Retained tissue after surgical management miscarriage

[Chrissy1208]

Sorry if this is long winded but hoping for some advice - it’s been a very long 3 weeks since finding out there was no heartbeat! After the multiple scans to confirm no growth I opted for Surgery to remove the miscarriage. The surgery seemed a success (Barr the nurse damaging my vein and needing penicillin) I’m now 11 days post opp and experienced a lot of pain on my ovaries and a not so pleasant smell (sorry for the TMI) 😩 I have just had a scan to confirm there’s remaining tissue present which explains my symptoms and that it’s under the average of 2 (in size) therefore it has to pass naturally?

what if this doesn’t happen? Will I end up with an infection? I also found out at the scan that both my ovaries have cysts (this wasn’t picked up on any previous scan) could this of just started since my miscarriage??

Not only is this a massive waiting game for this nightmare to be over I just don’t feel right in myself physically and was wondering if anyone has been though the same or close? Thankyou x

I also tested negative on a pregnancy test 7 days post opp so it’s suprised me to still see remaining tissue??

Hey I'm kinda in the same boat.
I'm three weeks post my D n C after a miscarriage and today, i went for an US . They discovered retained products measuring 3cm.😔😰😓
I tested positive for pregnancy and still experiencing some PG symptoms. I've been advised to allow it pass naturally.
I'm so confused.
Also waiting to hear a second opinion.

Funny thing is that I tested Negative two weeks back.
But today I've tested positive again, and with retained products being discovered during US.
I'm a mess.

Sorry you are going through this. I had retained products which were found during a scan 3 weeks after the surgical procedure. My pregnancy symptoms remained & my test was still very strongly positive so I knew something wasn't quite right.

As I was still bleeding I was given some misoprostol to see if that would help the tissue to come away & then went back for another scan a week later. Although the misoprostol did help with increasing the bleeding the repeat scan showed the products still there so I had the procedure repeated again. This time no problems at all & my test was virtually negative a few days later.

Hope you get things sorted soon & can start to process it all & move forwards, sending you love

I’m so sorry for your loss OP.

I had retained tissue after a surgical management of miscarriage. I begged them to do another one and they did to remove it. I was in excruciating pain and passing large tissue and frankly terrified.

the second procedure thankfully was successful.

would you consider having another procedure done?

@Chrissy1208 i am sorry that you are going through this! I am going through exactly the same as you (minus the cysts so I can’t offer any advice on that) Been going through it since finding out about my MMC on 30th March!

I have still got 2.4cm retained tissue after 2x medical, then surgical, then 2x more medical. I tested negative after surgical but then positive a few weeks later and still bleeding. The EPU did a blood hcg recently and it was at 24 which explains why some tests I took were negative and some were positive… this could be similar in your case?

As far as I am aware the risk of infection is low of the products are small but there is always a chance, so I would push for them to offer you something else. I am having a hysteroscopy under general anaesthetic on Wednesday so they get rid of the remaining products but also have a good look to make sure there’s nothing else hiding! 🥺 Hope you get some answers soon!

I had retained tissue after giving birth I had a retained placenta so they surgically removed it the retained tissue passed painfully about a week later

You have my sympathy its shite

Nothing has naturally happened since my first post! I have a phone appt with EPAU on Tuesday so if nothing has happened by then I might just ask for another surgical procedure. I thought opting for that the 1st time would be more beneficial and less traumatic but it’s somehow been the opposite! It’s sad enough going through this but having it so drawn out makes it even worse. I want my body back and to feel normal again :( hope you’re all ok! X

Sorry you’re going through this. Have you considered/have they given you the option of taking misoprostol to help you pass the remaining tissue? It is less invasive than another d and c and I think you can do a couple of rounds of the misoprostol if it doesn’t work the first time. I was given misoprostol but ended up passing the baby myself without taking it, but I remember them saying at the time that I could take misoprostol again if it didn’t work the first time. My head has been a bit of a mess through the whole experience but I’m pretty sure it’s an option.

It’s something I will consider @Lemonvalley i just find it so strange that I haven’t got a single bit of belly ache and haven’t bled so I’m guessing this retained tissue isn’t wanting to move. It a tough one wether to just get the tablets and get it over and done with or wait and hope I get my period back soon and maybe it will pass then? A woman higher up this thread said she ended up testing positive 3 weeks post op so I think I’ll buy a test to be on the safe side just to check things aren’t going further backwards!

@Geegee345 ooh slim so sorry this is happening to you too! Have you managed to sort anything yet? I’m going to give EPAU a ring today and see what they can do.

@Chrissy1208 i really feel for you for this being so long and drawn out. There is no way of knowing how our bodies will react to any of these management types, whether surgical, medical or expectant. I am no expert on any of this but understand the process of d and c is obviously different to taking the meds. I really don’t know but maybe the success of the d and c partly depends on the level of experience/expertise of the person doing it. Clearly they didn’t get it all? Have they done blood tests to check you for infection? There are certain inflammation markers that they can check by blood test which are suggestive of infection. Do you have a temperature? I was told that the tissue shouldn’t smell, and that if it did and/or I got a temperature, I should go straight back to the hospital as it meant infection and that should be treated urgently. This is a really gory comment so I apologise, but the hospital told me that if it got infected it would have a smell like rotten meat (sorry again for gory detail). If any odour or temp you might need to be placed on antibiotics straight away. They need to check you for infection because it could make you really sick. They also told me at the hospital that the ovary which released the egg which the pregnancy was derived from stays enlarged for quite some time after conception and continues to pump out hormones, which can cause pain. Maybe get checked for infection first, then ask for an ultrasound, then ask about the misoprostol/second dose of misoprostol. My logic is you can always scale up to dilation and curettage again if you really need to. Let us know how you go, hope you’re ok. Xx

Also I’m sorry for everyone else also going through this, it can get really scary and it’s absolute crap not knowing what’s happening.
for me, I know I passed the baby, sac and placenta because I saw it. This gave me hope nothing big was stuck in there. But seven days after passing my baby and placenta I still had cramping on and off (some really painful) and passed some smaller clots, which made me worry tissue was still in there, because everywhere I read on the internet the sources seem to think we should just bleed and cramp for a day and then it’s pretty much all over!! Clearly not and it takes quite a bit longer for a lot of us…. It’s been exactly 14 days for me since I passed the bulk of the tissue and I still get cramping on and off, sometimes bad enough to wake me at night, and absolutely no idea if this is normal…

@Chrissy1208 I'm sorry i haven't given feedback, its because I've been an emotional wreck lately 😢 but I have news! So, today makes it 7 days I've started bleeding and passing clots. Been bleeding dark blood , and passed some clots. More blood tho,than clots.
The blood Is less today, my symptoms are all gone I feel much better and lighter.
It's safe to say I've passed my retained products myself. No misoprostop administered, no surgery.

Hello ladies. I’m having a similar issue here. Had a natural miscarriage, without any intervention, which started around a month ago. Was bleeding and cramping for about 3.5 weeks and after about 3.5 weeks the bleeding has stopped. Still positive pregnancy test but a very faint line. Was so hoping that this nightmare was over but had my scan yesterday and there is a retained tissue left, around 2cm. Currently I’m not bleeding or cramping for more then a week, no smelly discharge or temperature. Is there any chance this could come out naturally without any intervention? Did anybody experience this? And would they only offer a medical management if I was still bleeding? Many thanks and I’m so sorry for your losses..

@Heartbrokenmam i would contact EPAU, they said to me if I had 2cm then I would be excepted for surgery again so I’m guessing they would also offer medical? I’m so sorry you’re going through this! It’s such a long drawn out process when things don’t go as planned. I’m coming close to 5 weeks post op and still haven’t passed the retained tissue so I had a blood test Friday to check my HCG levels to see if there’s an increase x

@Heartbrokenmam i am so sorry 😢 I agree with @Chrissy1208 and would call epau! From my experience home pregnancy testing is not an exact science to confirm the products and neither are the scans… my HCG was down to 8 last week and the scan showed 2.4 cm retained product but then when I had the hysteroscopy done the surgeon said there was lots of retained product that hadn’t been detected- enough to fill 2/3 of my uterus! Crazy to think there could have been that much with such low hcg levels, light bleeding and having had loads of scans!

I assume they would offer medical or surgical whether you were bleeding or not, as even though you are having no symptoms at the minute there is a risk of infection or scarring. Of course there is the chance that it will pass on its own but I would say to call them and see what they can offer you and what they would recommend!

Oh op, I really feel for you, it's a shit situation.

I had a termination for medical reasons at 22 weeks in 2020. I was induced and gave birth, which resulted in a retained placenta which required surgery immediately after birth. THREE MONTHS later I was still bleeding heavily, had pain and lots of clots.

Was fobbed off again and again (one doctor even suggested I was imagining it due to grief lol) until a wonderful locum GP sent me for an emergency scan and it was discovered that half my placenta was still in place. Bit of a shock, tbh.

Went in for surgery the next day and had it removed.

You know your body best, and know that something isn't right - push for investigation until you get an answer x

@Heartbrokenmam so I’ve had my bloods done and waiting for an update but then started cramping today and bleeding. I’m just worried now that it’s going to be a period and the tissue will remain, as awful as it is I’m hoping to pass everything within the next few days! If not itl be another trip for a scan to see what’s going on and I’ll push for surgery because I’m really wanting to get back to normal and TTC again x

@FrillyGoatFluff that’s exactly it, we know our own body and when something isn’t right. I’ll just wait and see how the next week goes and if nothing bigger than a period then I’m going back and insisting I have surgery again to remove what my body cannot release x

How is everyone getting on?

I’ve had my HCG results back and it’s less than 5 so no longer have tissue remaining according to EPAU and if it was blood it “might” of reabsorbed. I’ve had a 4 day period (bright red, no clots) and now 3 days of thick brown with little stringy bits in TMI I apologise!

so I paid £150 for a private pelvic scan to be shown STILL 1.5cms of retained product. She is adimant that it’s blood and it will pass??

now I’m worried, if I fall pregnant again am I high risk of another MC if my body decided to try remove the blood naturally in say 5 months? I still feel at step 1 with it all x

Hello Chrissy! Hello ladies! How are you feeling now? Just wanted to update.. I’ve just now felt like a human again... I had a D&C together with Hysterectomy eventually as I was so tired of playing this waiting game and was drained emotionally and physically. I was keep bleeding and spotting on and off and cramping, hoping this tissue will come out on its own without any intervention but that did not happen. Each time had to pay for a scan and get disappointed.. Eventually i gave up and had a D&C procedure under general anathetic back in my home country. This was the best decision I’ve made! Wish I’ve done it sooner, straight after my miscarriage, once the scan confirmed there was a retained tissue left. I feel back to norma now since I had a procedure done end of August..

Hi just wondering how you all got on TTC after this ordeal?! I’m in a very similar position with repeated procedures, constant bleeding and RPOC so would be so good to hear what your outcomes were as currently I’m just panicking that this will affect my fertility!! X

@SarPea93 I’m so sorry to hear you are going through this! You will get through it and to the other side but it can feel like a horrible never ending journey 😭
i wouldn’t worry about your fertility… I had the same worries, especially having 2x ERPC within a couple of months but I now have a beautiful 4 month old after a wonderful smooth pregnancy! My body did take a while to recover and after finally being rid of the RPOC… took us about 7 cycles to conceive compared to a very lucky 1 or 2 cycles previously! I guess our bodies just need some time to rest, relax and recover after such an ordeal!
❤️

Hi ladies this is very sad for me to say but against all odds (my age!) I conceived a baby boy naturally after my miscarriage. Things didn’t work out for me as I had to make a decision to terminate my very wanted baby in the second trimester due to medical reasons. Absolutely devastating to have had two losses in a row but my risks are so much higher because of my age and I just wanted to say I still got pregnant again and I wouldn’t worry about your ability to fall pregnant because of the miscarriage. Best wishes everyone xx

Thank you both for your replies. I am so so sorry to hear about your second loss. Mine was a termination for medical reasons as well in second trimester and I know just how heartbreaking it can be to have to make a decision like that. I hope you are doing okay and have some support.
I am going for a scan tomorrow which will hopefully lead to more surgery as I am sick of bleeding and being in pain and after 6 weeks since the termination I just want to put this behind me now and feel ‘normal’ in my own body. That’s my priority and hopefully we can have another baby when my body has healed even if it does take some time. We’re 32 so have time on our side I guess. Sending love x