If you’re struggling to get pregnant, reproductive surgery could be an important aspect of your infertility treatment. As a board-certified gynecology and infertility specialist, Daniel Rostein, MD, FACOG, provides comprehensive care in our Oak Brook, Illinois, office, from testing and diagnosis to infertility procedures.
While not as well known as in vitro fertilization (IVF), reproductive surgery offers both diagnostic and treatment options that can help you get pregnant. The main types of reproductive surgery include:
Diagnostic hysteroscopy is a procedure in which Dr. Rostein examines the inside of your uterus while you’re under general anesthesia.
He uses a slim lighted tube called a hysteroscope to check for problems that can cause infertility, such as uterine polyps, fibroids, scar tissue, or uterine septum (a membrane dividing the uterus).
A hysteroscopy can also be a treatment. If Dr. Rostein discovers problems during your procedure, he can use surgical tools to correct the issue, such as removing scar tissue to improve your chances of getting pregnant.
Robotic-assisted laparoscopy is a procedure in which Dr. Rostein controls robotic arms to carry out the surgery. He creates a few tiny incisions around your navel area while you’re under general anesthesia.
He then uses the robotic arms to precisely insert a lighted tool that captures live images of your uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and surrounding tissues into one incision. In another, he places thin surgical tools.
In this way, Dr. Rostein can detect endometriosis, in which your uterine lining grows outside the uterus. Endometriosis causes infertility in up to half of the women who have it. If he discovers endometriosis growths, called adhesions, he can remove them at that time to improve your chances of conceiving a baby.
Myomectomy is a procedure to remove large uterine fibroids that can’t be removed using hysteroscopy. This procedure usually uses a laparoscopic minimally invasive approach, if possible, but some larger fibroids may require open surgery. If you need an open myomectomy, it involves a short hospital stay (a few nights).
During a myomectomy, Dr. Rostein expertly removes the fibroid from your uterus and then repairs your uterine wall to preserve your uterus. Removal of these large fibroids may allow you to get pregnant. In fact, up to 70% of women with large uterine fibroids and no other infertility factors achieved pregnancy following myomectomy in at least one study.
Alongside these surgical procedures, many other tests and nonsurgical imaging procedures can evaluate infertility and guide treatment. For example, hysterosalpingography (HSG) is an X-ray to check your uterus shape and look for fallopian tube blockages.
Dr. Rostein and our caring specialist are ready to help you on your pregnancy journey, starting with helping you conceive. To learn more about your reproductive surgery options, call our office or contact us online today.
