. Theses conditions include cysts, adhesions, fibroids, and infection. Laparoscopy may be done after initial infertility tests do not show the cause for the infertility.
• Do a biopsy.
• See whether cancer in another area of the body has spread to the belly.
• Check for damage to internal organs, such as the spleen, after an injury or accident.
• Do a tubal ligation.
• Fix a hiatal hernia or an inguinal hernia. See an illustration of an inguinal hernia.
• Take out organs, such as the uterus, spleen, gallbladder (laparoscopic cholecystectomy), ovaries, or appendix (appendectomy). Partial removal (resection) of the colon also can be done.
• Find the cause of sudden or ongoing pelvic pain.

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Author:	Carrie Henley Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: September 26, 2006
Medical Review:	Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
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