What questions should I ask before endometriosis laparoscopy?

The most useful questions depend on where you are. At a first visit with an endometriosis specialist, focus on how they think and how your care will be planned: based on my symptoms and records, what diagnoses are you considering (endometriosis, adenomyosis, and common look-alikes), and what makes you lean one way or another? Ask what additional records or imaging would meaningfully change the plan, and whether your imaging will be interpreted with endometriosis mapping in mind, rather than just a “normal/abnormal” read.

Before laparoscopy, the most important questions focus on whether your surgeon can fully treat what they find, rather than simply look around. Ask what technique they use if endometriosis is suspected (excision vs burning/fulguration/ablation), how they confirm what was removed, including whether tissue will be sent to pathology, and how they determine the anticipated scope of surgery based on your symptoms, prior operative reports, and imaging, even when imaging looks normal.

Because endometriosis can involve ovaries, bladder/ureters, bowel, diaphragm, and nerves, ask how they plan for multi-organ disease. If bowel or urinary tract involvement is suspected, will the appropriate specialists be involved, and what procedures are they prepared to perform in the same operation? You’ll also want clarity on what would change the plan mid-surgery (for example, unexpected deep disease, endometriomas, or adhesions) and how they approach adenomyosis if it’s part of the picture, especially if fertility is a goal.

It’s also reasonable to ask how they define surgical success for your goals, whether pain relief, bowel/bladder function, or fertility, and how outcomes and recurrence or persistent symptoms are handled.

Finally, ask practical recovery and planning questions: what the pre-op workup includes, expected incisions and approach, pain control strategy, typical time back to daily activity, and how follow-up is handled if symptoms persist. Our team is very deliberate about setting expectations upfront (what we think surgery can and cannot accomplish, what records we need to plan safely, and what a comprehensive excision strategy would look like for your specific pattern of symptoms). If you’d like, reach out to schedule a consultation, and we’ll tell you exactly what to send first so we can make your visit worth your time.