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Original poster

Any surgeons about? Why wasn't I wearing knickers?

209 replies

ohwerehalfwaythere · 15/10/2021 22:08

I had laparoscopic surgery for an ovarian cyst this morning. Went into surgery wearing disposable knickers but wasn't when I woke up. It's really bothering me. Can anyone shed any light what would have happened? I'm in England. Thank you

OP posts:
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/10/2021 22:38

I had the same,also woke up with a sanitary pad. It was so long ago I can't remember the reason.

Bellabelloo · 15/10/2021 22:41

I've had multiple ops and have often come round with no knockers on. I always felt a bit embarrassed thinking I may have wet myself!

elfycat · 15/10/2021 22:41

I was a theatre nurse back in the day. Depending on where the lower port was we'd have had to clean a few inches around the area we're planning to leave 'open' in the drapes for surgery. And we leave a bigger area than where the incisions are.

It's possible pain relief included a suppository - such a fast way to get painkillers in. They also might have needed to completely empty your bladder so it wasn't in the way of the view - we use a straw-like short catheter for that and it doesn't stay in more than a minute.

But you can ask. I've been asked way stranger questions than that recovering patients. I understand why this is concerning you, but there are a dozen normal theatre reasons and if you want to know then ask.

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Maria1982 · 15/10/2021 22:41

Hi OP. I agree it would have been better to be prewarned about this, and I too would be wondering what/why.
My personal supposition is as explained by the anaesthetist on here, that knickers were in the way of prepping a sterile area for surgery and hence got removed.
Do ask a nurse or doctor though, as i am sure they will be very happy to explain.

And ignore unhelpful people on this thread (honestly people! She’s post op and likely feeling a bit wobbly just from the general anaesthetic. She’s not casting aspersions on anyone ans is perfectly entitled to ask a question!)

MacMahon · 15/10/2021 22:42

OP I'm sorry some posters are being dismissive or unkind. I would find this kind of procedure frightening and exposing. I don't think you are being at all unreasonable to feel similar and to want to know more information.

Take care of yourself Flowers

mummatomason · 15/10/2021 22:45

I had my appendix out and the same thing happened. I realised i had no knickers on and they where screwed up at the bottom of the bed. It still freaks me out a bit now thinking someone took them off when i was out of it and i wasnt told anything about this happening before hand. I wish i had asked why they did at the time.

Its really not a nice feeling waking up like that. Especially as your dazed and confused anyway. Im really sorry this happened to you too! They really need to make these things completely clear beforehand

Lotusmonster · 15/10/2021 22:45

Could’ve been because they were messy and didn’t want to leave you in soiled clothing. Lifting you to put fresh ones on might not have been an option.

lunar1 · 15/10/2021 22:45

I woke up without pants after my cystectomy as they'd used the probe. What was more confusing when I went to change they had taped up the bit where my bra strap fastened and I needed help to remove it! It was incase of exposed metal clips!

BewareTheBeardedDragon · 15/10/2021 22:53

OP - it's totally reasonable and not in any way strange to want to know why this happened. However you are feeling is totally valid because it's your body and its perfectly natural to want to understand what has happened to it, please don't let anyone make you feel ashamed of your feelings.

Some poster on this thread really need to rein it in FFS.

skybluee · 15/10/2021 22:53

Firesidefox, because people don't know or have any idea why these things happen, not everyone is knowledgeable about medical processes. I had a friend when I was a teenager who had an operation abroad and when she came around she said her pants had gone (she had left her normal pants on). She was really bothered by it for a long time and as far as I remember hadn't asked them at the time. Not everyone knows what the processes are and if it's completely unexpected you wouldn't know to ask before. If someone has a history of sexual assault or sexual abuse (and for some people without that) then maybe it's difficult to handle especially if it's unexpected and leaves people feeling vulnerable, if, for e.g. they have woken up somewhere else without underwear and it reminds them of that.

As far as I could tell the OP was asking because it made her feel uncomfortable and she has every right to ask surely? We're not back in the days where women were expected not to speak out or raise their voices about anything thankfully.

katseyes7 · 15/10/2021 22:55

I was the same when l had my hip replacement surgery. I assumed that they were in the way of where the incision would be (l have a pretty big scar). Went into surgery wearing the disposable knickers, woke up without them. I wasn't catheterised, but l knew there'd be a good reason for it.

earthyfire · 15/10/2021 22:56

I would like to be prewarned and I would feel I had every right to ask so I would.

RosesAndHellebores · 15/10/2021 23:00

It's all about communication and assumption isn't it.

I had a operation not long ago and was told to change into a gown beforehand by the nurse and put on paper knickers (not easy with a broken wrist). Half way through she pulled back the curtain and when I objected told me not to be silly because she'd seen it all before. She took it on board well that I hadn't shown it all before and would have welcomed her asking if she may pull back the curtain.

Bodule · 15/10/2021 23:09

Ditto (went into op recently wearing disposable pants, and have just realised now that I read this thread that I wasn't wearing them when I came out). Even if I had noticed then, I wouldn't have given it a second's thought. Now I am forced to think about it, I can say with 100% certainty that there will have been some hygiene/Covid/surgical reason for this, and the surgeon did not remove my disposable pants for the purposes of sharing a cheap thrill around the operating theatre. I wasn't catheterised, either.

BiLuminous · 15/10/2021 23:10

It doesnt matter why the op wants to know, as a patient she has the right to know. Surgery puts the patient in a place of vulnerability and theres not much dignity in this procedure either. Its ok to wonder or ask why

SirenSays · 15/10/2021 23:11

Ignore the nasty posters OP. I've been the teenage patient in this situation and it really shook me too. I've also spent a long time working in theatres and I was amazed at the lack of information shared with patients. At best it's all just pop your pants off, but no explanations why and I don't think that's good enough.

OnTheBoardwalk · 15/10/2021 23:13

Pre Covid I woke up being told my knickers were washed in a bag next to me. I was sort of expecting this

Ask her nurse/Dr I’m sure they’ll tell you

InTropicalTrumpsLand · 15/10/2021 23:15

I had a laparoscopy in 2018 in another country and went into the surgery knickerless. This thread reminded me of it; the surgery was scheduled to the day my AF was due and I remember upon waking being so worried I was going to bleed in the sheets.

Megistotherium · 15/10/2021 23:17

I had laparoscopic surgery in the past, I can't even remember what I was wearing when I went in and when I woke up.
I think issue is something to do with trust?
Even the laparoscopic surgery has risks, I would be just grateful it went fine. And if I have any worry, I would ask them.

KevinTheKoala · 15/10/2021 23:17

It is very normal for surgery in fact every surgery i've had (and I've had a few) I have been told to remove all underwear before hand. I believe they do insert a catheter while you are under anaesthetic and it also reduces the risk of infection because they are not sterile. Coming round from sedation is horrible and it should have been explained to you but I think this gets overlooked because they want to discuss the other details such as complications and often don't have alot of time, it isn't very nice for the patient of course. I hope your recovery goes well OP.

shreddednips · 15/10/2021 23:20

Sorry to hear this OP, I hope you're feeling better after your op. I've had a few surgeries like this and I think they often catheterise you. I don't think I've ever been informed that I would be catheterised, but I sort of assumed I would be. But my line of work sometimes involves writing about medical procedures, I don't think they should assume that everyone would know about this. I certainly wouldn't if it weren't for my work.

I don't understand why some posters are being unhelpful- it doesn't sound to me like you're suggesting anything untoward, more that you're uncomfortable with the idea of being exposed without expecting it and not knowing exactly what happened because you were under general. That's totally understandable. If it would put your mind at rest, could you speak to PALS and ask someone to explain it to you?

MountainDweller · 15/10/2021 23:24

I've had laps for endometriosis and I think they put a probe in though the vagina to help keep internal organs in the right position. It was a while ago so I could be wrong. Don't forget they pump lots of air in as well so it must help stabilise everything too. It can be one reason why there is bleeding after this type of surgery.

Peoniesandpeaches · 15/10/2021 23:26

Oh give over she was not casting aspersions and even if she was let’s not pretend medical assault has never happened before. Waking up unexpectedly knickerless is always going to be disconcerting.

TaraR2020 · 15/10/2021 23:27

'Feels very invasive' strikes me as an odd thing to say, given the fact that you would have been lying on a table starkers under strategically placed bits of material. Surgery is invasive

This is not the first time this week I've seen posters with little understanding of the principles of consent and frankly I'm finding it appalling.

The op, understandably, is confused and worried - disconcerted- by an intimate disrobing while she was unconscious and at a time when she was, by the nature of being in hospital, pregnant and undergoing surgery, immensely vulnerable.

if she was implying sexual assault, which I don't think she was, I'm astounded that people would leap to judgement against her when many events - some very recent indeed - have shown time and time again that woman should not trust authority or care figures implicitly.

I am not suggesting for a minute that the op was the victim of anything untoward, I don't believe she was suggesting it either. But I'm astonished that just because some people wouldn't be bothered to find themselves without knickers following a GA they should think it strange that someone else does.

As pp have said, the op should have been made aware before going under and I'm sure be fully reassured by nurses in the morning.

...I'm putting my soapbox away now!

TableFlowerss · 15/10/2021 23:29

@Thymeout

They may have needed to adjust the position of your uterus from outside in order to see what they were doing? People's insides aren't as neatly arranged as the diagrams in medical textbooks, and everything is jammed together with no space between organs. Ovaries in particular can be elusive.

'Feels very invasive' strikes me as an odd thing to say, given the fact that you would have been lying on a table starkers under strategically placed bits of material. Surgery is invasive. How can it not be? The paper knickers are to preserve your modesty until you're unconscious. After that, it's the last thing on anyone's mind.

This