Surgery for Infertility

Sometimes infertility is the result of problems with the structure of your reproductive organs, such as scar tissue or blockages. If you're dealing with a condition such as uterine fibroids (in women) or varicocele (in men), surgery may improve your chances of conception. At Penn Fertility Care - Lancaster General Health, we offer a range of advanced fertility procedures.

Reproductive Surgery: Why Choose Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health?

At our fertility clinic, you'll find:

• Surgical expertise: Our double board-certified reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist has extensive experience performing fertility surgery in women. So if you need a procedure we offer, you don't have to go anywhere else for treatment.
• Minimally invasive options: Most reproductive surgeries can be performed laparoscopically or robotically through tiny incisions (cuts) in your abdomen. This minimally invasive approach means you recover faster and with less pain.
• Specialty referrals: As part of Lancaster General Health, we can easily refer you to one of the experienced providers within our network. You have access to urologists, oncologists, gynecologists and other providers who work together to deliver your care.

Surgery for Female Infertility

During infertility testing, we may discover a problem that's making it hard for you to get pregnant. Common conditions that affect fertility include uterine fibroids, endometriosis, uterine polyps, scar tissue and blocked fallopian tubes. Surgery can correct these structural abnormalities and enhance your fertility.

Our reproductive endocrinologist may perform your procedure at our fertility clinic or at Women & Babies Hospital.

Surgeries for female infertility include:

• Hysteroscopy: We perform hysteroscopy entirely through your vagina, so you don't have any incisions in your abdomen. We insert a hysteroscope (thin, lighted tube) inside your vagina and into your uterus to find and remove polyps, scar tissue and other abnormal growths.
• Laparoscopy: A laparoscopy involves several small incisions in your abdomen. We insert a laparoscope (tool with a light and video camera) into one incision so we can see your uterus, fallopian tubes and other reproductive organs. We insert surgical tools in the other incisions to address endometrial tissue, fallopian tube blockages, ovarian cysts and other problems.
• Laparotomy: Rarely, you may need an open abdominal surgery to remove very large cysts, fibroids or fix other major problems with your reproductive organs. Your fertility specialist and OB/GYN work together to determine what type of surgeon should perform this procedure.

Surgery for Male Infertility

Some conditions affect male fertility by reducing sperm production or blocking the release of sperm. We can refer you to an experienced urologic surgeon and help coordinated your care throughout the treatment process.

Common procedures for male infertility include:

• Varicocelectomy: A surgeon treats varicocele (swollen vein in the scrotum) by sealing off the enlarged vein so it shrinks and rerouting blood flow to other healthy veins. Varicocelectomy is also called varicocele repair surgery.
• Surgical sperm extraction: Men with few or no sperm (azoospermia) may need a surgeon to remove sperm directly from the tests. After the procedure, we can freeze sperm for use in fertility treatments.
• Vasectomy reversal: During vasectomy reversal, a surgeon creates new openings in the previously closed vas deferens (tubes that carry sperm from the testes) or connects them to the epididymis (tubes between the vas deferens and testes).

Make an Appointment

Call 717-544-0107 or request an appointment to schedule your fertility consultation.