Endometriosis laparoscopy

[Christinedonna]

Hi all. I have my laparoscopy on Monday 2nd of February and my pre op/consultation this Thursday (22nd January). Just a few questions that would be really helpful if anyone could answer. What can I do about piercings? I have my nipple, lip, tongue, smiley and a microdermal..I've heard in some places that you only have to take mouth ones out incase of choking and the rest you can leave, whereas I've heard elsewhere none are allowed in. What happens if I'm on my period at the time of the procedure? I know that some incisions are very low down so I'm guessing I won't be wearing underwear? Can I wear a bra? Maybe if not a bra with underwire can I wear a sports bra? I've been told I'm a day case and will be out the same day but is there any chance they'll want to keep me in? I don't want to be sent home in agony. Can I request to stay over night? I'm an NHS patient being treated in a private hospital so will I randomly be hit with a bill at the end for things I didn't know id be charged for? How long are you usually asleep for? I've heard that some people have requested their procedure to be filmed, is that possible? Should I pack an overnight bag just in case? What should I put in my overnight bag? Can you tell I'm nervous? Haha. I've never been to hospital before, I wasn't even born in one & I have a real phobia of them. So any advice or tips would be really handy! Thank you all in advance

[shouldnthavesaid]

You will need an overnight bag just in case, yes. Take comfy trousers with loose fitting waists, comfy tops, pyjamas or a nightie, extra underwear (again, loose fitting - if you don't have, sainsburys or tescos do some), slippers, dressing gown, wash stuff and something to do while waiting for things (books, etc). Would also reccomend - baby wipes, moisturiser, lip balm, sports top bottle for drinking, those juice drop things that you can add to water, light snacks for afterwards, hand cream. Don't forget to take small change, mobile phone, charger and any documents relating to surgery - admission letter, etc - and your usual medication (including all herbal and over the counter stuff that you use regularly).

With regards to underwear during surgery, it depends. I don't think you could wear knickers. I would think they would come too far up, and more to the point if you have knickers on when you wake up I don't think they'll help with pain levels. You'll have a flat pad underneath you for the duration of the surgery and afterwards too, so don't worry about periods or anything. I had my period during one of my gynae ops and it was dealt with sensitively - just a flat pad underneath me and then as soon as I was able a sanitary pad.

Piercing wise - in my hospital we ask for all jewellery, including all piercings, to be removed. I can almost certainly say that you will be asked to take your tongue, lip and smiley out. They'll need clear access to your mouth as you'll have tubes placed there during surgery to aid your breathing, and having piercings presents a major choking risk as well. Your nipple might be OK but I'd remove anyway - you'll have wires across your chest for monitoring during the op and I wouldn't fancy the risk of getting it tangled up and having another minor injury to add to the op! Ask the ward staff before you go - but I do think you'll be asked to remove everything that you can.

How long you will be asleep depends on what happens in theatre. You'll probably be out for at the very least, an hour. It depends if it's purely a diagnostic laparoscopy or if they are going to treat anything that they find. You'll 'wake up' in recovery but in all likelihood you won't feel totally awake until you're back on the ward. Most people continue to feel a bit drowsy for a good while afterwards.

I don't know if you can request to stay overnight. In all honesty if you were well enough, if your pain was controlled, if there were no complications, you'd be better off at home with your own home comforts. They won't allow you to leave unless they are absolutely certain of things being ok. You'll be given painkillers to take home if you are discharged on the day.

Filming and bill wise, I can't answer that - you will need to ask the hospital themselves.

Try not to panic. I have spent lots of time in hospital as a patient, and now work in one as an auxiliary nurse. If it makes you feel any better, I look after patients having operations every day - in my case, operations on the spine or on the brain (neurology). In the vast majority of cases, everything goes absolutely fine. Things only tend to get complicated when it's a massively complicated op in an older patient with dozens of health issues and previous operations. In a younger patient, with less health issues, no previous surgery, etc, the chances of things going wrong are very, very slim :) you'll be just fine, in other words :)

[Christinedonna]

Thank you that was really helpful! Il take your message on a shopping trip with me to get my bag sorted haha x

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

In my case my endometriosis was photographed during surgery to be used for training purposes. I was in favour of this, anything that creates more awareness amongst the medical profession can only be a good thing to my mind (seeing as well that I have suffered from this since onset of menses at 14).

I wore my usual everyday clothes when admitted. I was dressed in a surgical gown later on and wore no knickers during the lap op.

Am not certain exactly but I think I was in surgery for just over 90 minutes.

I was a day case and came home early evening; the staff wanted to make sure I could defecate and urinate without any problems before discharging me. I also ate and drank a little when I recovered fully from surgery. I was a NHS patient but my op was done on a private patient basis which BUPA at that time paid for (I fell under their criteria for investigations into painful periods and I certainly had those). I was not given a bill upon leaving.

I would find out this week whether this lap op is going to be purely a diagnostic procedure and what they are going to do if they find endometriosis. Will they laser it there and then or will they schedule further lap surgery? How skilled is this surgeon exactly?.

You should also have a follow up appointment a week or two post this operation to discuss the findings. I would ask them about this as well this Thursday. They should not speak at all to you about the op findings when you are in the recovery room because this is really bad practice!.

Someone needs to take you home and keep an eye on you. The worst thing I found about the lap was the post op pain in the shoulders caused by the CO2 gas used to give the surgeon a better view of your innards. This gas travels upwards; painkillers took the edge off it but a day or two post surgery this was really quite painful. I took two days off work post lap as advised by the hospital and was glad to do so.

I have outlined below some questions you can put to them post surgery:-

Were ovaries and fallopian tubes healthy?
Was there an ovarian endometrioma; if so how big?
Were there many adhesions?
Was there any bowel or bladder involvement?
What stage is the endometriosis?
Were any nerves cut to relieve your pain?
Was the appendix removed?
What further treatment is recommended?

As you can see these are all pretty detailed and require much more than a brief chat whilst you are in the recovery room or back on the ward!.

I wish you the very best of luck with your op and do keep us posted as to developments.

[Christinedonna]

What happens if after the procedure they say "it's not endo" is that it? I hope it's not that cut and dry.. Whether or not it's endo it's something, have a horrible feeling I'm going to be palmed off..doctors are good at that

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

That is a question I would put to them on Thursday. I would educate yourself further re endometriosis particularly if it is determined that you have this. Ask questions, do not be fobbed off because it is your health after all.

Laparoscopy is usually done if endometriosis is suspected.

[Christinedonna]

Yeah that's what they think it is but Id just like to think that whatever the outcome they'll persue me getting better

[BumWad]

I have had two laparoscopies including one with a dye test. Both of mine were diagnostic procedures.

You will have to remove everything including bra and knickers and put a hospital gown on. Are they going to check your tubes? Are they going to treat the endometriosis? If the latter you may have to stay in longer.

I was listed first thing in the morning and was discharge by 2pm! They needed the beds in day case. You will not be charged anything in the private hospital as you are an NHS patient. Why do you want to stay overnight? They will give you painkillers to take away with you. Wear something comfy like leggings as you will be mega bloated when out due to the air they pump into you.

Not sure about your piercings. Like Atilla said you should be told about a follow up appointment where they will discuss results with you. My consultant came and saw me in recovery straight away and told me what they had found, which he then discussed in further detail at my clinic appointment.

I didn't pack an overnight bag but was instructed to take dressing gown and slippers to wear over the hospital gown. You should get intructions at yor pre-op.

Good luck

[Christinedonna]

It's just to diagnose it as far as I'm aware.. All things to ask on Thursday though. My tongue and lip obviously il have to take out but I think I'm gunna get a bar that hides it for my smiley and just not mention it, the same with my nipple

[BettysFestiveFrolics]

You need to take all metal work out because if they can treat any endometriosis at the time they do that with diathermy and although you have an earthing pad on to prevent electrical burns, electricity takes the path of least resistance and piercings leave you at risk of burns. They will also ask you to take plastic bars out because there's a chance of there being metal inside them.

You will be given a pair of net knickers to wear with your gown but they get cut off in theatre as you will have a vaginal examination in theatre to assess which way your womb and cervix point and they put a probe inside the cervix so they can move the uterus around during surgery to get full access to all sides of it and your ovaries to look for and treat any areas of endo.

Usually at a diagnostic procedure any mild endo or adhesions would be treated but if anything major needed doing that would be an additional procedure. If you had a completely normal pelvis with no cysts/endo/adhesions then you would be discharged from gynaecology but probably referred to either bowel surgeons or gastro as these are the next most likely causes.

Hope that helps.

[ContentedSidewinder]

Christine how did your pre-op appointment go? Have you any more questions?