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Pregnancy after laparoscopy

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 19.10.2021
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Pregnancy is a natural and expected process in the female body. However, not all women are happy to become pregnant at the first attempt at conception: many, in order to become a mother, one has to wait months and even years. The reproductive system is a very complex mechanism that can fail under certain circumstances. Often, women are forced to resort to various methods of modern medicine in order to bring the long-awaited moment closer - for example, many successfully succeed in becoming pregnant after laparoscopy. However, laparoscopic intervention is prescribed according to strict indications, and, moreover, the very fact of pregnancy after laparoscopy causes a lot of questions in patients. We hope that we will be able to answer the most common ones.

Pregnancy statistics after laparoscopy: what are the chances of becoming pregnant?

If we consider the available statistical information, among every patient who for one reason or another performed a laparoscopic operation, the pregnancy during the first monthly cycle occurred for every fifth woman. Approximately 15% of operated patients could not conceive even 12 months after laparoscopic intervention, and about 85% of women received a long-awaited pregnancy within a year.

If the expected pregnancy after laparoscopy did not occur for 12 months, then often women agreed to a second operation. Many gynecologists pay attention to the fact that the longer period of time passes after laparoscopy, the less chance for a woman to have pregnancy. Therefore, if during the year the pregnancy did not take place, then it is necessary:

  • repeat laparoscopy;
  • resort to other assisted reproductive methods.

When can I plan pregnancy after laparoscopy?

This method, like laparoscopy, is considered one of the least traumatic surgical interventions, however, this procedure can temporarily disrupt some functions of the body. As with any other surgical manipulation, the patient may need some time to ensure that the functional capacity of all organs and systems is resumed.

Regardless of how much time a woman spent in the hospital - 2-3 days or a week, the body after the operation will be clearly weakened, so it will be difficult for him to immediately "rush into battle." And, although the functional capabilities of the female reproductive system usually normalize within a week, experts do not advise to enter into intimate relationships yet, at least for 4 weeks.

Optimum, according to doctors, if pregnancy after laparoscopy occurs 90 days after laparoscopic intervention: this period is enough to prolong external and internal tissue damage, the hormonal balance has stabilized.

It is necessary to specify separately such cases:

  • if laparoscopy was performed for ectopic pregnancy or fibromyoma, then a woman is allowed to start planning not earlier than six months after the intervention;
  • if during the laparoscopy the surgeon removed a large number of dense adhesions, then it is better to delay the onset of pregnancy for six months;
  • if laparoscopy was carried out for malignant tumors, then with pregnancy should wait at least a year.

How much does pregnancy take after laparoscopy?

What are the chances of becoming pregnant with patients who have been prescribed laparoscopy? When can you "count" on successful conception?

After laparoscopy, as well as after any other operation, it is impossible to give an unambiguous guarantee that the pregnancy will occur in the very near future. The fact is that women enter the procedure with different diagnoses, have different indications and contraindications, so it is very difficult to answer the above questions unequivocally. Nevertheless, it is possible to make a preliminary prognosis, depending on the cause, because of which the woman was made laparoscopy.

  • Pregnancy after laparoscopy of the fallopian tubes can be expected no earlier than 90 days after the procedure. The same applies to cases when the operation was caused by obstruction of the fallopian tubes (as an option of peritoneal-tubal infertility). Why should we wait that long - for three months? When laparoscopic examination of the fallopian tubes and removal of adhesions, which make it impossible to move the egg, the tissues need to be restored. As a rule, some time after the intervention, the pipes remain edematous, and are restored gradually. In addition, the whole body needs rest - the hormonal background, immune defense, monthly cycle should be restored. Of course, too long a rest period should not be held, as the chances of successful conception decrease with time. However, there is no need to hurry: with edematous, incompletely reconstructed pipes, the risk of developing an ectopic pregnancy is great.
  • Pregnancy after laparoscopy of the ovarian cyst is theoretically possible after 1-1,5 months. But doctors and in this situation do not recommend hurry: it is optimal if pregnancy after ovarian laparoscopy comes in 3-6 months. Despite the fact that the surgeon performs the cyst excision fairly neatly, the ovary still has small injuries to healthy tissues, which necessarily need to have time to regenerate even before the onset of pregnancy. If the ovaries do not have time to recover, then in the future there may be certain problems with the course of the child's bearing process.
  • Pregnancy after laparoscopy for polycystic ovary should be planned immediately, as soon as the doctor will allow to live a sexual life. The fact is that polycysticosis proceeds with the formation of numerous cysts in the ovaries, and after the laparoscopic procedure, reproductive capacity is renewed for a relatively short time (usually no more than 12 months). In order not to lose the chance and become pregnant, a woman should start planning - the earlier, the better. Optimal to start planning after 1-1,5 months after laparoscopy, regardless of the laparoscopic way the operation was performed (by the method of cauterization, decortication, or wedge resection).
  • The next pregnancy after laparoscopy of an ectopic pregnancy should not be planned, at least, within half a year after the procedure. And regardless of how exactly the operation was performed: by removing the tube, or by harvesting the fetal egg with the safety of the tube. Why? The fact is that a woman still had a pregnancy, even an ectopic pregnancy. This means that the hormonal level has been brought into the state of readiness for the development and strengthening of the embryo. Now, after the laparoscopy, it is necessary that the hormonal balance be returned to the "original" as it was before the onset of ectopic pregnancy. Otherwise, a future pregnancy may be in question.
  • Pregnancy after laparoscopy of endometriosis is recommended to be scheduled no earlier than 90 days after the procedure. If after the intervention the doctor prescribes hormonal therapy, the planning is "pushed back" until the moment of its termination. This applies both to cases of removal of endometriosis foci and to laparoscopic removal of endometrioid cysts.
  • Pregnancy after laparoscopy of myomas with the removal of myomatous formations and the preservation of the uterine organ is usually planned, after 6-7 months. After laparoscopy, the uterus should "rest", tissues - regenerate, and the ovaries - to adjust its function. As a rule, within six months after the laparoscopy, the patient is prescribed oral contraceptives. In addition, she periodically carries out ultrasound to monitor the condition of the reproductive system after surgery. If these recommendations are ignored, and to allow the development of pregnancy before the deadline, you can provoke a rupture of the uterus tissue at the site of scar formation. This is a very serious complication, which often results in the removal of the uterus.

Signs of pregnancy after laparoscopy

Signs that a woman had the opportunity to conceive a baby after laparoscopy are the same as in a normal pregnancy:

  • absence of menstruation, provided that after laparoscopy it was resumed;
  • pulling sensations in the lower abdomen (some women may have a lower back);
  • increase in basal temperature;
  • slight tension of the mammary glands (as during menstruation);
  • mood changes (there may be unexplained vivacity and drowsiness);
  • change in culinary preferences;
  • exacerbation of smell.

In order to make sure that pregnancy after laparoscopy has come, it is necessary to take a blood test for HCG, or use the usual test strip to determine pregnancy.

Pregnancy in the first cycle after laparoscopy

Despite the fact that doctors do not particularly recommend rushing with pregnancy immediately after laparoscopy, theoretically conception can take place in the first cycle after surgery. Each woman has her own characteristics of the body, and the recovery period for everyone is different too. It is possible that in some patients the reproductive function is normalized after the first ovulation.

Nevertheless, it is not recommended to become pregnant immediately after an ectopic pregnancy or removal of a myomatous neoplasm. Although, if laparoscopy was done about endometriosis or polycystosis, then the pregnancy in the first cycle after surgery is the best variant of the development of events.

Conclusion on this issue can be done one: each case is individual, so it is better to consult your doctor.

Pregnancy with a single fallopian tube after laparoscopy

Is it possible to become pregnant if one of the fallopian tubes has been removed during laparoscopy? Everything depends on how timely laparoscopy was performed, and also on the state of the second remaining tube.

In case the laparoscopy was late, and the fetal egg managed to tear the oviduct, it is removed, which significantly complicates the onset of further pregnancies, since only one tube remains. Nevertheless, a huge number of women after the removal of the oviducts retain the ability to reproduce: they manage to get pregnant, and even more than once. The main condition is the presence of a healthy passable second tube with a normal functioning ovary.

Unfortunately, according to statistics, women older than 35 years are much less likely to get pregnant with a single fallopian tube, as with age, the ovarian's capacity is reduced, endometriosis and adhesions can appear, as well as other chronic pathologies of the genital area. In such a situation, women often resort to the procedure of in vitro fertilization (IVF), in which one can become pregnant even if the remaining tube is completely impassable.

Before planning a pregnancy, having one tube, it is necessary to remember that in such a situation the risk of developing a repeated ectopic pregnancy significantly increases. Therefore, if a woman becomes pregnant with a single fallopian tube, then she needs special supervision by a gynecologist, with constant monitoring of hCG and ultrasound.

Pregnancy after laparoscopy and hysteroscopy

Many patients after a combined endoscopic operation - laparoscopy and hysteroscopy, worry about the possibility of becoming pregnant. Doctors calmed: it is not necessary to worry, since both methods in most cases only contribute to the onset of pregnancy, as they help to detect and eliminate serious problems that led to infertility. Laparoscopy with hysteroscopy is performed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Especially recommended are such interventions for infertility of an unknown genesis, when other studies do not allow us to establish a clear reason why a woman can not become pregnant.

When can you begin planning after such an integrated procedure?

After the operation, it is necessary to take a break in sexual relations, for about 3-4 weeks. Next, sexual contact with the use of contraceptives. If the treating doctor does not think otherwise, most of the operated women are allowed to become pregnant 2-3 months after the intervention.

After abortion, laparoscopy, when can pregnancy occur?

After abortion and laparoscopy, you should abstain from sexual intercourse for four weeks, until the next monthly cycle. If you start to live sexually before the recommended time, you will hardly get pregnant, but the risk of developing inflammatory processes of the sexual sphere increases dramatically.

In the future, pregnancy may occur, starting with a new monthly cycle.

trusted-source[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]

Frozen pregnancy after laparoscopy

The probability of pregnancy fading in patients after laparoscopy is not higher than those who did not undergo surgery. There can be very many reasons for this, and they are all diverse. For example, a frozen pregnancy is possible if conception has come too early, when the hormonal balance has not recovered after laparoscopy. Other likely reasons may be:

  • chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus;
  • infectious diseases in a woman, including chlamydia, toxoplasmosis, herpes;
  • alcohol and / or smoking;
  • taking certain medications;
  • Rhesus-conflict;
  • external causes (weight lifting, excessive physical exertion, prolonged travel, etc.).

Often, women who have experienced laparoscopy and frozen pregnancy, fear the further planning of conception. Many begin to doubt the ability to have children in the future.

Doctors unequivocally recommend: to worry it is not necessary, as the overwhelming majority of women subsequently normally become pregnant and give birth to a child. Only in the case of recurring episodes of fading pregnancies can one suspect a loss of ability to reproduce.

A normal pregnancy after laparoscopy occurs in 85% of patients - and this is a fairly high rate. However, doctors insist that it is necessary to start planning for pregnancy within the first year after the operation - it is during this period that the chances of becoming pregnant are the highest.

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