Topic Overview

When considering a surgical infertility treatment, ask:

• About your doctor's experience with microsurgical techniques. Surgery to correct infertility in both men and women often requires specialized training and experience.
• Whether problems can be corrected during laparoscopy. Some problems with a woman's reproductive tract can be corrected during laparoscopic testing on an outpatient basis. Correction requiring conventional abdominal surgery is more risky, requires longer recovery times, and usually is more expensive.
• About your chances of conceiving after surgery. This depends on the specific type of problem being treated as well as other fertility factors such as a woman's age. You must feel comfortable that the risks of surgery are worth the likelihood of becoming pregnant.