Has anyone has a myemectomy?

[ThisIsNotARealAvo]

I'm going to have a myemectomy in March to remove 2 large fibroids which are outside the uterus, and a polyp inside. Because of the size and position of the fibroids, they are having to make an incision and can't do it keyhole. I will probably be in hospital for one or two nights and then off work for about 6 weeks.

I have never been in hospital before. What should I wear? How will I feel after? Has anyone had the same procedure and can share their experiences? How long did you take to recover?

I have had two laparoscopic myomectomies. Each time I spent two nights in hospital and then had a further week off work. The same sort of timescale applied when (years later) I had a laparoscopic subtotal hysterectomy.

Separately I have had open abdominal surgery for non-gynae reasons and inevitably a laparotomy was more challenging to recover from than my various keyhole procedures, and took more time.

You should take a nightdress and dressing gown to hospital and some comfy Bridget Jones type underwear. They will probably want you to be wearing long surgical compression stockings (which will be provided on your arrival) during your stay and for some time afterwards.

You will find your abdomen is rather swollen and tender while you recover, and the incision will inevitably be sore. Have really comfortable clothes ready - I tend to find soft yoga pants with a fold-over waistband are comfortable and avoid pressure on an abdominal scar.

For some people it is hard to empty your bladder in the day or so after the operation but the nurses will keep an eye on this for you.

I recommend also packing an eye-mask and earplugs in your hospital bag, and some headphones so that you can access hospital TV (if NHS).

Expectn also to feel overwhelmingly tired during the early part of your recovery (and quick to tire even when you start getting back to your normal activities).

Thank you so much!

You’re welcome. One further thing - make sure you have removed all nail varnish before you go, as the anaesthetist needs to be able to see the colour of your nail beds.