Laparoscopy healing

[KennyLambrini]

Hi everyone, A question for the laparoscopy ladies;

How long did it take you to heal? It's been 3 months since my surgery, and I fear my pain is worse than before. I've been prescribed diazepam for pain which I'm taking twice daily alongside, paracetamol and menfamic acid.

Is this residual pain from surgery or the healing process still?

I guess I was dreaming for even a few pain free months, even though realistically I knew it wouldn't happen ☹️

[allym92]

Hi! Sorry to hear you are in a lot of pain from the surgery

Can I ask, did you get excision / ablation during your surgery?

I got a mix of both during my laparoscopy a couple of years ago, and 2 months post-op I was still in more pain than I was before my surgery. I wound up going to a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to help heal faster.

My surgeon had told me it takes only 2 weeks to heal and when I asked for a doctors note after 5 weeks he got angry at me and severely shamed me (he was horrible). But I have since read on other surgeon's Instagrams and in a book about endometriosis that it really depends both on what is done during the surgery and the person themselves, and it can easily take up to 12 weeks to heal fully.

Try to be kind to yourself... I know it's horrible when you are hoping for answers / pain free solutions and then you just feel worse. I was the same.

I wound up going to physiotherapy (even though said surgeon told me it wouldn't help me) and it was the only thing that got me back on my feet. It turned out my pelvic floor was insanely tight from all the years of pain.

Has the pain gone down at all for you over the last few weeks since the surgery? Have you had a follow up with your surgeon? Don't take my experience as what will happen to you.. my surgeon was just a horrible person that day. It is always worthwhile following up with your surgeon / gynae and checking that everything is OK.

[KennyLambrini in reply to allym92]

Hi, thank you for your detailed response! Makes me feel a little better to know I'm not alone.

I also got excision / ablation during surgery (from both ovaries) and some was too embedded to remove. The pain since comes and goes in severity, but never seems to fully subside, and can flare at any given time no matter what I'm doing.

My surgeon although nice, didn't really give me any timeframe for healing, just 1 appointment post-op after a month and was told that as long as the stiches are healing I should be fine within a few more weeks.

I've also seen that depends on the person and severity of the op, but had no idea it could take up 12 months to heal fully. I feel that it's rather misleading that we're told we'd be up and about within 2-3 weeks.

I've been recommended physiotherapy which I might give a go, I'm willing to try anything at this point,l! I've also considered acupuncture but it's hard to know what will help anymore.

Thanks again, I hope you also find the right solution for you, and I'm sorry to hear that your surgeon was so cruel.

[allym92 in reply to KennyLambrini]

Shoot sorry I meant 12 weeks not 12 months!! But I would say anything between 3 - 4 months is still normal as we all heal at different paces.

Physiotherapy really worked for me, make sure it is a women's health / pelvic physiotherapist as they will know what they are doing (if you do decide to try it)! It might not cure all of your pain but a lot of women still have pain even after endo is removed because their pelvic floor is so tight from years of being in pain!