Laparoscopy
It is an outpatient procedure that allows the physician to look directly into the abdomen and at the reproductive organs through a small telescope inserted through a small incision (cut) below the belly button. Dr. Anthony Carey at The Health Center for Women is one of the first Bahamians certified by the Council of Gynecologic Endoscopy (www.aagl.org/education-certification/cge/) and is capable to perform these surgeries and to treat these conditions with advanced operative, laparoscopy and hysteroscopy. Laparoscopy is minimally invasive and can be used to:
- Diagnose endometriosis
- Assess pelvic pain
- Assess ectopic pregnancy
- Check ovarian cysts/masses
Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy
In the past, open surgical hysterectomies resulted in hospital stays of several days, pain, a lengthy recovery time and a large abdominal scar. Now, minimally invasive surgical techniques result in hysterectomies that eliminate many of the disadvantages of traditional open surgical procedures.
A minimally invasive hysterectomy performed in a hospital setting, can treat and correct conditions such as:
- chronic pelvic pain
- uterine fibroids
- abnormal uterine bleeding
- endometriosis
- uterine prolapsed
- cervical abnormalities
- cancer
Minimally invasive hysterectomies using laparoscopic techniques are unlike open surgeries because they are performed through one or more small incisions. These procedures may also allow more women, who may not be candidates for open surgery, have a hysterectomy.
Vaginal Hysterectomy
- is a surgical procedure that is performed in a hospital
- involves removing the uterus surgically through the vagina
- is performed if the uterus is not greatly enlarged
- is performed if the medical conditions are not related to cancer
- has fewer complications, requires a shorter hospital stay, and allows a faster recovery when compared to the removal of the uterus through an abdominal incision (abdominal hysterectomy)
- can be used to remove one or both ovaries as well as fallopian tubes. This procedure is called a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO).
Some surgeons perform a laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) to assist with the vaginal hysterectomy procedure. This is done because the use of a laparoscope helps the surgeon to more easily see the uterus, ovaries, and tissues that surround these organs.
Other Procedures
- Total abdominal Hysterectomy
- Bilateral Tubal Ligation
- Hysteroscopic Resection of Fibroids/Polyps
- Myomectomy – Open or Laparoscopic
- Salpingectomy/Oopherectomy
- Laparoscopic Tubal Interruption/Removal
- Laparoscopic Ovarian Cystectomy with or without conservation
- Uterine Reconstruction