first Laparoscopy

[SMAIB]

after years, I’ve finally got a date in 10 days for my first laparoscopy….never had an op, what do I need to prepare,before,during and after. Do I need to ask questions before and after surgery?!

Any help is appreciated

Soph x

[redpot]

Hello, really happy for you, shame you had to wait years for surgery.

I don't think there's anything in particular to prepare before the op other than maybe adopting a good diet, staying well hydrated and trying to relax. From my experience there's little they can tell you before the op (other than generic information) because they don't really know what they'll find before they look inside. The surgeon and anaesthetist will visit you in your hospital room shortly before the op to prepare for the surgery so you will have a chance to ask questions then. The surgeon will visit you after the surgery and explain what he did / found, but personally I never really remembered what he said at the time, as you're still under the effect of the drugs, so maybe give him a call a few days later or ask to receive the post-op summary. After the surgery, if they have remove endo, you should feel much better pretty quickly but you'll be super bloated for a few days as they inject gas in your abdomen during the surgery. It takes days for the gas to go away and it can be a bit painful but usually it only lasts a few days. For this reason, make sure you bring super comfy/baggy clothes to wear when you leave the hospital. Sorry if it's too much information but you'll also be constipated so try and drink a lot of fluid, have a healthy diet, rich in fibres etc

Post op make sure you discuss options with your surgeon: should you take any medication to prevent ends coming back (or at least slow down the process, it's likely to come back) etc

It usually does not take long to recover from a "simple" lap but if you feel you need more time, don't push yourself and take it easy.

All the best!

[Fred91]

hey there!

I had like you my first in September.

Make sure you have someone with you for the first couple of weeks to help you out with cooking and heavy lifting and even walking. You’ll be sore for a while so it will take you some time.

Ensure you have enough time off work and don’t rush back into it too quickly, you’ll feel exhausted for quite some time and will need to rest as much as possible.

Make sure you get a detailed discharge letter because hospitals and gp don’t talk to each other, so you’ll end up having more information told to you than your GP. And don’t be afraid to call the GP or the hospital after discharge if you feel unsure about anything post operation!

There’s a lot of good recovery recipes online that do help, so have a look at those. And lots of vitamin c and e!

it sounds like a lot but knowing all these helped me a lot. Read about other ladies experiences, yours will be different but it’s good to see what others had to give you an idea 😊