lap and dye recovery time?

[queenrollo]

I've got my date through for the 10th Jan. DH can get the day and the day after off work but says he's going to struggle to get any more time. The hospital have given me no indication of how I'm going to be after and whether I'm going to need someone at home with me after and for how long?
I have a pre-op assessment on the 29th of this month but given that DH work is closed for a week from tonight such short notice is not helpful for us!

(obviously I'm happy i've got a dtae through so soon, it's just bad timing for changing existing plans)

My DH was home with me for the day of the op and day after. I was fine by myself after that, just obviously a bit careful not to stretch too far or lift anything heavy. I got signed off for two weeks and to be honest I probably could have gone back a bit sooner.

Hope it goes well.

thanks Highlove I volunteer but they've been forewarned about the surgery and are fine with the fact I may need time off. Two days looks ok then, and I do have friends who can 'drop in' if i need a little extra help beyond that.

I had no ill-effects whatsoever, and went for a pub lunch afterwards and then back to work the next day!

PS - and was pregnant within a month

Two days should be absolutely fine. Apart from bursting into tears at DP the dayg after (because I had fondly imagined him tucking me up on te sofa with a film and dinner, whereas in fact I stupidly did two loads of laundry while he lay in bed enjoying his day off!) I really didn't feel any after effects at all (hence the stupid laundry activity!). Good luck with it all!

How quickly you recover probably depends on whether you simply have an exploratory lap & dye, or require surgery at the same time. That said, your DH really shouldn't need to take more than two days off.

I was signed off for two weeks, and needed it. My lap resulted in a salpingectomy on my left side because I had a cyst on my fallopian tube, and adhesiolysis on my right side (where my ovary was stuck to the floor of my pelvis) and I was in a lot of discomfort after surgery. I was supposed to be a day case, but developed acute urinary retention (a quite common complication of anaesthesia, which the hospital didn't bother to tell me about) so needed to be admitted. DH took the day of my lap off, but subsequently had to take the next day off so he could bring me home from hospital once they were happy I could wee again! (Sorry TMI).

After that, I managed quite well on my own, although was in a bit of discomfort, but this was because of the surgery and the fact I then developed a surgical site infection (the entry site around my navel). DH ended up taking a half day off to take me back to the hospital a week later to have the wound cleaned and dressed.

I was very unlucky because I had complications, and I'm sure you will be fine. I do wish the hospital had spent a little bit more time going through possible side-effects with me so I was better prepared when they did occur. They didn't really give me any information at my pre-op assessment; that was mainly about assessing risk of anaesthesia.

I am sure your lap will be straight forward. I was very unlucky. But, that said, DH still only needed 2 days off work initially, and wouldn't have required any more time if I hadn't developed the infection.

Good luck!

knackeredcow thank you for your post. I have a blocked left tube and hydrosalpinx. My surgeon is either going to unblock and clear the tube and remove any adhesions or clip the tube at the uterus end depending on what he finds when he goes in. We've agreed that if he finds anything more complicated then he won't do anything and we will discuss further surgery options.

Your surgeon sounds a bit more informative than mine was!

With me they suspected adhesions (I'd had peritonitis as a child following a perforated appendix), but only found the cyst during a TVUS scan that they thought "they might as well do" whilst I was on the wait list for lap. Initially they thought it was an ovarian cyst, that might be functional. Even after removal he still thought it was an ovarian cysts that had wrapped around the fallopian tube causing distortion. It was only when histology came back they realised it was paratubal cyst that was most likely to be embryonic.

I was only consented for salpingectomy and oopherectomy on morning of surgery! I signed because I didn't actually think it would come to that, and fortunately, I kept both ovaries which are perfectly healthy.

Really pleased to hear you have a plan in place, though. To be fair, my surgeon only removed my tube (part of it), because it really wasn't functional and had he left it I'd have been at risk of ectopic. He did attempt to salvage it, but couldn't due to the extent of the cyst.

As you may be having adhesiolysis, I suspect you will need the full two weeks off. Another thing to bear in mind is that they sometimes use a substance called "Adept" after adhesiolysis. It's some sort of fluid that they slosh into your abdoment and it's supposed to stop the adhesions reforming. It was used with me, and I found the instructions for use on the manufacturer's website. It does make urinary acute retention slightly more likely according to the side-effects, so that might be useful to know too. I'd have felt a lot less grumpy if they'd made me more aware that I might need to stay in hospital after surgery!

Really hope your lap goes well for you. Is IVF the next step for you (if they clip your tube)?

my surgeon was only informative because I threw a wobbly and insisted on an appointment to discuss my results and possible surgery outcomes.

I haven't been 'warned' about any of the things you have pointed out though and I really did grill him!

i'm hoping for best case scenario but at least I'm now mentally prepared for the possibility of an overnight stay.

sorry should have said, no IVF as I already have a child so am not eligible under PCT rules.

Glad you found the info useful. I was in a bit of a state when they told me that I needed to stay in, and it was really quite "common". With me it was a control thing. I like to plan for outcomes. Well done on grilling your surgeon. I wish I had. That said, after the referral we never saw him again until day of surgery. Pre-op clinic is run by nurses, who although were lovely, couldn't answer my questions as they weren't specialists.

Really hope you don't get kept in.

We've just been through a cycle of IVF, but it wasn't successful. First cycle was NHS funded. Have a frozen blast, which will be transferred. If that doesn't work then no more NHS funding for us as our PCT only funds one cycle. It's soul destroying.

Wishing you best of luck.

I had mine on a Thursday, was out after a few hours and on Sunday travelled 150 miles in a coach back to University. I struggled a bit with my weekend bag but was otherwise ok. However, on Monday I developed a skin reaction (no one was quite sure what to, but probably the GA) so I saw my GP for that. On Tuesday I went to classes and passed out! I'm not sure what caused that, but I ended up taking the rest of the week off which is probably what I should have done in the first place.

It really wasn't too bad. Having your husband around for the first couple of days sounds right. There is no way I could have gone for a pub lunch after mine! I couldn't even stand up straight for a while. Good luck.

I felt rubbish for about a week afterwards but only needed dh's help for 24 hours afterwards (and then mainly because I couldn't manage the dogs rather than for myself).

Had mine yesterday. Pub lunch would NOT have been on the cards! I had a lot of rummaging as they found a large uterine fibroid that somehow had been missed on the ultrasound - I've no idea how, given its size. I have found it hard to bend over and have spent today in bed. The gas pains are there, but not too bed. As its Xmas, dh is off but I'd manage if he went back tomorrow. I've had the added problem of bleeding as they were pushing and pushing at the fibroid to try and get the dye catheter in, before they realised - messy!! I hope yours goes fine, but I'd prepare for two weeks off. I now have a much larger op to look forward to - who thought baby making could be so hard!!

whereis oh ouch, i hope you're feeling much better very soon.

gosh, sorry. I was insensitive as I only had lap&dye due to impatience over becoming pg (had been ttc for 6 months).

Obv, a different scenario if surgery is required,

Hi ya - the pre-op will tell you everything you need to know. I had my lap & dye wed. I'm almost back to normal today, stil a bit sore but much more myself. At the hosp they kept asking me if I need a note but I don't as I'm a teacher & on holiday anyway.
My op was wed afternoon. I was home by half 6, the next day I struggled to get up, very bloated & in pain. I slept a ot. Yesterday I was able to walk down to my mums (10 mins), had a nap there, lot less bloated & no pain killers. Today my belling is normal (can see the lower stitches!!)

DH stayed with me at the hospital. Thurs he was back to work - he left at 6 & my sister arrived at 9 to stay with me the day. So in answer to that question you really only need someone with you the next day to help you out & to check you don't have a reaction to GA.

I also was very emotional after surgery (good news) and the next day (frustration at not being superwoman & back to normal). No pub lunch either - headed straight to bed! Bending over still difficuly but not as bad!

Can anyone tell me when I can have a bath? Been having showers since Thur (today the first time without DHs help)

Sorry for long post!