UPDATE in post #1 outpatient laparoscopic surgery (adhesion removal)

[ktgrok]

Anyone had this? Not sure if I'm going to do it, but if I am, it will be on Tuesday morning around 11am. I have to be there at 9am. It's at an outpatient surgery center. He said he wouldn't be super aggressive, but if he has to put me out anyway (to remove my IUD via hysteroscopy..see other post) then he might as well go in and clean up the adhesions that are making my uterus be out of position and my cervix so hard to get to. 

 

My only laparoscopic surgery was my weight loss surgery, which was obviously a bigger deal and certainly not outpatient. I'm wondering what to expect recovery wise, if I do it?

 

UPDATE:

I canceled the surgery. The doctor thinks he can get it out in the office using the other table, and is willing to try again. And I just didn't have a good feeling, in my gut, about the anesthesia and surgery. I've felt sick for days. Today, after hanging up, I feel a ZILLION times better, so I know this was the right choice. I hate that I have to wait until the 13th, which was the soonest he could get me in, but that's better than the 15th which was what the scheduling person said. And I told them to call me if they have another opening before then, but that is probably unlikely. 

 

Either way, I feel so much better, like I can move on with life now. Waiting sucks, but I just didn't feel right about the surgery, for a lot of reasons. 

Edited May 6, 2016 by ktgrok

[prairiewindmomma]

Yup, not a big deal for something that was the functional equivalent of a D&C.  I felt off that day and the next, but fine by the third day. 

[Spryte]

Recovery is not bad. I've had many laps, more than I'd like to admit to...

 

May I caution you though? Adhesion removal is all well and good. And it might be an important step for you. But if your body is prone to making adhesions, then any surgery to remove them will create prime conditions for more. I've had much better luck since discovering visceral manipulation. Though I'd not have gone that route first - I needed to go through all those surgeries and try to fix things that way before I could break away from the idea that would fix it, personally. (Banging my head here.). Knowing what I know now, I'd go into surgery with clear expectations that there would be more adhesions, just different ones - maybe better, maybe worse -down the road. And I'd factor that into decisions re: surgery.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Spryte

[Katy]

I haven't had the surgery, but I have been a nurse for that surgery.  It's not bad, you'll be fine.  And you will not be as prone to making it worse because your weight, hormone, and insulin levels are way down.  It's the right decision and will probably make for a more comfortable pregnancy.

 

I would be very careful to stick to your diet for the next 6 weeks just to make sure your insulin levels stay low. 

[ktgrok]

I haven't had the surgery, but I have been a nurse for that surgery.  It's not bad, you'll be fine.  And you will not be as prone to making it worse because your weight, hormone, and insulin levels are way down.  It's the right decision and will probably make for a more comfortable pregnancy.

 

I would be very careful to stick to your diet for the next 6 weeks just to make sure your insulin levels stay low. 

 

Huh, didn't know that could be related. I know I ate like CRAP after my c-section....totally subsisted on processed frozen dinners that I microwaved and that's about it. I also barely moved. 

[ktgrok]

I'm kind of at the point where IF he feels the only way to get the IUD out is to do it under anesthesia, and if the cost is already going to be high and won't be much more out of pocket to do the surgery, I will do the surgery. 

[Katy]

Huh, didn't know that could be related. I know I ate like CRAP after my c-section....totally subsisted on processed frozen dinners that I microwaved and that's about it. I also barely moved. 

 

Yeah, high insulin and inflammation, which increases things like adhesions, go hand in hand.  That's why they are seen more in the obese.

 

In fact in any sort of growth high sugar & insulin are likely to be high.  That's why overweight kids tend to be very good at things like weightlifting, and why obese toddlers are likely to be twice as tall as their peers.  That's also why bodybuilders tend to cycle carbs - when carbs & protein are high it's easy to build muscle.  When carbs are low, it's easier to cut fat.  If you switch rapidly between the two it can seem like you're able to cut fat and grow muscle at the same time.  You're not.  High sugar & Insulin = growth.  Low sugar & low insulin = shrink.

 

I have a book around here somewhere that talks about all the things we don't know about medicine, like we don't know how chemo actually works on a cellular level.  It could be that making you so sick you don't want to eat lowers blood sugar & insulin so much that the state of ketosis alone is what kills certain kinds of cancer (primarily the hormone linked malignant kind).   Several kinds of tumors use much more energy than normal cells.

 

As an aside, I'm currently reading Jason Fung's Obesity Code.  He thinks the primary hormone that regulates the weight set point is insulin.  And the only thing that's really changed in the last 30 years is that our processed food diet greatly increases insulin levels, which is why we are all fat.  High insulin = impossibly high hunger = everyone gaining weight.  He also spent several chapters going through all the science that shows calories in calories out is a farce.  Our weight is primarily controlled by hormones.  He recommends intermittent fasting, because fasting dramatically lowers insulin but keeps metabolism high or even raises it, unlike lowering calories, which just lowers metabolism. He says the reason weight loss surgery works so well is that it starts with fasting and acts like fasting, keeping metabolism high while lowering insulin. 

[ktgrok]

I'm also wondering if getting rid of the adhesions would help with sometimes painful sex....issues where he is um, hitting the cervix. Would that be less of an issue if the cervix was positioned normally? Hmm. 

[Katy]

I'm also wondering if getting rid of the adhesions would help with sometimes painful sex....issues where he is um, hitting the cervix. Would that be less of an issue if the cervix was positioned normally? Hmm. 

 

I'm sure it could make a difference, but it might depend on his size.  If he's very big, chances are higher it won't help much.  No need to publicly respond to that one.

[ktgrok]

I'm sure it could make a difference, but it might depend on his size.  If he's very big, chances are higher it won't help much.  No need to publicly respond to that one.

 

LOL! Let's just say he is, but not in that direction. He's a girth kind of guy :) Thankfully.....if he was more endowed the other direction we'd NEVER do it, as it really is an issue. 

[ktgrok]

He's the other issue. I haven't told my family that we are going to try to have another baby. Don't want to hear any negativity. Don't want to stress my mom out (she gets anxiety). Was going to wait and tell her after we get pregnant, if we get pregnant. BUT, if I do he surgery, I'd feel REALLY weird hiding a surgery from her. I don't think I could do that. And she'd be hurt if I did. I think. I mean, maybe I could spin it that we wanted to surprise her, but...I think it would hurt her. So if I'm having surgery I'd want to let her know, and maybe even have her at the hospital with me so my husband doesn't have to take off work at his new job. He could just drop me off and pick me up. 

 

But I don't want to tell her. 

 

If I'm just dong the hysteroscopy I don't feel the need to share that. But also not sure I have anyone to stay with me. i bet I could find a friend though. Or hire a doula, lol. 

[Katy]

So don't tell her the reason for it.  Tell her you've been having painful sex and your doctor wanted to remove some scar tissue that's pulling your cervix out of a normal position so you're laving laparoscopic surgery.   Or tell her it's time to replace the Mirena but the doctor can't reach it so you're having surgery for that, or you're going to use a different method because Mirena is causing problems.  Or Mirena might be the reason you can't get off the last 10 pounds or whatever.

 

That way you get your mom, DH doesn't have to take off work, and she doesn't get in a panic.

[prairiewindmomma]

Katie, if you must say something, you don't need to tell her the entire truth. Just tell her that your IUD was positioned such that when you went to check on it, you couldn't, and the doctor couldn't even get to it to check on it so you had to have it removed under anesthesia.  There was scar tissue there, and they went in and removed it.

 

That may beg the question of, "So what are you going to do now?" and you can answer that how you like....."We're looking into all of that." should suffice.

[Katy]

Katie, if you must say something, you don't need to tell her the entire truth. Just tell her that your IUD was positioned such that when you went to check on it, you couldn't, and the doctor couldn't even get to it to check on it so you had to have it removed under anesthesia.  There was scar tissue there, and they went in and removed it.

 

That may beg the question of, "So what are you going to do now?" and you can answer that how you like....."We're looking into all of that." should suffice.

 

This.  This is perfect.

[MercyA]

Yes, I've had outpatient laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis. Recovery wasn't bad at all. Really, I had very little if any pain. I was up and around the same day (although I probably should have rested more). My only problem was a specific unpleasant side effect caused by the anesthesia, and if you haven't had problems being put under before, that shouldn't be a worry for you. Hope everything goes well.

[Katy]

Oh yeah, definitely ask for the anti-nausea meds, even if you haven't had problems with anesthesia before.  3 days of projectile vomiting is no fun for anyone.