Laparoscopy for infertility: what it checks, how it is done and what recovery is like

By Kanwar Nursing Home Info editors · Updated 4 November 2026

Laparoscopy is a type of keyhole surgery. A surgeon looks inside the abdomen and pelvis through a thin telescope with a camera, called a laparoscope, passed through a small cut near the navel. In fertility care it is used both to find causes of infertility that scans and blood tests cannot show, and, in some cases, to treat them in the same operation.

Why a fertility doctor might suggest it

Laparoscopy is not a first test for everyone. Investigations usually begin with a history, examination, blood tests for ovulation and hormones, an ultrasound scan and a semen analysis for the male partner. A laparoscopy may be suggested when:

• There are symptoms or history that point to endometriosis, such as very painful periods or pain during sex.
• There is a history of pelvic infection, previous ectopic pregnancy or abdominal surgery, which can cause scar tissue (adhesions) around the tubes and ovaries.
• Another test suggests that the fallopian tubes may be blocked or damaged.
• An ovarian cyst or fibroid needs a closer look, or treatment.
• Infertility remains unexplained after the first round of tests.

The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guideline gives a useful general rule: women with no known risk factors can usually have their tubes checked with an X-ray or ultrasound dye test, while laparoscopy with a dye test is offered to women with conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease, a previous ectopic pregnancy or endometriosis, so that other pelvic problems can be assessed and treated at the same time.

What "lap and dye" means

During a diagnostic laparoscopy for infertility, the surgeon often passes a coloured dye through the cervix into the womb. If the fallopian tubes are open, the dye can be seen spilling from their ends. This is called a "lap and dye" test, or chromotubation. It shows whether one or both tubes are open, and the surgeon can see the outside of the womb, the tubes and the ovaries directly.

What laparoscopy can treat at the same time

Depending on what is found, and on what you have agreed to beforehand, the surgeon may be able to:

• Remove or destroy patches of endometriosis.
• Divide adhesions around the tubes and ovaries.
• Remove ovarian cysts, including endometriomas.
• Remove certain fibroids (laparoscopic myomectomy).
• Deal with a damaged, fluid-filled tube (hydrosalpinx) that could reduce the chance of IVF working.
• Perform ovarian drilling in some women with polycystic ovary syndrome who have not responded to ovulation medicines.

Before the operation, your doctor should explain which of these might be done and ask for your consent. Ask what will happen if something unexpected is found.

How the procedure is done

1. It is usually done under general anaesthesia, so you are asleep.
2. A small cut is made in or near the navel, and the abdomen is gently filled with carbon dioxide gas to create space.
3. The laparoscope is inserted, and one or two more small cuts may be made for instruments.
4. After the procedure, the gas is let out and the cuts are closed with stitches or glue.

A diagnostic laparoscopy often takes under an hour. Operations that include treatment take longer.

Preparing for it

• You will be told how long to fast beforehand.
• It is usually timed in the first half of the menstrual cycle, after your period and before ovulation, and a pregnancy test may be done on the day.
• Tell the team about all medicines, including blood thinners and herbal supplements.
• Arrange for someone to take you home.

Recovery

• Many people go home the same day or the next morning.
• Shoulder-tip pain is common for a day or two; it is caused by leftover gas irritating the diaphragm.
• Expect some soreness around the cuts, bloating and tiredness. Simple painkillers usually help.
• After a diagnostic laparoscopy, many people return to light activity within a few days. Recovery is longer if more extensive surgery was done.
• Your doctor will explain the findings and the plan at a follow-up visit.

Risks

Laparoscopy is a common procedure and serious complications are uncommon, but no operation is risk-free. Possible problems include infection, bleeding, a reaction to the anaesthetic and, rarely, injury to the bowel, bladder or blood vessels. Seek medical help urgently if you develop a high temperature, increasing abdominal pain, vomiting, heavy bleeding or redness and discharge from a wound after surgery.

Questions to ask your doctor

• Why do you recommend laparoscopy rather than another test in my case?
• What might you treat during the same operation?
• How will the findings change my treatment plan?
• How soon can we try to conceive, or start IVF, afterwards?
• Is the procedure covered by my insurance or a government scheme?

Laparoscopy looks at the outside of the womb and tubes. To look inside the womb, doctors use a different procedure; see our guide to hysteroscopy for infertility. For the rules that govern fertility clinics in India, read the ART Act 2021 explainer.