To ask for a second opinion? (surgery related)

[wishawish91]

I was officially diagnosed at the age of 21 with endometriosis by laparoscopy procedure.

I started my periods at 9, they were heavy and painful from the get go.

In 9 years I've had 3 surgeries, 2 successfully laser into the endo providing up to a years relief.

My op last year was done by an unfamiliar consultant, in a private hospital (they couldn't get me in on NHS due to covid).

When I came round, she told me no endo was seen.

Since then I have the same symptoms, they are almost getting worse. I had the coil fitted 4 months ago and then had it removed recently due to problems with bleeding most days.

I've also had recurrent miscarriages.

I'm booked in with another gynae consultant next month and although I hate the operation and recovery, I want them to open me up again and have a good look.

I lose clots the size of plums on a regular basis, I sweat, I bleed through clothes. I cannot take anymore of the thigh, back and tummy pain.

I feel like insisting that they operate, dig a little deeper and have a look at what's going on because something isn't adding up to me.

Has anyone been in a similar position? Looking for advice x

You can always ask for a second opinion. It’s also always fine to ask why you’re not being give a certain treatment, or how the doctor knows it’s not a certain diagnosis.

You can’t ‘insist’ on an operation because it can only be offered if it’s medically indicated. Just ask why it’s not medically indicated and what the alternative plan is for management.

You could always go private for another lap of an MRI to see what’s going on?

Normally endo can always be seen and treated by lap so I don’t understand why the surgeon would lie to you or fail to treat any they found.

I recently had a hysterectomy for similar, having had excision of endo before I was shocked when the surgeon said the endo this time wasn’t too bad as my symptoms were worse than ever, but it was my womb and adenomyosis which was causing them which were the same as yours with near constant bleeding for 1.5 years.. adeno was confirmed in a prior lap so it wasn’t that it was only after hysterectomy it was seen so worth asking about that? It may be a slightly different procedure that looks inside the womb but worth asking about.. It’s terrible that women have to put up with those symptoms with no conclusion and push for further treatment but not surprising sadly.. good luck!