The use of CO2 laser laparoscopy for treating endometriosis.

The utilization of CO2 laser laparoscopy has become an increasingly accepted procedure because of its ability to obviate the need for major surgery. The accuracy of the laser beam through its delivery system, in addition to minimal tissue damage without injury to adjacent structures, makes it ideal for treating minimal and moderate endometriosis. Its use in individuals with endometriosis may render unnecessary other medical treatments, since therapy can be performed at the same time that the disease is found. This therapy appears to be as successful as medical treatment, or more so, since 76% of patients with minimal disease as the only explainable fertility problem became pregnant after treatment. The advantages of this tool for treatment of endometriosis include high success rate, immediate treatment with a very small increase of operating room time, and the ability to treat certain conditions accompanying endometriosis which cannot be accomplished with medicine alone (e.g., adhesions).