Anyone had a Laparoscopy? What were your symptoms.

[Lan2020]

Hello ladies,

I've only just found the 'womens health' forum and wondered if anyone had similar experiences or advice?

So for the last 2 years I've had pelvic pain, bloating (look 5 months pregnant) and at times frequent urination and currently pressure in my bum!

This all started after my second DS was born but I also had the mirena coil around the same time. My section was a little complicated; I haemorrhaged but they struggled to get the baby out. My partner who is a doctor said he had never seen a doctor 'rummage around' so much (nice to know) but I know I had an extra cut and also a drain in the wrong place.

So I'm wondering if my symptoms could be related to c section, the coil or unrelated.

They appear to be cyclical in some.ways because leading up to ovulation my breasts get very sore (pregnancy sore to the point I can't sleep) and the pelvic pain and bloating starts. It has periods of calming oldown but this month I've had most days of pain and bloating and only a few days break from it. I don't have periods on the coil, so no issue with these.

I've had a scan previously which found a cyst but a follow up appointment showed it had resolved.

Went back to GP as I'm fed up, I feel sore, tender and uncomfortable and weeing more (I think from the pressure). I've had more swabs and she has suggested we remove the coil to rule out this being the issue. However I need to be referred for this because my coil strings can't be seen (previously had a scan to ensure its still there).

I know all sorts could be going on but my partner has suggested the possibility of endometriosis and I'm wondering about adhesions from a complicated c section. It seems this is diagnosed via a Laparoscopy, which seems a pretty extreme way of diagnosis. I'm just wondering of the likelihood they would do this for me, or do I need to be in constant, severe pain? I am in pain bit mostly discomfort. I feel huge and uncomfortable and don't want to do anything.
For those of you who had a Laparoscopy, what symptoms did you have? Were they severe? Did you have any tests before hand that pointed to endometriosis?

Thank you in advance.

My symptoms pre diagnosis of endometriosis were mainly cyclical based. Apart from severe period pain leading up to and including menses I had rectal pain (known on here as javelin arse) too. I also had stomach issues (pain) on occasion. Any symptoms that are cyclical in nature and or get worse up to and including menses should be checked out further to see if endometriosis is the cause.

I had a multitude of blood tests, a HSG (a tubal x-ray) and internal ultrasound scans done as part of my fertility treatment. NONE of these showed the endometriosis present in my uterine cavity (as the deposits are so very small).

You certainly warrant further investigation as this all started post c-section. Adhesions are also a possibility here; these are sticky strands that tether organs together. Only surgery can remove those if present now, no drug treatment would be effective.

Endometriosis is usually diagnosed via a laparoscopy (its the usual method and not at all extreme); its keyhole surgery using small instruments so any scarring is minimal. The worst part of the lap op for me was the shoulder pain a day or so post op because the gas used travels upwards. However, painkillers took the edge off it and I was also advised to have a couple of days off work post lap.

I had almost no symptoms - just painful periods and infertility.

Endo can affect the kidneys. My uteters were encased in dense fibrotic tissue and had to be freed. I was lucky - I have had traces of blood in my urine for years & the two issues have never been connected, but kidneys are fine. Some women lose kidney function from endometriosis.

A diagnostic laparoscopy isn’t too bad, a few days of recovery. It’s when they need to excise endometriosis or cut away adhesions that takes time to heal from.

The success of excision surgery almost totally depends on the skill of the surgeon. It is difficult surgery and so if you have suspected severe endometriosis you should insist on only being treated in a BGSE centre which is the NICE pathway, but something most GPs do not know.

@AttilaTheMeerkat thank you for your reply, it helps to hear of other people's experiences. Sorry if it's too much info but did you ever feel like you couldn't fully empty your bowels? I have regular BM with no diarrhea but occasionally feel like I still need to go to the toilet but can't. My pains have calmed a little today and breasts not quite as sore, I'm assuming this is due to ovulation ending.
I definitely wondered about adhesions but no GP has even mentioned my c section or adhesions.

@Porridgeislife wow, it's surprising the impact endometriosis can have. Are your periods better now?

No in answer to your question re not feeling able to fully empty bowels.

However, I had on occasion rectal (and stomach) pain both before and after bowel movements which was due to endometriosis as well. I also used to get pain down the front of my legs.

This site may be useful to you:-
www.endometriosis-uk.org/

I had bad adhesions and get terrible bloating, occasionally searing pain around the scar which also feels sort of hard, almost like there is a piece of wire under there. I avoid having my period at all these days by taking the pill with only a break every few months, which has helped and strangely not eating broccoli has helped no end as it always made me bloat

@TheWashingMachine are your adhesions from a c section? How did you get diagnosed? I'm on the mirena coil so have no period issues. Do your symptoms flare up at certain times of your cycle? Or is the pain constant?

I had ruptured ectopic and had a lot of internal bleeding and a large ovarian cyst plus the right fallopian tube removed, it was emergency surgery (not keyhole) plus I had a blood transfusion after losing 4litres.
Then I got pregnant very quickly and my DC arrived exactly 10 months after the initial surgery via an emergency c-section and they told me about the bad adhesions.
The surgeon who helped deliver DC1 said any subsequent children could not be born by c-section.
I then had DC2 15 months later, when I had her I had to have a vbac, luckily that went relatively smoothly.

Although DC1 is 10 years old now, I still get random stabbing pains where I have the scar and also in the general lower abdominal area, the scar is still hard and worse in some places than others.