MMC in Scotland, how long did you wait for surgery?

[Flowers2222]

Hi,

I had a private 'reassurance' (they really should change that name) scan last Friday, a day before what should have been my nine-week mark. Unfortunately, our baby was measuring smaller than nine weeks and no heartbeat was seen. Yesterday, the Princess Royal Infirmary confirmed our baby had died at eight weeks.

We're utterly devastated. This is our second loss as I miscarried previously, two years ago, just before five weeks. I had to put trying on hold for two years as I became quite mentally and physically unwell and on a lot of medication I couldn't be on pregnant. The first loss was one of a series of traumatic events two years ago, and it was just all too much.

I was so happy to fall pregnant after three months of trying, at 40 and with endo. I had been really anxious trying again, and when I first found out I was pregnant, but I then tried to be positive, told myself more than one loss wasn't that likely, and I would be like the many people I knew who had one loss and then had their baby...We were not expecting the news we got last Friday at all.

Anyway, to get to what I'm asking about, after doing lots of reading on here, I decided surgery under general was the best option for me. However, I was told yesterday that general wasn't "standard procedure", and this would need to be requested. Has anyone else in Scotland, I'm in South Lanarkshire/Glasgow, had this response? If you opted for surgery under general, how long did you have to wait? Reading old posts on here makes it seem like a lot of people get their surgery quite quickly and easily, so I'm a bit perplexed. The waiting to hear from the hospital is just horrendous, and it's only been a day. I really don't want to miscarry in the meantime. The thought of it, particularly seeing a tiny baby, terrifies me and makes me feel physically sick, and I don't think I'd cope with the trauma.

I do have a plan in place to go to A&E if anything starts happening, and got the nurse to give me co-codamol yesterday, but I really want to get surgery and have this hellish limbo period and physical side over as soon as possible. It really feels like NHS system pushes expectant or medical management, and that's 'OK' (none of this is OK) if people choose that option, but surgery under general should be equally easy to access.

Sending love to everyone reading this who has experienced loss and MMC in the past, is going through it too just now, or will read this in the future. Miscarriage is a hellish experience.

I'm in NHS Highland area. I was recently offered surgery under GA four days after finding out about the MMC. I was further on than you though, and possibly that makes a difference re the GA - perhaps the further on you are, the less it's recommended to do surgery without GA? Not sure.

I ended up miscarrying naturally the next day anyway. I did see the baby but I really wanted to bury it so I was looking for it and avoiding sitting on the toilet as much as possible. If it does happen unexpectedly for you and you don't want to see, just don't look in your pads and sit on the toilet as much as you can. It's unlikely you will see it if you do that. Bear in mind even if you aren't looking in pads you would still need to gauge how full they feel (look from the reverse side?) so you can check your bleeding is not excessive.

Are they offering surgery with local anaesthetic sooner? Maybe guidelines suggest that at your gestation so that's why they're pushing that. But if you have a need for a GA, then definitely advocate for yourself and outline your reasons.

@MightySnail Thanks for your reply, and I’m really sorry you’ve experienced this too.

I could be wrong, but, from what I’ve read on here, I don’t think it’s anything to do with the gestation period.

I’m sure I could get it sooner under local, but I’m not putting myself through that.

General is the best option for me as it’s the one I can cope with the most mentally. I know there’s a chance my body could start this at any point, but I’m really hoping it doesn’t.

Im so sorry for your loss.
Honestly it really depends on the hospital, what else is going on and how soon they can get a theatre spot etc. I’m not sure how helpful others experiences will be.
Where they able to give you any idea at all yesterday?
It may be they have a set day for this proceedure or that you are added to an ‘emergency’ theatre list but this would be dictated by acute bleeders/gynae emergencies such as ectopics etc.
Hopefully you’ll know soon

@Flowers2222 I had a wee look for some further info - it would seem that approx 4 days but within the week def for GGC - varies by area in Scotland.
varies by wishing for expectant management/medical or surgical la or ga, but is an option and shouldn’t be a significant wait.

@UncharteredWaters Thank you, and thanks so much for looking into this for me. No, they just said they’d be in touch.

I’m still keen to hear from anyone in Glasgow or South Lanarkshire who’s been through this recently,

I just wanted to update this, in case it's useful for anyone in the future.

I ended up having to chase the Princess Royal yesterday, and it wasn't good news. They couldn't have done the surgery under general until 3 February! The nurse agreed with me that it was appalling.

However, because I live in South Lanarkshire (very near Glasgow, that's why I can access its hospitals too), I contacted Hairmyres and Wishaw General (I'd contacted them on Monday, but the Princess Royal was the one that got back to me first). Hairmyres "doesn't do it", but Wishaw got back to me, and said they can do it on Monday. I am so relieved and just hope my body holds out until then.

It's really not fair that it's a postcode lottery, and I know how 'lucky' I am that I can access Wishaw and they can see me this quickly.

My advice to anyone in Lanarkshire, who unfortunately finds themself in the same position, is to call Wishaw's Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit first. Its number is often busy but you will get through. Its number is: 01698 366217.

@Flowers2222 god that is awful I'm so sorry! So glad you managed to find somewhere that could do it sooner. My hospital reserves a couple of spaces a week for this procedure because it's so common, it's incredible how differently every hospital can run.

Fingers crossed for you over the weekend x

That's good news OP. It is a total postcode lottery, and really unfair. I do understand they are short staffed, and surgery for MMC is not (in this case) life-saving so it's never going to be at the top of the priority list, but it doesn't help you when you're having a hard time does it. It's really awful.
We all need to pay more taxes. I know money isn't the be all and end all for the NHS but it would go a long way.