Your specialist just said the L-word. Before you say yes, here's what a laparoscopy actually finds, what your options are once you're in there, and the questions worth asking before you consent to anything.
What does a laparoscopy actually diagnose?
It's keyhole surgery, a camera and a couple of small incisions, done under general anaesthetic. It's currently the only way to definitively confirm endometriosis by biopsy, and it can find lesions, adhesions, cysts and scar tissue that scans alone can miss.
Excision or ablation, what's the difference?
Excision removes lesions at the root. Ablation burns the surface. Excision is generally associated with lower recurrence, but which one you get depends on what your surgeon finds, their training, and your specific case, it's a conversation for your surgeon, not something to decide from a blog post.
Is it right for you right now?
Laparoscopy isn't always step one. It tends to come up when pain persists despite other management, when imaging is inconclusive, or when fertility questions need answers imaging can't give. If you're earlier in the process, it's worth asking your GP or gynaecologist what's actually been ruled out first.
Questions worth asking before you consent
- Will you excise or ablate, and why?
- How many years of experience do you have with endo-specific excision surgery?
- What's your recurrence rate for cases like mine?
- Will you also assess for adenomyosis or bowel and bladder involvement?
- What's the realistic recovery timeline for what you're planning to do?
- Who do I contact if something feels wrong afterward?
- Will I get a written report and photos from the procedure?
- If you find more than expected mid-surgery, what's your consent to treat it on the spot?
Already booked in?
If you've made the decision and just need the practical side, prep checklist, what to pack, what the day and the weeks after actually feel like, that's covered in full in Laparoscopy for Endo: How to Prepare and What Recovery Really Feels Like.
FAQ
Is laparoscopy the only way to diagnose endometriosis?
It's the definitive one. Some clinical guidance now supports starting treatment based on symptoms and examination alone, without surgical confirmation first, worth asking your specialist what applies to your case.
Does it hurt more than a bad period?
Recovery involves its own discomfort, bloating, gas pain, tenderness, different from period pain and generally shorter-lived.
How soon can you try to conceive after?
Varies by what was done and your own healing. Your surgeon will give you a timeline specific to your procedure.
Can endo come back after excision?
Yes, it can. Surgery treats what's there at the time, it isn't a permanent fix. Ongoing management still matters afterward.
Explore the full Endo Toolkit for everyday comfort, surgery aside.