Laparoscopic dye test for tubes: what it shows, with a consultation in Panjim
Medically reviewed by our consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist (MBBS, MS OBG). Last reviewed: 10 November 2026.
A laparoscopic dye test, also called chromopertubation, checks whether the fallopian tubes are open. Blue dye is gently pushed into the womb through the cervix, and a keyhole camera watches whether it spills out of the end of each tube. It is done under general anaesthesia at Pai Hospital, Vasco. Couples from Panjim can start with a consultation at our Panjim consultation point.
Many couples first hear about their tubes after an HSG report, often with a word like "blocked" or "not seen" that raises more questions than it answers. Sometimes the next step the doctor suggests is a laparoscopic dye test. Here the Pai Hospital Team sets out what the test is, what the surgeon actually sees, what each kind of result means, and how it differs from the X-ray tube test. For the wider list of reasons a pregnancy may not happen, see our page on the causes of infertility.
What is a laparoscopic dye test for the tubes?
It is a check of tubal patency, which simply means whether each tube is open from end to end. The fallopian tubes are the thin channels where the egg and sperm meet, so an open tube matters for conceiving naturally or with IUI. In this test, a small camera called a laparoscope looks into the pelvis through a tiny cut at the navel. At the same time, a blue dye is gently pushed into the womb through a fine tube fitted at the cervix. If a tube is open, the dye travels along it and can be seen dripping out of its fringed far end. Doctors also call it "lap and dye" or a chromotubation.
The dye test is usually one part of a bigger look. It is most often done together with a hysteroscopy, a camera check of the womb cavity, in the same sitting. That combined procedure is explained on our page on diagnostic hysterolaparoscopy in Vasco. This page stays with the tubes.
How does the surgeon see whether the dye comes through?
Once you are asleep, the surgeon looks at each tube along its whole length: where it joins the womb, the narrow middle part, and the wide fringed end that sits next to the ovary. The dye is then injected slowly. The surgeon watches for three things:
- Spill: blue dye flowing out of the open end of the tube into the pelvis.
- Filling: the tube turning blue along its length as the dye moves through.
- Swelling: a tube that fills and balloons without letting the dye out, which points to a block at the far end.
Each side is judged on its own, so the report will usually say something about the right tube and the left tube separately. Photographs from the camera may be kept with your notes and shown to you afterwards.
What do the different results mean?
- Free spill on both sides: both tubes are open. The plan then rests on the other findings, the semen report and ovulation.
- Spill on one side only: one tube is open. One working tube can still pick up an egg, including an egg released from the ovary on the other side.
- No dye entering a tube near the womb: this is called a proximal block. It can be a true block from old scarring, or a brief spasm of the tube's muscle. The surgeon notes which it looks like.
- Dye filling a swollen tube with no spill: a block at the far end, often with fluid collected in the tube, called a hydrosalpinx. This usually follows an old pelvic infection.
- Spill seen, but the tube is not free: sometimes the dye comes out, yet the tube is stuck down by adhesions or its fringed end is narrowed. An open tube is not always a tube that can pick up an egg easily, and the direct view shows this.
Your doctor puts the dye result together with what else was seen in the pelvis, such as endometriosis or adhesions, before explaining what it means for you.
How is the dye test different from an HSG?
Both tests push dye into the womb and ask the same question: does it come out of the tubes? They differ in how the answer is seen.
- HSG: an X-ray test done awake, usually without anaesthesia, in a few minutes. It shows the inside of the womb and the path of the dye through the tubes. Our page on the HSG tube test in Goa explains it fully.
- Laparoscopic dye test: done under general anaesthesia in an operation theatre. It shows the outside of the tubes, the ovaries and the pelvis directly, so endometriosis and adhesions that an X-ray cannot see are found, and some can be treated in the same sitting. It uses no X-rays.
Neither test suits every woman. Many couples have an HSG first because it is simpler. The laparoscopic dye test is usually chosen when the HSG result is unclear or abnormal, or when there are other reasons to look inside the pelvis anyway.
Why can an HSG say "blocked" when the tube is open?
During an HSG you are awake, and the tube's muscle can tighten for a moment where it leaves the womb. The dye then stops, and the X-ray can look like a block near the womb even though the tube is open. Under anaesthesia this spasm is less likely, so the dye test is often used to confirm an HSG that suggested a block. The opposite can also happen: dye may pass through a tube on an HSG, while the laparoscope shows that the tube is bound down by adhesions. This is why a single report is read together with your history before a big decision, such as moving straight to IVF.
Who is advised a laparoscopic dye test?
It is not a first test for most couples. It is usually discussed when:
- an HSG suggests one or both tubes are blocked, or the pictures are not clear;
- there is pain with periods or intercourse, or a scan finding, that suggests endometriosis or adhesions;
- there has been a pelvic infection, an ectopic pregnancy, a burst appendix or earlier surgery in the tummy;
- a couple has been trying for many months and the simpler tests have not given an answer;
- an X-ray test is not suitable, for example after a reaction to X-ray contrast in the past.
When is it done, and what is the day like?
It is booked in the window between the end of your period and ovulation, so there is no chance of disturbing an early pregnancy; a pregnancy test is usually done on the morning of the procedure. You come in fasting on the morning of the procedure at Pai Hospital, Vaddem, Vasco-da-Gama, and the test is done under general anaesthesia. Many women leave later that day; some stay one night. The dye can tint the urine bluish-green for a day or so, which is expected and usually harmless. Shoulder ache from the gas, mild cramps and light spotting usually settle within a few days; the days at home are covered in what to expect after keyhole surgery.
Serious problems are uncommon. Like any operation, it carries some risk: an allergic reaction to the dye or the anaesthetic, infection, bleeding, and very occasionally damage to nearby organs such as the bowel or bladder. These are discussed with you before you give written consent.
What can be done in the same sitting if a tube is blocked?
Only what you agreed to beforehand. Depending on what is found, the surgeon may release adhesions around a tube and ovary, treat patches of endometriosis, or, when IVF is already planned and a tube is so damaged that it holds fluid, take it out or close it off, since that fluid can trickle back into the womb. Anything not discussed is explained to you afterwards and planned separately, so that the decision stays yours.
What happens after the result?
The doctor explains the findings to you both, together with the semen report and your ovulation tests.
- Both tubes open and healthy: trying naturally for some months, or IUI, is usually discussed. Read about IUI treatment in Goa.
- One tube open: IUI may still be an option, depending on how healthy the open tube looked and on the other test results.
- Both tubes blocked or badly damaged: IUI cannot help, because the egg and sperm cannot meet. IVF does not need the tubes, and fertility treatment, including IVF, is available in Goa.
No test can promise a pregnancy, but a clear picture of the tubes means the next step is chosen for a reason.
How can couples in Panjim be seen?
If you live in Panjim or nearby in North Goa, you can start with a planned consultation at our consultation point in Panjim. Bring your HSG films or report, any earlier scans, and your husband's semen report, so that nothing is repeated without need. If a laparoscopic dye test is advised, it is done only at Pai Hospital, Vaddem, Vasco-da-Gama, in our own operation theatre, and the follow-up talk can be held back in Panjim. Our page for women looking for a gynaecologist in Panjim explains how the visit and travel to Vasco are arranged. Use this page for general understanding; your own plan is made with your doctor.
Your questions
What is a laparoscopic dye test?
It is a check of whether the fallopian tubes are open, done during a laparoscopy under general anaesthesia. Blue dye is gently pushed into the womb through the cervix, and a keyhole camera watches whether it spills out of the end of each tube. Doctors also call it chromopertubation or lap and dye.
Is the laparoscopic dye test painful?
No pain is felt during the test, because it is done under general anaesthesia. Later, period-like cramps, tender small cuts and an ache in the shoulder from the gas are common; simple pain relief prescribed on discharge usually eases them over a few days.
Do I need a laparoscopic dye test if I have already had an HSG?
Not always. A clear, normal HSG is enough for many couples. The dye test is usually suggested when the HSG shows a possible block, the pictures are unclear, or there are signs of endometriosis, adhesions or an old pelvic infection that need a direct look.
Why does my urine look blue or green after the test?
Some of the blue dye is absorbed and leaves the body in the urine. A bluish-green colour for a day or so is expected and usually harmless. Contact the hospital if you have fever, burning that does not settle, or pain that keeps getting worse.
Can a blocked tube be opened during the dye test?
Sometimes adhesions around a tube can be released in the same sitting, if you agreed to it beforehand. A badly damaged tube swollen with fluid may be removed or clipped before IVF. Whether a block can be treated depends on where it is and how damaged the tube looks.
Where can I be seen from Panjim, and where is the test done?
You can start with a planned consultation at our consultation point in Panjim, bringing your HSG and scan reports. The laparoscopic dye test itself is done only at Pai Hospital, Vaddem, Vasco-da-Gama, where our own operation theatre is.
Or call +91 95185 02773
This page is for general education and is not personal medical advice. Treatment depends on your own examination and reports, so please speak to a doctor about your situation. We do not carry out or offer sex determination of any kind.