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Re: LaprotomyFrom: anonymous (anonymous@obgyn.net)Mon Apr 28 18:21:07 2008
At Wed, 1 Jun 2005, Chris wrote: > >Hi, I just have to reply to this question because you are the only >person who has come so close to being exactly like me. I also have >stage IV endo. The first surgery I had with my regular GYN was supposed >to be a simple laparoscopic one to remove a chocolate cyst on my left >ovary. He did say I might lose the ovary. Well, when he got inside, >there was so much scarring from the endometriosis that he said he >couldn't find my organs. He informed my husband and mother that he >would have to change the surgery to a laparotomy. They gave permission >thinking that if he says it can't be done laparoscopically, then it just >can't be done that way. Five hours later I woke up not even knowing >what happened to me. So, you are lucky you get to make your own >decision. I didn't even know I had endometriosis before that surgery! I >believe the adhesion barrier you might be talking about is most likely >Seprafilm. To make a long story short I spent 4 weeks recovering at >home and forced myself back to work at that point because I didn't have >a lot of leave. I still moved slow but I got through it. I mostly sit >at work, so it was okay. But I could've used two more weeks at home. >After I finally recovered from that surgery I felt better than I ever >have in my entire life I think. I had a bunch of food/digestive >problems before that surgery which all disappeared when I got better. It >only lasted almost two years though. My periods got worse and worse and >more painful. Then, suddenly I found myself unable to eat almost >anything! My doctor refused to do any more surgery on me. He said I'm >better off to live the way I was living until I couldn't anymore. >Meaning emergency bowel obstruction. Funny thing is he still denies >that my endo has anything to do with all my bowel problems (even though >I have the endo and adhesions all over my bowels). Anyway, I did major >research and sought out one of the best endometriosis specialists who >specializes in endo of the bowels and is one of the best laparascopic >surgeons in the world. And I found something out. It CAN be done >laparoscopically. It just depends on how bad your situation is and how >comfortable your doctor is with the laparascope. I wish I knew this >before my first surgery. Unfortunately, I have now had three more >surgeries, but they have all been laparoscopic and it is a world of >difference in recovery and scarring. I also had two bowel resections >for the endo and they were done laparoscopically too. Bowel resections >are tough. My endometriosis is way better now. Unfortunately, all the >organs that were stuck together just keep healing stuck together again. >So, adhesions have become my secondary disease now and I can still not >eat very much. One problem with laparoscopic surgery is that there is >not a good adhesion barrier that can be used with the laparascope in >liquid form which is approved by the FDA, so you will not have an >adhesion barrier if you have surgery in the U.S. laparoscopically. But >on the other hand laparoscopic surgery causes less adhesions than open >surgery. So, laparascopic vs. open surgery is a personal decision >everyone has to make for themselves. But anyone who has stage IV endo >should definitely educate themselves on Adhesion Related Disorder (ARD). >Something I wish I knew about before my first surgery. I would've went >for the specialist right from the very beginning and maybe I would be >better off today. Sounds like you trust your doctor and Seprafilm is a >much more effective adhesion barrier than they had when I had my first >surgery, so hopefully it will be more successful than mine was. I had >Interceed which is suspected of causing more adhesions if the bleeding >isn't controlled properly. It also sounds like your doctor knows a lot >about endometriosis since she is doing excision surgery. I think that >is the way to go. My GYN didn't do excision and is no where near being >a specialist in endometriosis. I believe this is why my endo came back >with a vengence. I know I got carried away with my long reply and gave >you some info you didn't ask for. I hope you don't mind that I included >all that stuff about laparascopic vs. open surgery. I just wanted to >share my experience with you since you have very much the same situation >I started off with four years ago. Please feel free to write to me if >you want to talk off the the board. > >-- >Chris > >At Wed, 1 Jun 2005, Weebs wrote: >> >>I have stage IV endo with my bowels, left ovary (w/ choc cyst inside), >>left tube, left urine tube, all the area behind my vagina stuck together >>like one big blob of endo. When they went in for diagnosis (and removed >>the small amount on my right side) during laproscopy, they had a hard >>time even seeing my organs. I'm due for a full laprotomy on 6/27 to >>remove all endo, possibly remove my left ovary (which causes me the MOST >>pain), possible bowel resection, and to wrap my uterous, tubes and >>ovaries in some sort of cloth like substance (I can't remember the name >>of the stuff, but it is supposed to minimize scarring). >> >>Anyways, my question is... >> >>If anyone here has had a laprotomy? How long was the recovery time for >>an operation such as this (my doc says 4-6 weeks ..I'm a fast healer)? >>Has anyone heard of or had the cloth thing done? >> >>I'm not here looking for advice. I posted a similar question to another >>endo forum and the only two responses I got were from women who told me >>I should be seeing another doctor. I love my doctor and I trust her >>100%. She is very informative about endo and has done quite a few >>sucessful excision surgeries. >
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