For the estimated 1.5 million women in the UK living with endometriosis, diagnosis has historically required surgery. Laparoscopy – a surgical procedure performed under general anaesthesia – has long been considered the gold standard for confirming endometriosis. While it remains a valuable tool, it comes with drawbacks: surgical risk, recovery time, and NHS waiting lists that can stretch to months and even years.
The EndoSure Test offers a new pathway. As the first non-invasive, rapid diagnostic test for diagnosing endometriosis, it enables healthcare professionals to detect the condition accurately – without surgery, without anaesthesia, and without delay.
EndoSure & Laparoscopy Comparison
Below, we have created a comparison of the EndoSure Test and Laparoscopy.
| EndoSure Test | Laparoscopy | |
| Invasiveness | Non-invasive – no incisions or instruments | Surgical – 2–3 abdominal incisions required |
| Anaesthesia | None required | General anaesthesia required |
| Procedure time | Less than 60 minutes | 1 – 3 hours |
| Recovery time | None – return to normal activity immediately | 1 – 2 weeks off work and normal activity |
| Hospital stay | No hospital admission required | Day case or overnight stay |
| Results | Results available same day | During or shortly after the procedure |
| Detects all stages | Yes – Stages I through IV | Yes – gold standard for staging |
| Accuracy | Highly accurate non-invasive diagnostic test | 50-75% accurate when used to diagnose Disease |
| Risk | None | Surgical risks: bleeding, infection, organ damage |
| Suitable for | Any patient, and for follow up evaluation to evaluate treatment or surgical results | Patients where surgical confirmation is required |
| NHS waiting time | Available privately – immediate access | Significant NHS waiting lists – often 1 – 3+ years |
| Patient experience | Comfortable, sensor-based, no discomfort | Post-operative pain, bruising and fatigue |
An Important Clinical Note
It is important to recognise that laparoscopy remains the definitive confirmatory procedure for endometriosis and is essential where surgical intervention is required. The EndoSure Test is designed to work alongside – not replace – the clinical pathway. Its value lies in providing rapid, non-invasive diagnostic data earlier in the patient journey, reducing unnecessary delays, and helping clinicians prioritise and plan next steps with greater confidence, and evaluate treatment success.
For patients who have waited years for a diagnosis, the EndoSure Test represents a meaningful step forward in how endometriosis is identified and managed in the UK.