Biopsy prior lap

[Pisi]

Hello ladies! I am about to have a partial hysterectomy in december, i am already terrified, gutted, i am s...ing on myself with fear. My consultant told me I need to have a biopsy from my womb prior to surgery so he can know there is nothing dodgy there except a lot of fibroids he has already seen on scans. I do not know if this is something normal before a hysterectomy and I am kind of scared. as if my fear for surgery is not enough. can anybody tell me what to expect at the biopsy please? Is is going to hurt? Is the pain unbearable, do I need to take painkillers? I do not know maybe you all will think I am crazy or acting foolishly but I am so terrified of this surgery that I think I am going to die, I started not to make any plans post operation as I do not know if I will survive. It is my first surgery and it seems something so so terrifying. I have had endometriosis for some years, I am not in pain as I can manage it with minipill, but in have cysts on my ovaries and a lot of fibroids. I do not want to live with them as they can turn into something else over the years, my consultant decided I can have a partial hysterectomy, He will leave my cervix and one ovary only if there is no risk of reccurence from endometriosis. I am numb with fear and my biopsy date is coming soon. I try to reassure myself that all will be fine but it is so hard. Can you please advise me about biopsy please? Thank you!

[EvilEdna77]

I am on the list for s full hysterectomy, during ultrasound and mri they discovered fluid and a large fibroid in my womb. (Alongside stage 4 endo, fused bowel and ovaries) They attempted a biopsy to rule out cancer but due to previous ablation surgery they couldn’t obtain it. They were very reassuring and said that due to my age (46) I was at very low risk for womb cancer and the treatment would be a hysterectomy which I am having anyway and they would biospy during surgery just in case.

[Avourneen]

Don't worry it won't be anyhwere near as scary as you think. I felt like this before my last op and worked yself up into a terrible state. You won't feel the biopsy, they will take a bit during the op.In fact during the op you won't feel a thing you will just be asleep, it's really safe having an op nowadays and the risks of anything bad happening are miniscule less than 1 percent. You will of course be part of the 99 percent who have no issues at all. It can feel horrible when you come round, for me I'm usually very sick after the anaesthetic, but that is not very common, I've seen ladies eating a meal after they come round and not feeling rough at all. The worst theng for me was a terrible pain in my neck for about 3 days caused by the gas they use to put you out (it affects the phrenic nerve) but that passes after a few days.

Then you will need someone to stay home and keep an eye on you/help you out for a few days. The biggest thing to remember is getting better is really slow, you must take things realy easy and do. not left anything at all heavy for about 6 weeks.

It's annoying and a bit of a drag but it's not unbearable pain you will get strong painkillers to take for a few weeks til your body recovers a bit but honestly it won't be anywhere as bad as you think. I was super scared before and if I was having another op now , knowing what I know I wouldn't be. You won't be in any danger and in a few months you will feel so much better. I hope this helps. XX

[Pisi in reply to Avourneen]

Thamk you very much for your reply. i am to have the biopsy 2 weeks before my op so no anesthetic. This scares me as i do not know what to expect, a lot of pain, do i nees to take painkillers.

[Avourneen in reply to Pisi]

Oh , I'm sorry I didn't realise it was before the op. I only had mine taken at the op.Maybe someone else will have some suggestions. Sorry I can't be more help.

[Anjidav]

hello, some years ago they took a few tiny bits of my womb for checking. I can recall some discomfort and would recommend taking paracetamol or some other pain relief an hour before. Unfortunately for me they were badly delayed so the pain relief I took had worn off!

But on the plus side it may not hurt for everyone, it was done and over very very quickly and it was not excruciating only a little sharp for a few moments.

But we are all different so I hope you don’t feel it at all. Try to breathe regularly and relax as being tense will make anything harder.

Good luck

[Pisi in reply to Anjidav]

Thank you very much for taking time to amswer.

[the4ts]

I would definitely mention the anxiety and difficulty this is causing you and ask if the biopsy can be done using sedation (IV sedation / twilight sleep). I had a hysterescopy done where they did a biopsy using this prior to having a total hysterectomy (and removal of both ovaries, fallopian tubes and cervix) a couple of years ago and I don't remember a thing about it. I also had an MRI before my hysterectomy as well (but that was because they found complex atypical hyperplasia after my biopsy). They knew how anxious I was regarding the hysterscopy and biopsy and I was offered the choice of sedation. As to the hysterectomy itself, it was also my first proper surgery too and I was terrified. I spoke to the anaesthetist beforehand and they were amazing and very reassuring (also gave me some sedatives to take before the operation itself whilst I was in hospital). They are very used to this! I was surprised how little pain I actually experienced. It was very well-controlled. I was given some strong painkillers to take home with me which worked a treat and, after about 5 or 6 days, I was managing with just normal paracetemol. As another post said, no heavy lifting for at least six weeks after the op itself. Good luck with everything and, I know how hard this is, but do try not to worry too much about it all.

[Pisi in reply to the4ts]

Thank you very much for your reply. It is reassuring and i will try to be more positive.

[Cinnamonswirl]

Hi, I'm so sorry to hear how anxious you are and I agree with other posters that if you let the staff know they'll be so supportive and helpful I'm sure.

I had a hysteroscopy and womb biopsy a couple of weeks ago. I was really dreading it after reading about it online, but it was not too bad after all and the pain during the biopsy lasted just seconds. The staff were so understanding when I told them I was nervous at the beginning. The (male) consultant was repeatedly asking me to let him know I was ok (as would stop proceeding if I wasn't), which helped me feel in control and supported. The nurse assisting me (there was the consultant and two nurses, one seemed to be in charge of the equipment and one is there purely to support you) said to me 'we are all here for you' in such a kind way and I really felt they were.

[Pisi in reply to Cinnamonswirl]

Thank you very much for your reply!