Beyond pathology: Patient experiences of laparoscopy for persistent pelvic pain with no identifiable cause found

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopy has often been considered a core part of the workup for pelvic pain. However, many of these laparoscopies find no pathology. AIMS: To evaluate the experiences of patients following laparoscopy for pelvic pain when there is no diagnosis found. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive qualitative study reviewed patients who underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy for persistent pelvic pain with no pathology found. Participants completed a written questionnaire and an in-depth semi-structured interview. Interview data were thematically analysed. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were interviewed with a median age of 30 years. Six themes were identified: desire for a diagnosis, hope as a coping strategy, inadequate communication, having 'next steps' of management offered, mental health impacts, and system issues. Participants wanted a diagnosis to help understand their condition, to enable connection with others, and believed that clinicians viewed pain with a diagnosis more seriously. Participants who were confident preoperatively that laparoscopy would lead to a diagnosis reported this contributing to poorer postoperative mental health. Participants discussed diagnoses not listed in the medical records, which provided hope for future management options. Participants reported worse mental health following the laparoscopy. CONCLUSION: This study provides insight into the experiences of patients following a laparoscopy without an identifiable diagnosis. It highlights the importance of pre- and postoperative counselling, including discussing the potential for no findings at laparoscopy; the language used around other potential diagnoses; and the value in considering a patient's pre-existing mental health. The findings of this study are relevant for all clinicians counselling people with persistent pelvic pain where endometriosis is suspected.