Laporoscopy?

[ilovethiswebsite]

Has anyone ever had one done? I am considering one in the fall to investigate possible endometriosis or ovarian cysts... I am so scared of having the lap done cause I have never had surgery before. I am wondering if anyone can provide advice re. how painful it was, scars left behind, and whether it was worth it or not.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Date: 8/26/2009 11:57:16 PM
Author:ilovethiswebsite
Has anyone ever had one done? I am considering one in the fall to investigate possible endometriosis or ovarian cysts... I am so scared of having the lap done cause I have never had surgery before. I am wondering if anyone can provide advice re. how painful it was, scars left behind, and whether it was worth it or not.

Never had one, I have seen a lot and assisted in a couple. So my prospective is more of an outsider. It is a pretty common procedure, so I am sure you will get more advice on how painful it is.

The incisions are very small. For an exploratory lap (which it sounds like you are having done, you will need 2 or 3 incisions. They are very small, probably about 1 cm each. One will be on you belly button (which is a scar) so that one won''t show. The others will be on the sides of your abdomen. There is always a small risk that they will have to convert to an open procedure if they find something, in your case that would be very small. If an open procedure is in your consent (which they sometimes to to cover themselves if anything major comes up) really talk to your OB about the chances of this happening.

From someone who has had surgery for other stuff, I think coming off the anesthesia is the worst part. I had my wisdom teeth pulled (which I am guessing is more painful than an ex-lap), and I could deal with the pain, but did not like the side effects of the anesthesia, but that only lasts about a day.

Only you can decide if it is worth it or not. You have to weigh the risks and benefits of the procedure with your doctor.

Good luck on the decision.

 

[lili]

ilovethiswebsite--
i had one done a couple of years ago due to my endometriosis.
like LtlFirecracker said, the incisions aren''t too big -- around 1 cm.
dr told me that they would need to make at least 2-4 incisions depending on how much cleaning they needed to do. and they also need to pump some gas into my belly so that they have more room to work in. i end up w/ 3 incisions (one on the belly button where the scope goes, one above the pubic bone and last one on the left side of the abdomen right where the pointy part of the pelvic bone is). the scars aren''t too bad. they are barely visible now...just a little discoloration, but i guess that will depend on the type of skin you have. the operation itself wasn''t too bad since you are under for the procedure. i didn''t have an adverse reaction to the anesthesia, so was just a bit groggy a couple of hours upon awakening. the incision sites were sore and i was pretty much restricted to bedrest the first day. what i find painful and uncomfortable was when the gas that they had pumped into me was trying to escape throughout your body. i''d feel this pressure at some joints (particularly my shoulders) and a bursting or convulsing sensations. gas leaking lasted about 3-4 days.

my endometriosis symptoms weren''t as severe compared to most people. i get my usual stomach cramps very month, but every now and then, i''d get nauseated especially when the weather is hot and humid. they weren''t severe enough for me to seek a dr to do the surgery, the reason i had it done was because it was the cause of my infertility. So for me, the pain of the procedure was worth it.

 

[cammy85]

I actually had a laproscopic appendectomy where they also discovered I had endometriosis and took care of some of that on the spot too.

I have three inscisions - one to the left of my belly button, one to the right and one in the middle (camera, ''tongs,'' scissors/scalpel) It really wasn''t that bad, compared to the other surgeries I''ve had, I bounced back pretty quickly. I do remember not being able to sit up very easily for a few days as well as the initial recovery period while still in the hospital. They ''inflate'' you - so to speak - with CO2 I believe, so that you have a nice open cavity for them to work in. I wasn''t aware of it and when I woke up and went to go to the bathroom, my stomach was HUGE. It was kind of scary, but harmless. When that dissipates from your abdomen and absorbs into your system, I do remember feeling really tight in my shoulders, like cramps almost. They did warn that was a side effect.

All-in-all, compared to what a traditional appendectomy would have left, three small incisions aren''t bad. The one on the left is about 3/4", the one on the right is about 1/2" and the one in my belly button you can barely see - they hid the scar well. They are all relatively low on my abdomen, but you can still see them if I wear a bikini. They are light and small, so it''s not a huge deal.

If I needed anything done again that could be done laproscopically versus traditionally, I''d pick laproscopic all the way.

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

Date: 8/27/2009 4:20:55 AM
Author: lili
ilovethiswebsite--
i had one done a couple of years ago due to my endometriosis.
like LtlFirecracker said, the incisions aren''t too big -- around 1 cm.
dr told me that they would need to make at least 2-4 incisions depending on how much cleaning they needed to do. and they also need to pump some gas into my belly so that they have more room to work in. i end up w/ 3 incisions (one on the belly button where the scope goes, one above the pubic bone and last one on the left side of the abdomen right where the pointy part of the pelvic bone is). the scars aren''t too bad. they are barely visible now...just a little discoloration, but i guess that will depend on the type of skin you have. the operation itself wasn''t too bad since you are under for the procedure. i didn''t have an adverse reaction to the anesthesia, so was just a bit groggy a couple of hours upon awakening. the incision sites were sore and i was pretty much restricted to bedrest the first day. what i find painful and uncomfortable was when the gas that they had pumped into me was trying to escape throughout your body. i''d feel this pressure at some joints (particularly my shoulders) and a bursting or convulsing sensations. gas leaking lasted about 3-4 days.

my endometriosis symptoms weren''t as severe compared to most people. i get my usual stomach cramps very month, but every now and then, i''d get nauseated especially when the weather is hot and humid. they weren''t severe enough for me to seek a dr to do the surgery, the reason i had it done was because it was the cause of my infertility. So for me, the pain of the procedure was worth it.

I had a very painful episode of lower right quadrant pain last summer. It could have been a cyst on my ovaries that exploded, or could have been a mild case of appendicitis or endo... They never really figured it out... I had blood in my urine as well and a swollen groin lymph node. Anyway - for the last year the pain has gotten progressively better and I am hadly bothered by the pain anymore. I still get pain about 1-2 weeks before my period, and during my period, on the same right side. For all these reasons, and because no conclusive diagnosis was ever made with traditional testing, my dr. suggested a lap to look for endo. Problem is, my hubby and I aren''t planning on conceiving for another 3-5 years (I am still in school). So basically, I have no idea if this problem is also affecting my fertility. The dr mentioned usually women with pain from endo and problems with infertility consider this surgery... I am wondering if I should just wait it out and see if it gets better (try changing my BC in the meantime), or investigate and see what is up now. I am also worried about complications from the surgery like infection or damage to the surrounding organs... I think my MAIN concern is fertility and if I leave the endo untreated (if that''s even what is) it will lead to fertility problems. But there is really no way of knowing...

 

[split_shank]

Same for me too. 3 incisions, one in the belly button, never did find that one, one to the lower left abdomen (can barely see it anymore) and one below my pubic bone. That one ended up being a little bigger because they didn''t like how my appendix looked (this was for endometriosis) so they pulled out there! Agreeing with the others, the gas part is the worst part. The incisions were nothing, glued shut and felt less than a good ab workout a few days afterwards. The gas ''bubbles'' build up under your diaphragm under you lungs and puts pressure on a nerve, hence the pain that shoots into the back/shoulders. It fades, but it sucks. Overall, I''m glad I did it, they found some endometriosis, removed the little buggers, and am symptom free by going on a long schedule BCP (Seasonale or 3 packs of regular BCP in a row). Every time you have a period, the endometriosis spots bleed too, and hence, more growth. The less periods you have, the less growth. Worked for me, hope you get some relief if you decide to go through with the lap!

 

[somethingshiny]

I had exploratory laprascopic surgery done around 5 years ago due to possible cysts and endo. The dr was pretty sure I had both, but I had to have the surgery to verify and then of course to remove the offending tissue.

I don''t remember all of the details anymore but I''ll share what I remember.

I had severe cramping, irregular cycles, painful intercourse, repeated miscarriages, etc. Also I would have exploding pain occasionally and for seemingly no reason. (later I realized it was when my cysts ruptured). I went to several drs with no help. Finally I found a good dr. At my appt with him, he informed me that I had the endo and cysts. And he scheduled me for surgery ASAP.

I couldn''t eat or drink past the night before surgery. (like all surgeries) I was in my gown early and my dr told me about the procedure again (which he had already gone over completely during my regular appt). I went under easily and I woke up briefly during the surgery. After it was all over, I don''t remember getting my clothes changed, getting in the car, or getting up my stairs to the bedroom. Luckily, DH took care of me. I was really sore for a few days. In fact, I was more sore after that surgery than after a c-section. I had 3 incisions. One largish incision through my belly button, one just below my hairline and one off to the side. Several cysts were removed and tons of endometrial tissue. The endometrioses was so severe that it had adhered to my intestines so there was a lot of time and pressure in that area. I think that''s probably where the pain came from, more the organs being jarred around than the actual incisions.

My periods and cramps were immediately improved and I had good results for a couple years. I finally got pregnant and carried to term. At my most recent yearly visit, my dr informed me that the endo was back with a vengeance. ( I already knew this, I live in this body)

The scars are all but invisible. They were extremely red for the first few months but faded quickly. (My bellybutton has never regained a symmetrical appearance though)


I was also put on Lupron for a few months following surgery. Lupron basically induces menopause so you don''t have the estrogen to feed the endo. The idea is to starve the remaining endo.

BC pills can reduce symptoms and control it briefly in my experience. Really, the best I felt was after the laproscopic surgery and removal.

It was definitely worth it for me. And, I plan on doing it again if I don''t conceive within the next year.

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

I would like to thank all you lovely ladies for sharing your experiences regarding laparoscopies. I know this is a sensitive and rather personal matter so I am very grateful for the information you have provided.

The procedure itself sounds worth it especially if you are experiencing a lot of pain and problems conceiving...

Argh... I really don''t know what to do

Does anyone know if a rogue ovarian cyst that ruptures can lead to long lasting pain? I have had pain for about a year but it has gotten a lot better. It was extremely bad for about 3 months. Now it''s really only a couple of weeks before my period and during my period. The pain is not nearly as bad as before, and doesn''t really interfere with any daily functioning. As I stated previously, I am most concerned about endo going untreated. My other option is just to take BC continuously for a few months and skip periods.

Does anyone recommend a type of BC? My gyne recommended marvelon or yasmin, but I have heard yasmin can be bad for kidney stone sufferers such as myself due to the diuretic properties of Yasmin.

 

[split_shank]

I did Yasmin way back, before I had endo symptoms, then switched to a little stronger when I did. I was on some pretty heavy stuff (a BCP PLUS an additional norethidrone) which helped but made me whacko with mood swings and felt out of body not myself. FINALLY found the doctor (who did my lap) who told me you could go on the strongest BCP and it still wouldn''t matter. You are having a period every month, that is your problem right now with the growth. I was on Seasonique for the 11 (?) weeks and one week perod (which was pretty light if much at all) and have had great success. Only problem was that I couldn''t quite make it to 11 weeks and I started spotting for a week or two until I finally got to the sugar pills. Doc says your body just doesn''t want to wait that long. Easy switch, I was put on Levlen (same hormone levels, just a one month pack) and take 3 packs in a row. Basically 6 periods a year now instead of 4. No problems so far. They''re pretty low dose, which does wonders for my sanity .

I was 21 when I had my lap. What they found was miniscule compared to the webbed, organs being pulled mess that many women suffer through. Let me tell you that I can tolerate a lot of pain. But those 4 TINY spots really can hurt that bad. I too was concerned about conceiving in the future. I still worry that my chances are lowered from all of this, but I think controlling it is the key. It may never go away, but the worse it gets, the worse the fertility problems. Every time I go to the Dr I always ask if they think this will cause problems. They always say not if it is controlled like it is now. We shall see!!

 

[somethingshiny]

In my case, the cysts were sharp pains but relatively short duration. They would ache as they developed, burst in agonizing pain, then recover within a couple days. The endo is what caused more consistent levels of pain. It pretty much hurt all the time, but mid-cycle I would get bent-over-and-rocking cramps. For me (and my short cycles) this seemed to coincide with rising estrogen levels. I''ve also noticed over the years of fighting this crap that my pain tolerance is lower when my estrogen is high. That may also be why the pain seemingly got more severe.

Currently, the endo is causing pain at the same times of the month as before. And if I sit down for too long (two hours), the pain gets more severe and also goes into my back. This is what happened the last time because of how far the endo is traveling.

According to my doc, I''ve probably had endo and cysts since I was about 14 and I didn''t have surgery until I was 24. I had my first miscarriage at 20. I don''t know if that means that within 6 years I became infertile, or if my case was more severe, or what. I was on BC at the age of 17 and continued until I was 19. So, if the BC pill is supposed to help, I was only "untreated" for 3 years before I miscarried many pregnancies. I''m sure everyone''s fertility is different and I don''t want to mislead you, I''m just sharing my experience.

As far as the pill, anything that reduces your periods would be the best. However, my body can''t take it. It insists on flowing regardless of what pill I''m taking. My sis who also has endo was recently put on Yasmin and has ended up with at least 2 severe kidney infections that are probably related. But she''s the only woman I know who has had any kidney related issues while on BC.


btw~ are you sure your current pain is not kidney related??

 

[tiffanytwisted]

I don''t have experience with endometriosis but I can offer my experience with abdominal surgery. 4 years ago I had abdominal surgery to remove uterine fibroids. Because of where the fibroids were located I had to have an abdominal incision (similar to a c-section incision). I was off work for 6 weeks, couldn''t drive for 4 of those.
2 years ago I had an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured. That surgery was done laparoscopically. I had one incision at my belly button (about 2 cm)where the camera was inserted, and then three more smaller (about 1 cm) incisions. The recovery was much quicker and less painful. I was bloated for about a week after (although I had a lot of blood in my abdomen too from the rupturing). I think I was driving again about a week after the surgery and was back at work within about 2 weeks. (although I probably could have gone back sooner)

Good luck with your decision.

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

Date: 8/27/2009 5:35:37 PM
Author: somethingshiny
In my case, the cysts were sharp pains but relatively short duration. They would ache as they developed, burst in agonizing pain, then recover within a couple days. The endo is what caused more consistent levels of pain. It pretty much hurt all the time, but mid-cycle I would get bent-over-and-rocking cramps. For me (and my short cycles) this seemed to coincide with rising estrogen levels. I've also noticed over the years of fighting this crap that my pain tolerance is lower when my estrogen is high. That may also be why the pain seemingly got more severe.

Currently, the endo is causing pain at the same times of the month as before. And if I sit down for too long (two hours), the pain gets more severe and also goes into my back. This is what happened the last time because of how far the endo is traveling.

According to my doc, I've probably had endo and cysts since I was about 14 and I didn't have surgery until I was 24. I had my first miscarriage at 20. I don't know if that means that within 6 years I became infertile, or if my case was more severe, or what. I was on BC at the age of 17 and continued until I was 19. So, if the BC pill is supposed to help, I was only 'untreated' for 3 years before I miscarried many pregnancies. I'm sure everyone's fertility is different and I don't want to mislead you, I'm just sharing my experience.

As far as the pill, anything that reduces your periods would be the best. However, my body can't take it. It insists on flowing regardless of what pill I'm taking. My sis who also has endo was recently put on Yasmin and has ended up with at least 2 severe kidney infections that are probably related. But she's the only woman I know who has had any kidney related issues while on BC.


btw~ are you sure your current pain is not kidney related??

Well, I suppose anything is possible, however this pain was not nearly as bad as when I had stones. In addition, all the testing (I had two ultrasounds, 1 ct and 1 mri, and a ton of blood tests) did not reveal any kidney stones... But, the Dr did meantion if could have been some kidney "sand" passing (not as big as stones and don't always show up on imaging scans)... I have noticed my pain cycles through the month and gets worse near and during my period each month which was also different that my kidney stones... Honestly - it's still one big mystery... All I know is when I went to the hospital last summer I had fever, was having cold shakes, had infection and blood in my urine, and imaging revealed some ovarian cysts and a swollen groin lymph node. I could not get out of bed for 2 months, and my pain was very bad for at least 3. Since then, my pain is almost non existent except for during my period and a few days before... But the pain has never been as bad as last summer since.

I have been on the BC pill for the last ten years, but I guess it didn't help. I think I need to switch to a monophasic pill and skip some periods if it's going to have an effect on my possible endo...

 

[gemgirl]

I''ve had six Laparoscopies (for chronic severe Endo and ovarian cysts) and two Laparotomies and I can tell you that Laparoscopies are a lot easier to recover from. I am very grateful for the technology. I wouldn''t have wanted to get cut open eight times.