Laparoscopy in Gynecology: Experience from a Rural Hospital

Introduction: Laparoscopy as a modality for the diagnosis of pelvic pathology has been well-established in recent times. Besides aiding in diagnosis, it is an important tool for management in the same sitting preventing unnecessary laparotomy in many cases. Aim: The aim of the article was to know the common indications of performing diagnostic laparoscopy, intraoperative findings, and various interventions done during surgery. It was also aimed to highlight the importance of laparoscopy as a minimum basic requirement for diagnosing many common pelvic pathologies. Materials and methods: Indications for laparoscopy, intraoperative findings, and interventions done during surgery were studied in 75 patients who underwent laparoscopy between January 2012 and December 2014 at Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital. Results: Maximum number of patients (75; 76%) were in the age group of 21 to 30 years. The main indication for laparoscopy was infertility in 58 cases (77.33%) followed by chronic pelvic pain in 4 cases (5.3%). Tubal factor was the commonest cause of infertility seen in 19 (32.75%) cases. In majority of patients with previous history of tuberculosis, adhesions were found to be the cause of chronic pain and infertility. Ovarian drilling was the most common intervention done in 12 cases and adhesiolysis in another 11 cases. Conclusion: Laparoscopy is an essential intervention in detecting many pelvic pathologies which are difficult to diagnose on clinical examination. Its diagnostic and therapeutic potential has made it a safe, feasible, and less invasive modality for evaluation of infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and endometriosis.