has anyone had more than two D+Cs ?

[kissmummy]

I have already had two D+Cs (ERPCs)) for previous miscarriages and have another scheduled for tomorrow morning. i am really worried about all these operations leading to some kind of scarring of the uterus or damage as a result of having so many procedures. Nobody has mentioned this risk to me and i don't know if i'm being paranoid or sensible to be thinking about it. Needless to say i see a different doctor or hospital every time (this is London...) and in fact the hospital I'm due to have my operation at tomorrow, where I had a D+C less than a year ago, doesn't even keep notes of previous procedures, so there is nobody who is familiar with my history. They seem to approach each case as if it is new.
Does anyone have any advice or knowledge on this subject, or can reassure me that they have had several D+Cs and gone on to have successful pregnancies?

Sadly yes it does increase risks of adhesions - see this site

Is this the only option for you? How pregnant were you? Are they scanning first to checked this needs doing?

I am nine weeks. they looked at me as if I was mad when i asked about medical management - doesn't seem to be offered at this hospital (kingston.) The alternative would be "wait and see" but my sense is that would take quite some time (body shows no signs of having clocked on to the fact that the pregnancy has failed...) and there seem to be quite a lot of people on this board who wait for it to happen naturally and end up having a D+C anyway... i THINK the D+C right away is probably the lesser of the two evils but i wish i'd had some more expert advice...i was in no state at all to think of it when the appointment was arranged as i'd only just found out about the pregnancy loss (my fourth) and was in shock.

Thanks for that link - i've just read it and am really scared now and thinking of pulling out of the operation.
I'm actually now wondering if there could be a link between uterine adhesions and my repeat miscarriages - and it sounds like this operation could make things worse.
Is ERPC the same as a D+C? I think they said they would use "suction"for my procedure.

Hi there, so sorry for your loss. I am also on my 4th m/c. I had a mmc this time but i started to bleed the day they told me. My 1st 2 mc ended up with 2 d&c's and i went on to have 4 healthy pregnancies. I then had another m/c and now another but chose not to have d&c this time and last time as i felt my body would do the right thing. I hope this helps you, all the best.

whomovedmychocolate thanks so much again for providing that link. it seems very important information and i'm really surprised this risk wasn't raised with me when the operation was discussed. i printed it off for my husband to read too, and we have decided to cancel/postpone my operation tomorrow. I feel that given I have already had two D+Cs I need specialist advice as to whether it is advisable/necessary to have a third one; not a rushed appointment with a harried junior doctor which took place when i myself was in no state to make a calm decision. i have phoned the hospital and cancelled and they were very understanding. Seeing a private specialist on Tuesday and we will take it from there. I may end up still having the D+C later this week or next but at least I will feel i've taken proper advice before rushing into it in my desperate desire to "move on."

Good for you kissmummy (sorry for the late reply, been off doing random parenting of toddlers!) Non medical management of miscarriages can take up to ten days and actually when you think of the aftermath of a D&C it's actually not a bad option if you can do it. Glad you are taking some advice on it though, it may be the best thing for you, or not, but please don't blindly go into any surgery without considering all options.

Can I also suggest that now you have had three miscarriages you are entitled to a referral to the recurrent miscarriages unit in your area for testing and advice to avoid it happening again? When you are ready obviously. But it can take a while so it might be a plan to get on the waiting list.

thanks..i've already seen a specialist, after the third miscarriage which was in January. he recommended a few blood tests, all of which came back clear. following advice we waited another six months before trying again but it all went wrong a fourth time anyway
i think there are further tests that might be done, and i am also going to push for a hysteroscopy (on the NHS if poss, though will go private if necessary) once things have settled down in a few months time. I'm not sure i want to go through the whole thing again if we cannot identify a reason for the problem. nobody thinks it's "just bad luck" any more so there is no point putting ourselves through more misery unless there is some hope of treatment.
thank you again for your advice which has been hugely appreciated. after i cancelled the operation a very nice nurse specialising in early pregnancy rang me back and we talked things through at length. we agreed to leave it two weeks max for nature to take its course, after which i'll return to the hospital to review the situation.

Hi kissmummy i just wanted to say i really understand what you are going through with your mmc and if you want to talk more then let me know. Thankyou for the support and messages you have left for me too x Again all the best.

Why can't they do a hysteroscopy at the same time as the D&C if they are going to do it - it's only an extra five minutes once they are there as it were?

However, I hope this will be of comfort: We have a friend who lost eight of her babies at around 15 weeks. All the tests showed clear. No problems in her first pregnancy. Anyway, her second child was born nearly a year ago and he's the healthiest baby I've ever seen. She needed weekly hospital tests and very close monitoring but, it can work out.

whomoved apparently hysteroscopies are generally done once your whole situation is back to "normal' - they like you to have had at least two cycles, according to the very helpful specialist nurse from the hospital I spoke to today. so clearly as usual nothing is going to happen fast. this is what it's always like with miscarriage, isn't it? every miscarriage uses up about five months, by the time you've had the pregnancy, and then the bleeding, and then got back to normal.
daisytaylor my email is [email protected]
If you have time email me and let me know how you're feeling tomorrow.
thanks for all the supportive messages. happy ending stories are brilliant. it's nice to know there is still hope. i have no idea how anyone could go through eight miscarriages and keep going, but then if you'd asked me a year ago if i could cope with more than three, i'd have said never. Somehow you get through. I'd like to be ten years younger though, as i don't have that much longer to mess around.

I don't know how she kept going either, I lost two and gave up. Feel incredibly lucky to have my two DCs now.