Laparoscopy recovery?

[endorecovery]

Just wondering how people felt after having one
the recovery info says I should be up for a 15 min walk twice daily and up to 30 mins by the middle of the first week as it’s a minor procedure
I had it on Thursday, it was 8 and a half hours (6 incisions) and I’m no way up for walking and starting to feel like a wimp!
I can move about gently, not on any pain relief now but everything is sore and pulling

Do you mean you had an 8½ hour laparoscopy or have I misunderstood? That's very long surgery if so.

The laparoscopy part is just the method of doing the surgery/exploration, what did you actually have done?

Yes that’s right
I had endo removed, a bowel surgeon was in for a few hours but the rest was just my endo surgeon (she called him when she realised it was more extensive than the MRI showed)
basically excised endo off bladder, bowel, rectum, removed 6 endometrioma cysts, separated and restitched my ovaries, restored my anatomy to what it was, removed a load of adhesions, something on my ureters, fitted a mirena coil

Yeah, no, absolutely not.
that kind of recovery journey is for someone who’s had a short, not particularly traumatic exploratory lap.
with all you had done the recovery will be much slower. I had about half of that (tho only one endometrioma) and it was a full week before I could gently walk round the garden. Felt debilitatingly nauseous for about 3 weeks. Surgeon came to see me after op and said although she’d only planned one night in the hospital I would probably end up with two as it was a lot more involved than expected.

That’s a big operation but you absolutely should be up and about for walks frequently. No need to be doing 30 mins in one go but 5-10 mins every couple of hours is very important, to reduce risk of blood clots. It will be sore, if you’re too sore to walk for 10 mins then you need to be taking enough pain relief to allow you to move.

I would say I’m doing that just not outside yet
came home Friday lunchtime and on blood thinners for 10 days
managed to shower, wash some dishes but I stopped putting away laundry as it was pulling a bit so I’m not in bed but I’ve had to go back to bed for a sleep yesterday
didn’t sleep at all in hospital as I was on hourly obs

I had laparoscopy surgery to remove a large cyst (12cmx11cm) on my ovary, tube removed and said ovary. It was painful despite it being a minor surgery. It was my back that took the brunt it was horrendous. I was on oramorph. I was up making my daughter tea/getting her up for school the first week that was about it. I did go to m&s 4 days later and I wouldn’t recommend had to sit down.

Everyone heals differently, don’t do too much, there’s no rush. Do what you can, when you can.

Oh that’s interesting. One of my endometriomas was about 12cm so quite large
was meant to be a day case but I didn’t get out of theatre until after 6pm, and I stayed until lunch time the next day so 1 night

Just because the cuts on the surface are small, doesn't mean the tissue damage and healing on the inside is! It sounds like a very extensive operation, and while you will recover quicker having had it done laparoscopically than if they'd had to open you up, you will take much longer to recover than someone who had a half hour operation with minimal resection. As a PP said, sounds like that leaflet is aimed at patients on the less severe end of the spectrum, so don't feel you're "failing" if you're not up to what it suggests.

Getting yourself gently active is good - the key message is not to just fester in bed - but recognise your own comfort limits and don't push too hard.

I’m desperate to wash my hair but not quite feeling like I can yet! Hopefully tomorrow

I had a look tonight as sitting was feeling a bit tender and I’ve got a tear which is bleeding like a perineal one so guessing that isn’t helping at all

Came back to update that I’m taking 3 weeks off work
still pulling pains when I cough or sneeze plus cramps from the coil
i have the discharge letter of what was done and it’s.. extensive! Got a belly button incision, then a v low down one, then 2 around each ovary (they suspended my ovaries or something)

After my daughters first laparoscopy for endometriosis, she had several areas where there removed, cutting and burning. It took her the best part of 4 months to start feeling remotely normal. Your body has gone through so much. I’ve had two laparoscopies to investigate, nothing else. A little bruised on my abdomen, back to work after two weeks. Be careful, don’t push yourself, give your body time to recover, you’ve been through a lot, and you’re not a failure.🤗

This is what they did in the end

Adhesiolysis, mobilisation of sigmoid and rectum, bilateral ureterolysis, drainage of bilateral endometriomas, stripping of cysts walls, temporary suspension of ovaries, excision of endometriosis, restoration of anatomy, dye hydrotubation, removal of appendix, mirena IUD insertion, estimated blood lost 400ml

12 weeks recovery time for my lap & treatment - similar to what you have had done minus the coil but lost an ovary and tube to endo it’s 💩

It’s a shitty condition
they thought I was likely to lose an ovary but she managed to save it
I said take as much as you need but keep as much as you can

I was going to say a couple of days but I was given a 2 week sick note but then I read what you had done. Mine was just an ovary being removed and some adhesions snipped.

WOW OP that is a lot to have done and I make no wonder you are sore. Get some effective pain relief and stop trying to be a hero. Your GP can give you something, my recommendation is tramadol.

Take as long as you need. As above move if you can and keep those delightful pressure stockings on.

I've had 4 laparoscopic operations, a basic diagnostic one to diagnose endo, one to remove a cyst, one ovary & my tubes, a laparoscopic hysterectomy & one to remove my gallbladder. The first I did the school run the day after, the second I was out & about within 2 days, the hysterectomy I had it at 6.00pm & was home by 9.00am next morning where I managed a 5 minute walk to the local shops that morning & a pub lunch 2 days later, after my gallbladder I drove 24 hours later to see my partner 25 miles away & was doing everything except lifting as soon as I got home. I never needed any pain relief after any of the ops. I would imagine you have had a lot of digging around inside, things will need time to settle into their right place, are you having a lot of trapped wind & pain from the gas they blow you up with? If so get some Rennie Deflatine, I can also recommend Arnica tablets to help with the bruising, drink lots of peppermint tea, use heat pads, sleep propped up, this was the only thing I struggled with, I ended up with a pile of pillows & a V pillow packed around me to stop me slipping down the bed or turning on my side in my sleep.

Op that's a lot in one surgery, no wonder you are struggling. Take it easy and wishing you a speedy recovery.

No pressure stockings! I’m on blood thinners for 10 days though
I’m taking paracetamol which I’m ok on, it sounds daft but if I totally kill the pain I’ll end up doing too much but if I can feel what hurts/pulls it means I know if I’m overdoing it? If that makes sense

Weirdly no gas except for the first day and I never had the shoulder pain everyone talked about which I’m glad for! Was diagnosed via MRI so they just went straight in, but she said since the MRI it has grown way more than they expected (stage 4 deep infiltrating)

I think some of it is from the mirena as I always get cramps after a new coil, the worst is around my ovary which is where she did a lot of the work

It makes perfect sense. Endometriosis is such a debilitating condition, it’s truly vile. Look after yourself and don’t go back to work too soon, make sure you’re fully recovered, you’ve literally had a major operation.

My daughter had many operations for endometriosis (I’ve already commented on your post) eventually she had a hysterectomy as the periods and constant bleeding was too much for her. She recovered from this procedure much quicker than any of the surgeries to remove the endometriosis. She was young, 27, hasn’t had any children, but could no longer cope and had no quality of life and struggling to keep working.

They’ve said if the mirena doesn’t work for the adenomyosis then that’s the next option really
I’m trying to get through until menopause (I’m 40)

Came back to update I returned to work after 24 days off and am on a phased return if anyone searches in future!
its the fatigue mostly at the minute, incisions have healed externally but I can feel pulling pain still

I'm glad you are on the mend OP.

Hi OP I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your experience — I had the exact same surgery last Friday and reading your post honestly made me feel less alone. I’m a week in now and still in quite a lot of pain… honestly feels like I’ve been hit by a bus some days! I’m still struggling to walk properly and I’m kind of hunched over most of the time. My gynae said it was major and pretty extensive, so I know recovery will take time, but it’s reassuring to read that you managed to get back to work after 24 days — that’s incredible.

How are you doing now? Have things settled for you since going back to work?

Sending you lots of well wishes, it really helps hearing from others who’ve been through the same. 💐