Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Surgery whilst pregnant...?

21 replies

212VIP · 12/06/2013 20:00

Can anyone help?
Am due to have spinal disc replacement surgery in the next few months but AF never arrived on holiday last week.
Am now about 6 weeks and utterly kicking myself at awful timing.
(I LITERALLY have no idea how this has happened).

I know they do general anaesthetic for emergency c/s so is there any chance they'll still go ahead with my surgery whilst still preggers??

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Jollyb · 12/06/2013 20:21

Hi - it's unlikely they'd want to do surgery unless absolutely essential.

212VIP · 12/06/2013 21:15

Unlikely? Completely 100%?
Might I talk him round...?

OP posts:
beth27123 · 12/06/2013 21:19

I doubt if they weren't going to you could "talk him round", your babies interests will have to come first.

212VIP · 12/06/2013 21:24

I might not be able to keep the baby...
I have spinal cord issues and so can't necessarily wait until I've either had the baby and/or stopped bf.
So confused.

OP posts:
hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman · 12/06/2013 21:28

I had surgery when 7 months pregnant but it wasn't planned surgery and it was done under epidural as they were very keen for me not to have a GA ( but this was 21 years ago so things may well have changed).

212VIP · 12/06/2013 21:30

What was the surgery for hellhas?
How long was it?
I need neck surgery so not sure if an epidural would apply...

OP posts:
ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 12/06/2013 21:35

This isn't what you want to hear, but I had emergency surgery at 7 weeks PG and subsequently miscarried. It was ovarian surgery though so not sure if that made any difference.

I think it's something you'd need to discuss with your consultant.

I hope it goes well.

212VIP · 12/06/2013 21:48

Thanks truth.
I need some honesty.
Tbh I don't have a good feeling about the way this is going to end up.
Can't even bring myself to tell DH yet...

OP posts:
ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 12/06/2013 21:55

Are things with you and DH good?
If so, please tell him. It sounds like whatever happens you are going to need a hand to hold x

212VIP · 12/06/2013 21:59

They're ok, yes.
Just feeling like a prize plonker.
It's not MY fault this happened (takes two, I know) but just know everyone's going to roll their eyes at me.
Why now??
I honestly don't know how it happened.
I wanted to conceive in September.
We had sex once last month.
And it was weeks away from ovulation dates.
I just don't know what to do or who to tell.

OP posts:
Jollyb · 12/06/2013 22:26

Hi there

What a stressful time. To expand on my earlier post - no one will be keen to operate on a pregnant lady unless there is good reason to (because of increased risks from anaesthetic and side effects of drugs etc). With neck surgery you'd need to have a general anaesthetic.

Having said this, if your consultant thinks that your back condition really can't be left, it might be one of the few situations in which they agree to operate. Termination tends to be the last resort

Please get in touch with your consultant ASAP. Good luck

mawbroon · 12/06/2013 22:29

I had ortho surgery on a bust ankle at 34 weeks pg. They wouldn't give me a GA so I had it done under local with no sedation.

But you are at a completely different stage and are having a different op, so the only way to find out is to get in touch with them and ask.

Good luck

212VIP · 13/06/2013 07:52

Think ill have to call the surgeons secretary this morning and see if I can get an appt with him.

OP posts:
GeeandTea · 13/06/2013 08:15

I had emergency bowel surgery and appendectomy at 17 weeks pregnant. Obviously there were concerns about the baby but it had to be done. The surgeon told me that second trimester was the safest time for surgery as pregnancy established but not likely to go into labour.
I now have an extremely large and healthy 11 year old. Smile
So your surgeon might decide to wait a few more weeks.
Good luck and please don't blame yourself, whatever happens.

FoofFighter · 13/06/2013 08:38

I was actually in hospital for spinal surgery when they found out I was pg, they were happy to go ahead with the surgery under GA but I wasn't. I think it will also depend on if your surgery is one that needs repeated Xrays etc during to check on placement of things, as obviously it'll be right in that area.

Good luck either way :)

FoofFighter · 13/06/2013 08:41

Sorry re-read it's neck so not in that area!!

TheFalconsmistress · 13/06/2013 08:43

I had an appendectomy at 4 Weeks pg, never showed up on tests. I had CT scans xray GA everything. I am now 25 Weeks pg all seems well Smile

HadALittleFaithBaby · 13/06/2013 08:47

I was due to have a day case op for a chronic problem in September and got pregnant in August. They wouldn't do the surgery because it increases the risk of miscarriage - I believe by about 1%.

Generally they won't do surgery unless its an emergency (such as appendix) where the mother's life is at risk. Best to ring the secretary and discuss it because obviously your circumstances are slightly unusual.

BraveLilBear · 13/06/2013 11:07

I had surgery under GA at 8-9 weeks pregnant for a severe abscess. I didn't expect it to be a GA, but was told 10 minutes before the op that it would be a GA, and there were drugs they could use that would not affect the baby in any way.

Am now 34 weeks and being kicked in the ribs... If it needs to be done right now, then there are methods they can use to reduce risk. If it can wait, they probably will.

legallyblond · 13/06/2013 21:50

I had general anaesthetic last week at 23 weeks for a cervical stitch. Cervical stitches are routinely done under general. Obviously, the reason is to prevent early labour, but having had long discussions with the consultant anaesthetist last week, it seems that there are no proven risks to the baby (babies in my case - twins!) with GA....

212VIP · 14/06/2013 10:40

Really legally?
That's very interesting, thank you.
So would there be another reason he wouldn't do it?
Does the increase blood levels make surgery more risky?
What about x-rays? I know they always ask you if you might be pregnant when you have one, but I don't actually know what the risks are.
I already had an x-ray when I didn't know I'd conceived (only a week past conception!), but what does that mean?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread