HOW IS ENDOMETRIOSIS DIAGNOSED: WHAT IS A REPEAT LAPAROSCOPY
A repeat laparoscopy, also sometimes known as a second-look laparoscopy, is performed some time after a diagnostic laparoscopy in order to monitor the progression of your endometriosis. It is most commonly performed for one of the following reasons:
Following a course of hormonal treatment
Continued infertility following surgery
Recurrence of symptoms
Persistence of symptoms following an apparently normal laparoscopy.
Following hormonal treatment
A repeat laparoscopy at the end of a course of hormonal treatment enables your gynaecologist to see exactly how effectively the treatment has eradicated your endometriosis. The location and size of your implants and cysts can be charted and compared to the chart that was made during the laparoscopy performed before your hormonal treatment began.
If the repeat laparoscopy showed that the treatment had eradicated your endometriosis then nothing further needs to be done for the time being. If it showed that the treatment had only been partially effective then it might be worthwhile considering a continuation of the same treatment. If it showed that the treatment had been ineffective you will need to consider some other form of treatment.
Infertility
If you have had surgery in order to improve your chances of conceiving, a repeat laparoscopy may be recommended if you have not conceived within six to twelve months of the surgery. In thus situation the laparoscopy will be performed to determine whether or not any adhesions have developed that may be reducing your chances of pregnancy.
Recurrence
A repeat laparoscopy is advisable if you have a recurrence of your symptoms following a period of remission, particularly if you are contemplating any treatment. You really need to know that the symptoms are due to endometriosis and not some other condition. In addition, it is advisable not to undertake any hormonal treatment unless you know that you definitely have endometriosis.
Normal laparoscopy
A repeat laparoscopy may be advisable if you have had a persistence or worsening of symptoms that may be due to endometriosis, despite the fact that you have previously had an apparently normal diagnostic laparoscopy. It is now recognised that, in the past, a proportion of women with endometriosis were incorrectly diagnosed as not having endometriosis because their gynaecologists did not recognise their atypical implants or because they had microscopic endometriosis.
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