Fertility and Endocrine Associates offers a variety of low-risk, minimally invasive surgeries designed to treat underlying issues that can affect a woman’s fertility and quality of life.
Procedures and their benefits include:
Laparoscopy
Two to three incisions measuring 5-10 mm each are made on the abdominal area, allowing our physician to view the inside of the abdomen and pelvis with a small camera. It lets us to evaluate the outside of the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes.
We most often use this procedure for both diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis or adhesions (scar tissue). We can also check for tubal patency (chromopertubation) and remove ovarian cysts.
Removing excess endometrial tissue allows the patient can see a significant decrease in painful periods/heavy periods, and a significant increase the chance for a successful pregnancy. Removing scar tissue within or around the fallopian tubes improves a patient’s chances for becoming pregnant and decreases the risk for an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy.
- Outpatient procedure under general anesthesia
- Risk for significant complications is approximately 1%
- Recovery time is two to three days, with no heavy lifting or heavy exercise recommended for two weeks
Hysteroscopy
No abdominal incisions are made. Our physician views inside the uterus with a small camera inserted through the cervix. We use this procedure for diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities, primarily submucosal fibroids (on the inner wall of the uterus), polyps on the endometrial lining of the uterus, uterine septum, or adhesions (scar tissue).
If a sonogram or saline sonogram are abnormal, a hysteroscopy will be ordered as the next step. By removing the polyps or fibroids, the patient can improve her periods and increase her chances to get pregnant. Removing any size or fibroid polyp has been shown to increase the chances for pregnancy and decrease risk for miscarriage.
- Outpatient procedure under general anesthesia
- Risk for significant complications is low, at 1%
- Recovery time is one day
Myomectomy
This procedure is most often performed via laparotomy, in which a small incision, approximately 5-10 cm, is made in the abdomen. It’s the same as a C-Section incision – called a “bikini cut,” i.e., the patient can still wear bikini without seeing the scar.
The surgery involves the removal of one or more uterine fibroids and reconstruction of the myometrium (muscle layer). It is most commonly used to treat symptoms caused by the fibroids – heavy and painful periods, bladder symptoms (urgency, frequency, pressure) and bowel symptoms (constipation) in patients who want to preserve their fertility and get pregnant in the future.
Removing fibroids can improve bleeding and help patients stop taking hormonal contraception to regulate their periods, and start attempting to get pregnant.
- Inpatient procedure with an overnight hospital stay, performed under general anesthesia
- Recovery is four to six weeks, with and no heavy lifting for six weeks
- Risk for significant adverse effects is low, at 1%
- Recommendation is to delay pregnancy for three to six months after surgery to reduce the risk for uterine rupture during labor
If you’re having trouble getting pregnant on your own, contact us to find out more about corrective surgery. We’ll do a complete evaluation to determine if it’s the right choice for you. Contact us at (502) 897-2144 or email us.
