Dr. Veronica Galaviz, MD

A hysteroscopy is a diagnostic procedure performed to examine the inside of the uterus. A thin tube with a camera and light at the end, called a hysteroscope, is inserted through the vagina. It allows the physician to view the cervix and uterine walls. Sometimes, gas or liquid is used to expand the uterus and allow a better view. If necessary, tiny instruments can also be passed through the tube and used for certain procedures, such as taking a biopsy or removing a polyp.

Hysteroscopy is often done to figure out the cause of abnormal menstrual bleeding. However, it can also be used to:

• Identify the cause of recurrent miscarriage
• Remove polyps or fibroids, non-cancerous growths in the uterus
• Remove adhesions, scar tissue within the uterus
• Identify uterine septums, a wall of tissue dividing the uterus
• Perform ablation, the removal of excess uterine lining

Laparoscopic surgery is a kind of minimally invasive surgery using a thin, narrow tube called a laparoscope. Usually performed on the abdomen or the pelvic region, the surgeon makes a few very small incisions instead of one large one.

Robotic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery, using a tiny opening to get inside the body instead of making a large cut. It uses small tools attached to a thin robotic arm, which is controlled by the surgeon. Robotic surgery may be referred to by the specific kind of robot that is used. The most advanced robot currently in use is called the da Vinci, and surgery using it is sometimes called da Vinci surgery.