- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preconception articles
- preconception q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Beyond Blood Tests and Hormone Levels
What to Expect From Invasive Infertility Diagnosis and Treatment
By Michele St. Martin
Your cervix is dilated and a hysteroscope (a small scope used to examine the uterus) is inserted to allow close viewing of the uterus. Carbon dioxide gas is usually employed to improve viewing.
How You May Feel During and After the Procedure:
It is usual to have some bleeding and pain after this procedure, sometimes for several days. While some women recover within a day or so, many take at least a few days to return to feeling normal. It is normal to have shoulder pain and bloating from the gas used. Generally over-the-counter or prescription pain medication is used to manage pain after a hysteroscopy.
A Caution About This Procedure:
As with any kind of procedure requiring anesthesia, the attending physician will give instructions about not eating and drinking prior to surgery. It is usual to not have anything by mouth after midnight for surgery the next day. Your doctor will generally tell you how long after this procedure you should abstain from intercourse.
What It Is and Why It Is Performed:
A laparoscopy is a hospital surgical procedure (usually performed on an outpatient basis) that involves abdominal incisions. It is used for diagnosing and treating a number of conditions that impair fertility, with endometriosis, ovarian cysts and blocked fallopian tubes being among the most common.
What to Expect If You Have the Procedure:
After the administration of general anesthesia, the surgeon makes two to four incisions in your abdomen – one through the navel, where the laparoscope is inserted, and several near the "bikini line." Gas is used to expand the abdomen. Surgical instruments are used to manipulate organs through the lower incision(s).
How You May Feel During and After the Procedure:
As with other procedures, pain following the procedure and recovry time depend on the individual. It also varies depending on the difficulty of the surgery. A laparoscopy differs from other procedures discussed here in that it is major surgery. Some women who have sedentary jobs may feel ready to return to work in a few days; others, who are recovering more slowly or have more physically demanding jobs, may take longer to return to work.
Want to see more?
Comments
There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to 
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||