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Re: Laparoscopy versus 'watch and wait'
From: anonymous (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed Jul 30 01:36:00 2008
It can take several months to really heal from excision surgery.
At Tue, 29 Jul 2008, anonymous wrote:
>
>This post is the truth!
>
>At Tue, 29 Jul 2008, ampyali wrote:
>>
>>Sorry you are having so many problems. One of the best things you could
>>do right now is to not make the mistake that so many others have made by
>>allowing a laparoscopy to be done by someone who knows how to go in and
>>deal with the cyst, but not how to properly treat the endo, if it's
>>there. You're very young and preserving your fertility is so important
>>at this point. While a laparoscopy isn't considered a risky procedure,
>>it is still surgery and involves a general anesthetic.
>>
>>If you're going to have one done, it might as well be done by a Dr. who
>>can take care of everything, and do it properly so that your chances of
>>conceiving and living a normal life are very high. This is a great time
>>to gather your medical records and tell your story to one of the endo
>>specialists. Most Drs treat endo they find by zapping it with lasers or
>>electrocautery tools. They only treat the visible part of the endo
>>implant and leave the core of it imbedded in your pelvic tissues. It's
>>just a matter of time before the endo symptoms return because it's still
>>there. In my case, it came back worse than before because the
>>electrocautery just got it really angry.
>>
>>Endo specialists who use excision surgery remove the total implant. They
>>are also really good at recognizing endo in ALL it's shapes, sizes and
>>colors, so the chance that they'll miss something is greatly reduced.
>>Best of all, their recurrence rates are much lower than with surgeons
>>who use other methods of "dealing" with the endo implants.
>>
>>Depending on where you live, you may have to pay a fee, or not, to have
>>one of the specialists review your records. I had to pay a fee but it
>>was the best money I've ever spent! I am recovering from excision
>>surgery right now and am so grateful for each pain-free day. If you
>>give everyone a general idea of where you live, they will give
>>recommendations for a specialist in your part of the country. There are
>>very few that any of us trust, so it usually involves some travel.
>>Fortunately, the specialists are used to helping people get to them and
>>to be comfortable while they are there.
>>
>>Good luck and best wishes!
>>
>>At Tue, 29 Jul 2008, anonymous wrote:
>>>
>>>I am 28 years old. I have always had moderately painful periods, with
>>>backaches that were more or less treatable with ibuprofen. A year ago,
>>>I suddenly started to have excruciatingly painful periods. After two
>>>such periods, I saw a doctor, who said that endometriosis was a
>>>possibility. I had a sonogram and was told I had two ovarian cysts, one
>>>of about 1 cm and one of about 1.5 cm. I started taking birth control
>>>pills. At a follow-up sonogram shortly thereafter, I was told I had one
>>>ovarian cyst, of about 2.5 to 3 cm (apparently what they originally
>>>thought were two nearby cysts was really just one cyst, or the cyst
>>>"merged"). Six months have passed, during which time I've been taking
>>>the pill and have had no periods at all. The cyst has not been very
>>>painful, but sometimes I do feel a slightly painful twinge or sensation
>>>of weight. At a recent sonogram, I was told my cyst had grown to 4 cm.
>>>I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of (a) "watch and wait" and (b)
>>>laparoscopy at this point. My main concerns are that if I have the
>>>surgery now, I will incur the risks of surgery without accomplishing
>>>much, since I am on the pill anyway and not trying to get pregnant right
>>>now (will I just have to have more surgery if and when I want to get
>>>pregnant?) . . . but if I don't have the surgery now, the cyst could
>>>keep growing and damage my ovary, and there could be internal scarring
>>>that they can't see without surgery. Thoughts?
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