Diagnostic laparoscopy for infertile patients as a training program

During a 3-year period, 2650 cases of diagnostic laparoscopy were performed on selected infertility patients in a training program on gynecologic laparoscopy at hospitals in Egypt, the Sudan and Saudi Arabia. All cases were attended by the senior author. Most of the procedures were performed by physicians who either had never performed the procedure or had not had significant experience with it. This report presents the laparoscopic findings, complications and problems encoutered. It shows that with emphasis on equipment care and handling, careful patient selection and observation of simple precautions during and after the operation, the procedure can be safely included in the training program of residents in obstetrics and gynecology.