Types of Reproductive Surgeries

Our experienced reproductive surgeons can enhance your ability to conceive through performing minimally invasive procedures (in most cases) or highly complex operations should it benefit your particular situation.

Laparoscopy

In this minimally invasive surgery, a small camera is inserted through the belly button under general anesthesia. Using this camera, along with a few very small incisions (0.5 to 1 cm), we are able to surgically correct many reproductive disorders.

Laparoscopies are often used to remove lesions and scar tissue (as with endometriosis), remove fibroids, and repair damaged fallopian tubes. This fairly simple procedure is usually completed within a few hours, allowing you to go home that same day and resume normal activities within one to two weeks in most cases.

Robotic surgery

This specialized form of laparoscopy uses a robot to precisely remove unwanted tissue and repair normal tissue. It’s especially useful for reaching challenging areas. A surgeon guides the robot, which allows for exact movements to navigate corners and angles or strategically place stitches. Because employing the robot is like adding wrists to a surgeon’s movements, it can make tiny maneuvers rather than larger ones. In this way, robots are more able to preserve normal tissue, which enhances fertility, and make smaller cuts, which leads to less pain and a faster recovery.

Robotic surgery is usually reserved for settings where traditional laparoscopy is not adequate to perform the surgery. Your surgeon will review the best approach with you.

Hysteroscopy

This noninvasive tool uses a lighted viewing instrument equipped with a high-definition camera, called a hysteroscope. It is inserted through the vagina, so no incisions are required. It provides surgeons a clear view of the canal of the cervix and the interior of the uterus and allows for instruments to be inserted through its sheath.

Hysteroscopies are a common choice for removing polyps, fibroids, and scar tissue from the uterus, or for exploring physical anomalies that may be affecting fertility. This procedure is usually performed without full anesthesia in our IVF suite rather than our surgical suite. Recovery from hysteroscopic procedures is typically one to two days.

Laparotomy

Also called an open laparotomy, this larger surgery allows your surgeon to directly access your entire abdominal cavity. It requires a hospital stay, and recovery takes four to six weeks, similar to a cesarean section.

This surgery is done infrequently and is reserved for unique situations, such as performing an abdominal myomectomy, where multiple or large uterine fibroids (noncancerous growths) are removed from the wall of the uterus, or for treating complex pelvic conditions.