Surgery for Chronic Pelvic Pain

Laparotomy is a likely treatment for moderate to severe Reference chronic female pelvic pain Opens New Window when:

• Sites of endometriosis (implants) and scar tissue (adhesions):
  • Cannot be removed by laparoscopy.
  • Are interfering with the normal function of other abdominal organs, such as the bowels or bladder.
• A large Reference ovarian cyst Opens New Window is present and scar tissue has formed around the cyst and a Reference fallopian tube Opens New Window.
• There is concern that an ovarian cyst might mean the presence of ovarian cancer.

A laparotomy is usually required to remove:

• Sites of endometriosis (implants) and scar tissue (adhesions) that:
  • Bind one segment of bowel to another segment or to other structures in the pelvis.
  • Have penetrated deeply into an abdominal organ and cannot be safely removed by laparoscopy.
• Large sites of scar tissue (adhesions).
• Nerves, for pain control (presacral neurectomy).

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