Laparoscopy Recovery

[nutellabunny]

How long was your recovery time when you had a laparoscopy, if you had one? I don't full understand any of it honestly, what it is or what it does or how it's executed. All the doctors seemed pretty certain I had endometriosis, so they didn't want to bother with a laparoscopy. I've made virtually no progress so I'm wondering about asking for one at my next gyno appointment. Thanks!

[Tash1381]

My recovery time was only a week but it all depends how you handle the anaesthetic to.

[DaisyDuckUK]

When I had mine, they also got rid if some of the endometriosis while they were there. I was in the operating theatre for nearly three hours.

I had two and a half weeks off work. I could probably have had less but my period came and was agonising (everything is very raw inside) and my GP was happy to sign me off for longer and my work preferred me to be properly better before I came back.

I felt properly better about three weeks after my op.

[Miss_E8]

I agree with the others. I've had 2 and both times had between 5-10 days off. The last time I struggled to get the anethestic out of my system and was napping at lunchtime for a while. However it will take longer than 2 weeks for your body to completely recover-back to normal took me at few months. You forget that its major surgery done through small incisions. I would do it all again though if the pain got bad again.

[Lou7707]

Hi nutellabunny

The only way to diagnose endometriosis is with a laparoscopy. Here is some information which should answer your queries.

endometriosis-uk.org/sites/...

Louise

Endometriosis UK

[nutellabunny in reply to Lou7707]

This link really helped! I'm not sure if it's because I'm not in the UK (I live in Canada) but it seems like the UK treats endometriosis a lot more seriously than they do here. My main gyno + other doctors told me a laparoscopy is the only way to firmly diagnose endometriosis, but every one of them also thought I was too young for it or that it seemed like it couldn't be any thing but endometriosis so "what's the point in looking" kind of thing, if that makes sense? The whole journey has just led me to a lot of useless referrals and dead ends honestly, but with the info you gave me I'm thinking I should maybe push harder for a laparoscopy when I'm at my next appointment. It certainly doesn't help that I'm 17 and tend to go to these appointments alone...

I really appreciate this and your work and what everyone else commented too! If you have any more advice I would love to hear about it. Thank you for everything.

[uplivity]

Hi Nutella bunny,

Are you in the UK? If you are, your GP should refer you to a specialist BSGE centre for all investigations into & management of Endometriosis:

bsge.org.uk/

[nutellabunny in reply to uplivity]

I'm actually in Canada but thank you for this! I will look into something similar in Canada

[treez]

Hi

I had 2 weeks off work I do a very physical job I felt fit enough to go back after a week but just to be sure I had the second week (that's how long the hospital signed me off for)I went to a specialist centre and nothing was found so I'm still having the same pain but I know it's not endo so I'm happy that I had the laparoscopy.I would push for getting seen at a specialist centre it might mean a longer wait but at least you know that they will follow the right guidelines.

Treez

[GrittyReads]

Hi, The recovery time can vary hugely, depending on whether it is just an 'exploratory / diagnostic' laparoscopy, or if they do any removal. Recovery time will also vary if removal is done, as it depends on how much endo is found, where it is, what type, and how it is removed.

I would follow the link (above) sent by Lou 7707, and have a good look around, generally, on the 'Endo Uk' site. If it is your first ever lap, I would expect (hope) that it is just diagnostic, as if the endometriosis in your pelvic cavity is extensive or complicated, then you need to be referred to a specialist BSGE (Endo) clinic. GPs should know this, and should tell you all the information.

NB Check posts on here, from yesterday and before, by Lindle, but do look at the 'Endo Uk' info, and try to learn as much about Endo as possible. It may also help to take someone with you to all appointments, and have them as clued up as you are!

Hope this helps and that all goes well.

[Sparkyxx9386]

Hey,

I ended up having 4 weeks off post Lap. (Didn't help that I got a minor infection in one of my scars).

I've heard of people feeling fit to work after a couple of days and others that have needed 6-8 weeks. The average however seems to be around 2-4 weeks depending on your job, how you commute, whether you have any other health conditions etc.

All in all the recovery wasn't actually that bad, and I'd definitely be happy to have another laparoscopy if I needed it.

Regards,

[Mummykay]

I had a laparoscopy in 2013 where they diagnosed my endo, that one they gave me a dye test and removed some of the endo while I was under and that one I woke up in quiet a lot of pain, I think it took me about 3-4weeks to recover from that one, my laparoscopy in 2015 I had an ectopic pregnancy removed, and one of my tubes cleared, that one I didn't really feel much pain afterwards I worked New Year's Eve in a very busy pub 13 days after my surgery and was fine, I'm now recovering from my 3rd and this is by far the most painful, but this time they removed another ectopic pregnancy and the tube, I'm now 4 days post surgery and starting to feel like I did when I woke up from my first, so it all depends on what they actually do to you, some people wake up and recover very quickly whereas other people suffer for weeks, unfortunately there's no way of knowing which one you will be X

[Starry]

Mine was 5 weeks before I could return to work. I tried after two and was in far too much pain and suffered severe post op fatigue. It was diagnostic lap , cystoscopy and Mirena insertion but with treatment which was an ovarian cyst removal which had glued my ovary to my abdomen lining. I had a minor complication in that I was kept in overnight in severe pain and had had some reaction to the morphine I'd been given I believe which may have lengthened my recovery.