Diagnostic laparoscopy
It is often possible to make a diagnosis using non-invasive methods, such as ultrasound, a computerised tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. However, sometimes the only way to confirm a diagnosis is to directly study the affected part of the body using a laparoscope.
Laparoscopies are now widely used to diagnose many different conditions and investigate certain symptoms. For example, they may be used in cases such as:
• pelvic inflammatory disease,
• endometriosis,
• ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that develops outside the womb),
• female infertility, and
• unexplained abdominal or pelvic pain.
A laparoscopy can also be used to diagnose certain types of cancers. In such cases, the laparoscope is used to obtain a sample of suspected cancerous tissue so that it can be sent to a laboratory for testing. This is known as a biopsy.
Cancers that can be diagnosed using a laparoscopy include:
• liver cancer,
• pancreatic cancer,
• ovarian cancer,
• cancer of the bile duct, and
• cancer of the gall bladder.
Therapeutic laparoscopy
Types of therapeutic laparoscopic surgery include:
- removal of an inflamed appendix in cases of appendicitis, where it is thought that the risk of the appendix bursting is high,
- removing the gallbladder, which is often used to treat gallstones,
- removing a section of the intestine, which is often used to treat digestive conditions, such as Crohn’s disease or diverticulitis, that do not respond to medication,
- repairing hernias,
- repairing bleeding stomach ulcers,
- carrying out a female sterilisation,
- treating ectopic pregnancy (it is usually necessary to remove the embryo to prevent damage to the fallopian tubes),
- removing the womb (hysterectomy), which is sometimes used to treat pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis and heavy, painful periods, and
- removing some or all of an organ that has been affected by cancer, such as the ovaries, prostate, liver, colon, kidney or bladder.
