Experience With The Laparoscope In The Evaluation Of Infertile Women In Sagamu

Objective: Laparoscopy has been found to be very useful in the evaluation of tubo-peritoneal factors in female infertility in Nigeria. This is because of the peculiarity of infective tubo-peritoneal disease as the main aetiological factor of infertility in the region. This study was carried out to report our experience with the laparoscope with aim of focusing attention on its desirability and what problems there may be with the use. Materials and methods: The laparoscopic findings in 215 infertile women over a period of seven years (1993-1999) at the infertility unit of the Ogun State University Teaching Hospital Sagamu were collated. Results: Eighty-two percent of the women had secondary infertility as against 18% with primary infertility. Pelvic adhesions were detected in 74.9% of the cases and patent tube(s) were found in 68.4%. Uterine fibroid was the commonest additional finding. Mild abdominal pain and subcutaneous emphysema were recorded in three (1.4%) and this necessitated admission for 24 hours in one patient with emphysema. Conclusion: Laparoscopy is a diagnostic method with a high positive yield and few complications. Its wider use as first line investigative tool in infertility evaluation is advocated. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol.5(2) 2002: 127-12