How to ensure a thorough diagnostic lap

[Brann]

Hi there, I am from Canada and have suspected endo. My gynecologist is planning to do a laparoscopy soon to check. I have requested a check only, not removal, because if I do have it I am concerned that it be operated on by an experienced excision surgeon, and not just ablated. I am concerned that she will miss seeing the endometriosis and therefore give me a false clear. Is there any thing I should request? Do they look everywhere? Are they any particular places I should ask her to look at? Will they take pictures, samples etc? Any advice on how I can ensure a thorough exam? I don't want to be told I'm fine when there really is endo there!! Thank u.

[Avourneen]

Hi Brann,

The first thing you can do to make sure your op is successful is to have good scans. Any surgeon worth their salt won't do a lap withiut scans. For example an MRI can detect adenomysiois much better than a surgeon doing a lap can.The surgeon should use the scans to see where the endo is and to plan their operation.

Secondly I think having a lap just to check then having another one to remove is a bad idea.Because a lap is called keyhole surgery and is considered a minot procedure peope think it's no big deal but every time you have surgery you are openend up and this causes internal scarring and adhesions which cause symtoms very much like endo. I have had just two ops for endo and now every surgeon I speak to says they cannot operate even though my endo is really bad because the operations have caused so much internal scarring it would be dangerous to operate again.

I had one lap (i hadn't had any scans) to check where they ablated the endo and it came striaght back as they had also missed most of it then another lap for excision which didn't help much and has caused huge scarring.

Go to a really specialist doctor who can scan you properly see where the endo is and excise it properly the first time, don't have two separate ops it's a very bad idea.I don't know about Canada but the US has most of the top endo specialists so you should be able to find someone really good over the border.

Good luck

[Brann]

Thank you so much for your reply!!! I get what you are saying about the scarring. I guess it just seemed foolish to spend $40,000 to go to USA for a surgery when I am not even sure if it is endometriosis or not. Therefore I thought if my gyne here would check (no cost to me) and find endo then I would know for sure and could confidently go to USA. But yes, I understand the scarring issue you are mentioning and I don't want that either...