The nature of posttuboplasty pelvic adhesions as determined by early and late laparoscopy.

This study evaluates the gross and histologic difference between adhesions found in early laparoscopy (4 to 16 weeks afer surgery), compared with laparoscopy at approximately 18 months after the original tubal operation. Sixty-one patients who had undergone similar surgical procedures for infertility were evaluated. Forty-one patients underwent late laparoscopy, and 20 underwent early laparoscopy. Postoperatively, 60% of the early laparoscopy patients had filmy avascular adhesions, whereas 63% of the late laparoscopy patients had thicker, neovascular adhesions. This allows us to conclude that the adhesions immediately postoperatively are histologically different from those appearing a longer time after the original operation.