Pre op done but confused

[Soph94]

Hi ladies just been for my pre op bloody pressure was a little high. I saw a specialist nurse but to be honest she wasn't that helpful. She told me that my laproscopy was purley diagnostic so if endo is found they won't do anything about it until they have further discussions with me. Also she said they would be looking around my womb but surely they must look around other places as they think my endo could possible by on my bladder? So I'm really confused should I try not to worry and just wait to see what the doctor says on the day?

Thanks ladies xx

[Natty1986]

Hello there - just from experience I have found that nhs consultants, not all, but a lot, will only concentrate on areas where Endo is common. They will not thoroughly exam different organs like the bladder and bowel because if they did have any complications when routing around, it is often difficult to put right if they are not a specialist in the field e.g perforating the bowel. The consultant on the day should explain where he will be looking and if they do go in and find chocolate spots and legions then they should remove them at that time. They won't wish to go in again as this can increase scan tissue resulting in more places for Endo cells to attach onto. Also try and tell them as much as you can about areas you think they should concentrate on as it's your body and you know! you can also ask for the operative report afterwards so you can see exactly what areas where investigated. Wishing you the very best of luck - get a hot water bottle, peppermint tea and strong painkillers at the ready. Hope the Lapo helps you with the pain X

[Soph94 in reply to Natty1986]

Thank so you much for your reply. It's so worrying not knowing but I hope to get more answers on the day. Iv got peppermint tea ready and waiting. So if they don't check my bladder will I need to go to a specialist?

Again thank you, I hope you are well yourself xx

[Natty1986 in reply to Soph94]

You may be lucky and get a really thorough laparoscopy - I hope for your sake you do. I would stress that all the pain is around a certain area and explain why you feel it's in your bladder area etc don't be fobbed off and be firm!

I had my second Lapo on Monday and mentioned before that my bowel was riddled with Endo when I had a Lapo privately and the consultant told me he wouldn't check that as he didn't have a bowel surgeon on site. My Lapo showed nothing this time when the pain is even worse than before so now I'm going back to my private consultant as I don't think the NHS consultant checked all the areas that needed investigation! I know my body and I know this constant pain isn't right ...

I will keep fighting till I get someone to help me whether I have to pay again or not xxx

[Hidden in reply to Soph94]

Having just had endo excised from my bladder by an NHS consultant, I can definitely say that the idea that NHS doctors don't look at your bladder is a load of nonsense. If they've already said that they think you have bladder endo, they're going to check your bladder. All paying for private treatment gets you is quicker treatment - most doctors who work privately also work for the NHS and not every private gynae is an endo specialist. They also may not be able to remove it. I didn't have any endo removed during my first lap as it was found to be more severe than anticipated so the gynae that carried it out made the decision to leave it alone and refer me on to someone else, which IMO is better than trying to carry out a surgery he wasn't equipped to do and botching it.

There is a difference in the treatment you will get from different doctors, however. General gynae can usually deal with mild endo but they can't deal with it once the disease becomes severe or if you have it in more difficult to reach places (like recto vaginal endo) and if they tell you that you have severe disease or you don't feel confident with the care you're getting your GP can refer you to a BSGE centre - these are mostly NHS and are consultants who specialise in dealing with endo and can offer a more highly skilled surgery than you will get from a general gynae.

The hospital will send you home with whatever painkillers you need. I had my second lap 2 weeks ago and was offered ibuprofen and dihydrocodeine to take home (though I didn't take either as I already have a massive box of assorted pills at home anyway).

Good luck - it will be fine.