Change in the classic gynecologic surgery: review of 3,300 pelviscopies in 1971-1976.

An endoscopic microsurgical technique has been developed on the basis of the development of a new technique for hemostasis (endocoagulation), which needs neither ligation nor high-frequency current, and a specific pelviscopic instrument setup for surgical therapeutic pelviscopy has been created. This new endoscopic technique, i.e., the microlaparotomy via pelviscopy, opens new methods for pelvic surgery, in particular for patients with infertility. Our data show that in 79% of tubal occlusions, patency can be achieved by pelviscopic surgery. In addition, lysis of intestinal adhesions, tubal sterilizations, endometriosis-coagulation, ovarian cyst resection, subserous myomectomy, and total oophorectomy can be performed with this newly devised procedure. Our data show that in our series of 3,300 pelviscopies, the complication rate was 1.1%, and only 0.1% necessitated laparotomy. In 55%, pelviscopy performed after previous laparotomies added very little risk. In 61%, destructive heat was utilized for hemostasis. No intra-abdominal burns occurred in the entire series of 3,300 patients. With this new method, when used for protein-coagulation to secure hemostasis, not one burn occurred.