Re: question
From: D (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri Mar 30 15:50:14 2007
It sounds as though these doctors know they don't have the skills
necessary to remove your endo, and of course they don't want to do more
damage than they repair. In effect, they are saying that they can't
help you. I wouldn't go back to a doctor who left endo in me, I'd find
a new doctor who can excise it.
As far as the cautery goes, it's considered to be inferior to removing
the disease by excision (cutting it out). The reason is that they can't
burn deep enough to get more penetrating lesions, and they can't
cauterize endo on sensitive tissue like bowels & bladder - often disease
must be left behind. By excising they can see just how deep they need
to go so they get it all and it doesn't recur. This page explains more:
http://www.endoexcision.com/rationale.asp
"Studies have been done on how deep the endometriosis disease invades
and how far the different treatments penetrate. The carbon dioxide
laser is basically a drill and can go as deep as the surgeon wants to
go. But the reality is that most often these energies are used
superficially. Superficial application of laser (Carbon dioxide, KTP),
Argon Beam, or bipolar electrical energy are relatively safe but
coagulate to no more than 2 mm. The problem is that endometriosis
lesions penetrate more than 2 mm in 61% of cases and more than 5 mm is
25% of cases. The depth that endometriosis invades can vary within a
single lesion. Therefore, it is essential when destroying a lesion to
not miss areas and treat all the deeper areas, to avoid residual
endometriosis and persistent pain."
At Fri, 30 Mar 2007, Eve wrote:
>
>Jennifer, I definitely understand where you are coming from. My first
>lap the doc diagnosed me with stage IV endo but didn't take all the
>adhesions out which I don't understand why. He said that my right tube
>was blocked and he drained it, but didn't remove my endometrial cyst. I
>don't understand these docs. I would go to another doc and try to get
>the film from your last lap (my doc wouldn't give me the film from my
>lap, I hope you have better luck than I did). It makes you feel like
>they are just waiting for it to get worse, doesn't it? I have a lap
>scheduled for May 4th and that is my fear, she will just go in, look
>around, and then close me up. I am sorry this has happened to you. I
>pray you are able to get the help you need.
>Eve
>
>At Fri, 30 Mar 2007, Jennifer wrote:
>>
>>Hello Ladies, it has been a while since I have been here.
>>
>>I had my 4th lap last friday. She also did a tubal dye study. Found
>>out my right tube is blocked completely and that there is endo on my
>>right ovary. She found endo elsewhere and there is a strange white mass
>>near where a ligament is located below the uterus. She thinks it might
>>be just a larger ligament than others, but has never seen it before. She
>>didn't find any adhesions this time which surprised me since it has been
>>six years since my last lap.
>>
>>Has anyone ever had a lap before and had them not cauterize any endo? My
>>lap was only 20 minutes. She didn't get rid of any endo, as she told me
>>it wasn't endo that was to be concerned about. It was red endo and not
>>black endo.
>>
>>At my post op she said that she doesn't think my endo is as bad as the
>>previous docs said it was. That I can choose to go off the pill if I
>>want to, and we would just treat the pain, which isn't something I am
>>that interested in long term unless I have to. We are not ready to have
>>kids yet so that isn't a concern at this point and since the other side
>>is fine I am not too worried about that. At this point I plan on
>>staying on the Yazmin continuously as long as the nausea goes away and
>>we'll see what happens. I'm not questioning her medical abilities or
>>experience, she does have other patients who have endo and she is pretty
>>knowledgable on the subject as far as what I read and what she tells me.
>>And she does do plenty of laps so that wasn't a question.
>>
>>I have suggested to others in this area to go see one of my old endo
>>docs who is pretty advanced in this field. I am tempted to take the
>>photos to him and see what he says. I am by no means ready to have
>>another lap so soon, and I don't think my insurance company would
>>appreciate that either. I am just wondering why she didn't get rid of
>>the endo that was there. I gave her permission to do it so it wasn't
>>that. I've never heard of anyone basically going in, looking around and
>>closing them up. I don't have any friends who have endo around here,
>>and my family who has it hasn't had a surgery or any problems for quite
>>a while. They were all more concerned with the blocked tube than
>>anything else really. They did ask why she didn't get rid of the endo,
>>and I really couldn't say much except what she told me.
>>
>>Just wondering if anyone else has heard of this or had it happen also.
>>All opinions welcome.
>>
>>Thanks ladies, I hope you are all feeling well today. Have a nice
>>weekend.
>>
>>Jennifer
--
Find an endo specialist in the ERC's EndoDocs group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndoDocs/
Try an excellent endo support group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/erc/
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