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Original poster

Anyone else been in for Laparoscopy/Cyst removal/D&C and Endometriosis laser removal or similar ?

31 replies

rookiemater · 09/11/2008 22:22

Sorry unlikely anyone has exactly same medical condition as me. But I am in on Wednesday for op to sort out the above, and just wondering what the recovery period will be like and how much pain I am likely to be in ?

OP posts:

singyswife · 09/11/2008 22:23

Cant offere advice but am watching with intrest as I am waiting on an appointment to go for a laparoscopy.

gigglewitch · 09/11/2008 22:29

laparoscopy and d&c on separate occasions.
didn't find either painful as such, post d&c some crampy feelings but nothing severe.
had a couple of weeks recovery but that's down to the work I do requiring 100% physical fitness, if you worked in an office or similar it would be less.

singyswife · 09/11/2008 22:31

Can I ask, and you dont have to answer. I thought d&c's were only for mc?? Are there other reasons for it.

KristinaM · 09/11/2008 22:32

i had a laparoscopy and cyst removal on the Friday lunchtime, went home at tea time and back to work on Monday

FrayedKnot · 09/11/2008 22:35

I've had a diagnostic laparoscopy and also an aspiration of cysts on a different occasion.

For me the biggest things is recovering from the GA - I reckon it takes 48 hours to get everything out of my system and I always have a weepy few hours feeling rotten.

In terms of pain afterwards - nothing that I remember - but this would depend I think on exactly what they are doing inside. The laparoscopy bit itself is a tiny little hole and didn't hurt afterwards iirc.

I would say take it very easy for a couple of days afterwards and then see how you feel.

Good luck with the op.

elsiepiddock · 09/11/2008 22:41

I have had a laparoscopy and dye test.

Not quite the same, but was perfectly chipper within an hour or two - and pregnant within a week or two!!

gigglewitch · 09/11/2008 22:42

have had d&c after mc and also for mad crazy heavy,painful,random bleeding in my early 20's, thus pre-dc.

singyswife · 09/11/2008 22:44

I am currently suffereing from 'crazy, heavy, painful, random bleeding' and am waiting on an appointment for a laparoscopy.

madrush · 09/11/2008 22:50

have had laparoscopy for endo - think I felt pretty rubbish for 3 or 4 days, mainly weird referred pain in my shoulders (to do with the gases they pump inside you find their way out apparently). And a bit sore on coughing/sneezing/laughing for perhaps rest of week.

It was before I had dcs, so I could lounge in bed (oh, those lazy days...), maybe these days recovery would be quicker through necessity!

RainbowChaser · 09/11/2008 23:03

I too had pain in the shoulders after a laparoscopy. It helped to lie down as much as possible.

goldilocksandmylittlebear · 09/11/2008 23:10

I have had a laparoscopy and dye test too.
I too had pain in the shoulders after a laparoscopy and felt a bit sore.

To be honest the GA was the worst thing as I had a reaction. 2 weeks off work in total and a very very tiny scar. x

Original poster

rookiemater · 10/11/2008 09:11

Hi, no mc, just suspected endometriosis and wonderful consultant ( thank goodness I have private medical cover through work) wants all bases covered.

Good to know that the recovery time isn't too bad. I have had GA before so I think I am ok with that. Consultant had recommended up to 2 weeks recovery and I thought that seemed a bit long so wanted to understand others experience.

My lovely Mum is coming for a couple of days to look after me and DS ( aged 2.5 ) then DH will have to cope at the weekend, but I'd e really pleased if I was feeling ok the week after and it sounds like I will be.

OP posts:

AttilaTheMeerkat · 10/11/2008 14:11

I was advised to take two days off work post my lap type operation which took place over the weekend (I had a slightly different laparoscopic surgery type op called ovarian diathermy).

I was in and out the same day; the worst thing I found about it was the pain in the shoulders about 24 hours after surgery. Painkillers took the edge off it though

If a lap is planned I would ensure that your follow up appt is scheduled for a week post op.

I'll put up a list of questions you can ask the cons separately.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 10/11/2008 14:12

Questions to ask post lap:-

What exactly was found and what was done?

I would ask this as sometimes laps are done as purely diagnostic procedures thus more surgery may be needed.

Were ovaries and fallopian tubes healthy?
Did you have an ovarian endometrioma if so how big?
Did you have many adhesions?
Was the bowel and bladder involved in the disease?
What stage is your endometriosis? (stage 1 is "mild")
What are the results of any biopsies?
Were any nerves cut to relieve your pain?
Was your appendix removed?

10. What further treatment is recommended?

Add any other questions to that list you can think of no matter how insignificant it may appear to you.

Original poster

rookiemater · 10/11/2008 14:16

Thanks Attila, will print out the list, although somewhat scared by question 9. Why on earth would they remove my appendix ?

OP posts:

Helium · 10/11/2008 14:56

I had a laparoscopy. They went in at three direent places (tummy button and twice eiothe side of my body on bikini line. I took 2 weeks off work to recover but really by the second week I was much better and could probably have worked. I found it hard to sit up and stuff from a lying position as my tummy muscles just didnt seem to be there any more - bizarre. I also had shoulder pain which was quite painful but subsided after a couple of days.
Good luck

murphyslaw · 10/11/2008 15:18

I had laparoscopy, d&c, fibroid removed and cervix surface removal (cant remember the technical name for that one!)

I wasnt feeling too great for around 1 week - as has been said previously I think a lot of it was to do with the gas to bloat your tummy. I was bleeding for 3 weeks after too.

Good luck - hope all works out well.

Original poster

rookiemater · 10/11/2008 15:32

Thanks all. Am actually looking forward to op as hopefully will sort out pain and excruciating periods, plus have recently gone on pill despite wanting another DC because I can't cope with it all, mind you hasn't helped too much am still random bleeding although not as painful, so fingers crossed after Op can start TTC again soon.

OP posts:

Original poster

rookiemater · 14/11/2008 12:01

Hi there, amlying in bed and just wanted to update. Unfortunately they found stage 4 endometriosis, which is the most severe stage.

They drained the cyst which was a lot bigger than had been seen on the ultrasound, but a lot of adhesions to bowel and vagina ( I think) which were too big to get rid off. The consultant said that the position of the cyst and the endo were almost certainly responsible for my inability to conceive.

The consultant was very good and has come up with the course of action most likely to support us having another DC which is I will be getting injections for 4 months to give menopause to try to get endo to settle down, plus hrt to counterbalance effects, then after that it might give a boost to my fertility. If that doen't work he started talking about IVF but I'm pretty sure I don't want to go down that road. It looks likely that once I finish my family ( fingers crossed) that a hysterectomy is the best solution otherwise there is a potential that the endo could leave me with bowel and water work problems.

It's all a bit of a shock, my biggest worry prior to the op was that they wouldn't find anything and I just have a low pain threshold, I think we must have been incredibly lucky to have DS.

Anyway thanks to anyone who posted. I would love to hear from anyone else with similar condition and may well join the endo support group online.

OP posts:

beeper · 14/11/2008 12:22

I had a lap, and and incision to remove ectopic pregnancy. Twas not as bad as a section, pain was easily controlled with paracetamol. The worst aspect was that they inflate your lower abdoman with gas, carbon dixodio ( not sure) and this has to get out your body, it usually leaves you with a very sore shoulder and neck, a heat pack eased this alot. The pain was worse for me though because of the incision. The site of the lap entry near my belly button did not hurt at all. I think a weeks recovery would be fine.

LadyOfRObamaffle · 14/11/2008 12:26

Lap & dye I recovered from pretty quickly, sore tummy for a while though and was painful when the stiches dissolved - and you are left with a scar (in my case just under/inside) in your belly button. D & C it took me a few weeks, but I was really aneamic afterwards so alot of the recovery was down to that. I would compare it really to recovery after birth, it does knock you for six abit.

MrsPuddleduck · 14/11/2008 12:28

Hi Rookie. I'll join you on an endometriosis support thread

I have a consultants appointment on 28th Nov regarding the same sort of thing. I found it difficult to conceive DS1 and saw the same consultant then. I was diagnosed with endometriosis at that point but then conceived immediately after the laperoscopy (which is common I understand) so it was never investigated further. I also went on to have DS2 without problems. We have been trying to conceive DC3 for over 12 months and I suffer from extremely heavy periods. I take tranexamic and mefanamic acid tablets to try and combat this. GP said it sounds like endometriosis has come back and that is the reason I haven't managed to conceive.

I never realised there were grades of it - sorry that you have grade 4 - but at least your consultant has a positive cause of action. Like you, I don't think I would put myself through IVF.

I would like to wait a bit longer to have a 3rd child but am concerned about the long term effects on my health if I don't make a decision one way or the other and sort the matter out.

Sorry it was a bit of an epic!

muppetgirl · 14/11/2008 12:33

I have had 2 laparoscopy's for Ednometriosis. 1 diagnostic and the other to separate adhesions caused by the endo.

The advice I would give is to make sure you have all the information as to what was done, what they found and what future treatment is needed. Don't let them talk to you just as you are coming round unless you feel you are well enough. I was just coming our of the anastetic (sp) when the consultant came round and started chatting away whereas I was woozy and feeling a little strange. (I wasn't sure at that point whether I had had a laparotomy or not so what she was whittering on about was of really no consequence!)

muppetgirl · 14/11/2008 12:36

Recovery period was 3-4 days. It was a little painful and I had a sore shoulder -soimething to do with the GA I understand.

Just to say I have endo on my tubes and I was on zoladex implants that puts your body in menopause for 9 months. I conceived ds 1 straight away and have conceived my mc + ds 2 and am currently 6 weeks with no3. There is hope to ladies who have endo!

Original poster

rookiemater · 14/11/2008 12:55

Muppet thats really encouraging news. I think its zoladex that they are going to put me on. Can I ask a really unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but pertinent to me
question ? I have managed over the course of the past year to lose some weight and am worried that the combination of the menopause + the HRT will make me put onloads of weight, did you put on weight ? ...Oh and congrats btw for no 3. Can I ask what age you are ?

OP posts:

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