Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infertility

Our Infertility Support forum is a space to connect with others in the same position, discuss causes, treatment and IVF, and share infertility stories of hope and success.

Flip

Original poster

Laparoscopic ovarian drilling

25 replies

Cobblestones · 28/03/2018 09:13

Hi. I had an appointment yesterday where I was hoping to get a referral for IVF. However the hospital has recommended I go for ovarian drilling as I have PCOS with increasingly irregular periods. Having done a quick search here there are very posts. Has anyone been through this in the last two years with any success? Also what was the procedure like? It sounds a bit scary but I would like to know more eg recovery time, post op pain etc.

Also there’s going to be a bit of a wait for the procedure and I’ve been battling with the thought of going for private IVF in the meantime. Does anyone know if you can have the procedure a few months after a failed IVF round? Thanks in advance!

OP posts:

CBrown80 · 28/03/2018 23:07

Would love to know as well! I think that might be the next step for me after taking clomid for 3 months with no success on getting pregnant

Katherinegb · 29/03/2018 08:46

I'm 38 days post ovarian drilling... can't tell you if it's been a success yet though! However I have read a lot of success stories ... I had a full on period shortly after (which i never have!) but no sign of another yet.. I've been charting but my temps are all over the place... I think I've ovulated but I'm not 100% yet! I will say that the surgery was simple and I recovered very quickly so it's worth the shot! If not IVF for me too but the NHS won't cover it so I'm crossing all my fingers and toes that the ovarian drilling does the trick!

CBrown80 · 29/03/2018 09:24

Hi katherinegb, Did you had to stay in hospital after the op? How soon after you went to work and were you allowed to drive?

Katherinegb · 30/03/2018 00:07

You can't drive for 72 hours but that's due to anaesthesia! I didn't have to stay the night as it was only keyhole... as soon as I was up fed and been to the loo I went home! I took the week of work ... but tbh I felt fine by 4 3 days post op ... just a little tender on the stomach when bending down and sitting down. Within a week I felt back to normal.

Original poster

Cobblestones · 30/03/2018 16:22

Thanks katherinegb fingers crossed it works for you! Were you also on clomid before this and did it work for you? Ie did you ovulate?

I’ve had six cycles of clomid. Four cycles of letrozole and 2 IUI. I always did ovulate and also got pregnant on one cycle of letrozole but it didn’t stick. Now waiting for this procedure while contemplating private IVF.

Any other ladies out there who’ve been through this or decided not to?

OP posts:

Original poster

Cobblestones · 30/03/2018 16:23

Cbrown - have the doctors mentioned the procedure to you as a future option?

OP posts:

Katherinegb · 30/03/2018 17:13

I tried 6 rounds of clomid and only ovulated on the 2nd and 4th rounds. On the 5th I didn't bleed and had to have progesterone so I could go for round 6... and again on the 6th cycle ... no bleed. That's when I was told I was clomid resistant and was referred for the ovarian drilling. I waited a good 5-6 months before having the op. I thought they may try the clomid again afterwards as a lot of people seem to have been put back on it. My consultant just discharged me and sent me a letter. I won't see him again until August now! I don't think I ovulated yet but everythings so out of wack its hard to tell! Temps are all over the place and OPK's get really dark and then lighten again and then a few days later they get dark again! I assume things just need to settle!

CBrown80 · 30/03/2018 20:47

Cobblestones it was mentioned to me on my first consultation but they said I will have to wait and see if I get lucky with clomid before they go for such a drastic option. I just dont want to lose anymore time. In November I will be 38. Never had of letrozole before. Is this similar to clomid?

Katherinegb were you being monitored every month while on clomid?

Katherinegb · 31/03/2018 00:47

I had bloods every month to confirm whether I ovulated and follicle scans on the first two cycles but nothing more!

converseandjeans · 31/03/2018 01:03

I tried for 4 years to get pregnant. Tried clomid, metformin. Neither worked. Had laporoscopy and got pregnant almost straight away. Had also been losing some weight. Was off work a week I think. Was bit sore but nothing major. Good luck!

Dancinggoat · 31/03/2018 01:19

I had it a long time ago.
Two days off work. Bloating and trapped wind was uncomfortable.
I lost a stone without dieting. They removed cysts which contained testosterone which I think changed how I stored fat.
More importantly I conceived 6 months after having it done. Then again 20 months after the first was born.

CBrown80 · 31/03/2018 01:35

Katherinegb I wish they checked me as often as well. Only 2 scans, on 1st month on clomid, one few days before suspected ovulation and one after ovulation. I believe because Im doing it through nhs they are not really bothered. If I was paying I assume I would be monitored more closely. Then again other people told me they werent monitored on every cycle.

Original poster

Cobblestones · 31/03/2018 13:15

converseandjeans and dancinggoat thanks so much for sharing your stories!

Yes letrozole works the same as clomid. My doc suspects that clomid made my lining too thin which is probably why I ended up getting very short cycles. I would push for a scan if I were you. I wish I’d had them and not wasted six months.

I’ve been trying for 5 years so quite desperate for something to work. Sounds like ovarian drilling might be worth a shot.

OP posts:

Original poster

Cobblestones · 31/03/2018 13:17

*I wish I had been scanned on every cycle. But you like said it’s rare for the nhs to do that. And in my experience even the private doctor didn’t do that.

OP posts:

ConfusionIsNothingNew · 31/03/2018 13:22

I ovulated almost straight away after my ovarian drilling, after not having had a natural cycle in 2 years! Conceived that month (ended in chem preg but ovulated again the next month and DS is almost 4.)

I'd really recommend it to anyone who suffers badly with PCOS as it's a relatively straightforward procedure and seems to have some good levels of success. Good luck!

converseandjeans · 31/03/2018 14:52

cobblestones I then got pregnant first try with DS - which I wasn't expecting at all after such a long wait first time. So there is hope out there. Good luck

Original poster

Cobblestones · 31/03/2018 14:55

Thank you both

OP posts:

Original poster

Cobblestones · 10/04/2018 18:51

Update: I’m considering getting this done privately as it costs about 1/3rd of a private ivf cycle. I really wish someone had suggested this to me before. For anyone with pcos out there and dealing with infertility - do consider this. Don’t know why the private doctor I’ve been seeing didn’t suggest this.

OP posts:

Katherinegb · 11/04/2018 18:41

I've still not had any ovulation/period since mine :( ... 7 weeks today since the op... not sure if I should be staying hopeful or whether that means it wasn't a success in my case !

Original poster

Cobblestones · 11/04/2018 22:31

Oh no! I am sorry to hear that.. do you know what the next step would be for you? Would you give it another few weeks and then go back for a scan to see what’s happening? Or induce a period to see if it restarts?

OP posts:

Katherinegb · 17/04/2018 18:30

My follow up is not until August!! 6 months post op! The NHS is a joke :( ... I called and spoke to my consultants secretary and hopefully will be hearing from her on Monday when she's spoken to my consultant! My understanding was IVF next ... but I don't qualify on NHS as my parter has a son from a previous relationship (which the mother does not allow him to see!)

Jamahi · 08/05/2018 20:23

I had ovarian drilling after trying for two years, but no success. Then had three cycles of clomid and didn't ovulate so decided to stop and go straight to IVF. A further two years down the line we're hopefully starting next month! My best friend had ovarian drilling a few weeks after me, she fell pregnant straight away and now expecting her second. Everyone is different and experiences treatment differently. I had three days off work after my ovarian drilling, my best friend had three weeks

Hulashaker · 08/05/2018 21:05

Sorry to hear about your struggles- we had infertility problems and it was such a hard time.

I have endometriosis and PCOS so my consultant sent me for ovation drilling whilst I had another laparoscopy for my endometriosis- seemed sensible to do both together

I had regular cycle scans as I was using clomid injection myself at the same time every day. My ovulation wasn't happening and my lining wouldn't thicken enough as my endometriosis had caused scar tissue over it. We were about to start our IVF process when I fell pregnant- took a long time to believe it was real.

I don't know what worked but seemed like a miracle to me.

Sorry can't say much about recovery as mine was two procedures at once

Good luck though

Original poster

Cobblestones · 08/05/2018 23:24

That’s great @hulashaker truly a miracle

@jamahi I’m sorry it hasn’t worked out for you. I decided to proceed with ivf and now in the midst of my first cycle.

Hopefully this thread will be of use to others wanting to learn about this procedure.

OP posts:

BGDino · 09/05/2018 08:24

Thanks to everyone who shared their experience, super useful to read as I’m starting down this road.

Flip