title: Experience with diagnostic laparoscopy for gynecological indications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diagnostic laparoscopy is an endoscopy procedure, which has become indispensable in the evaluation of the female reproductive organs especially in infertility.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Experience with conversion to open laparotomy is presented and ways of averting this complication are discussed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the 1654 diagnostic laparoscopies performed at a private fertility center over a 10-year period (January 2000 to December 2009) were analyzed for indications, cases of conversion to open laparotomy, and measures taken to prevent this complication.
  
  
  METHODS
  Simple percentage method was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infertility was the commonest indication for 1627 (98.4%) procedures, while primary amenorrhoea and chronic pelvic pain were responsible for 20 (1.2%) and 7 (0.4%) procedures, respectively. There was no mortality in this series. There was conversion to open laparotomy due to hemorrhage in only 2 (0.12%) procedures and this happened at the first year of practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low rate of conversion was attributed to the surgeons experience, proper patient selection, and the use of Palmers point for insufflation in some patients with previous pelvic surgeries and use of supraumbilical access in patients with pelvic masses. Diagnostic laparoscopy for gynecological indications is safe and wider application of this modern technology is recommended for our practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria. ji.ikechebelu@unizik.edu.ng
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Ikechebelu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000601:surgery; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000601:surgery*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000601:surgery; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology