Hey all,
Hope you’re all having a pain free day.
Got a surprise call today with a date for my first laparoscopy.Just over 2 weeks from now.
Hoping to draw on your collective experiences to advise on what Qs I should be asking in the pre-op and any other tips for the day of the op and days after……
Any/all suggestions welcome!
Hi JEWM,
Hope you’re feeling ok about surprise date - my first advice is to just slow down these next few weeks to rest and mentally prepare 🧘♀️
For pre-op, it might depend on how your hospital works, but for me (at Royal Stoke) this was a general pre-op assessing fitness for anaesthetic so not specific to answering gynae questions. In my pre-op they did usual checks of BP, blood test, ECG, MRSA swab etc, and talked me through the bowel prep I needed to do the day before (not everyone needs this). I’d use this appointment to ask more general questions about how it will work on the day, likely recovery and what you need to do before surgery (unless you’re with someone more gynae focused!). Also ask if they know what you’re likely to be prescribed on discharge. I’d also take the chance to do a practice run of finding the surgery ward / place you need to go to on the day. The hospital I was in, the ward was buried away and not signposted from the main reception. So I was really glad I explored where it was to reduce panic on the morning of the op!
Before the op itself, as noted above try and really look after yourself. Get your bedroom etc nice and clean. I actually moved bedrooms to be closer to the loo and so I didn’t have to go up and down some small stairs. I also prepped a box in the room full of snacks, water, hand cream, books, wet wipes, painkillers etc, basically anything I might need on hand after the surgery. I’d recommend getting in some nice peppermint tea - this can help after the op with the gas pain. My lovely friends bought me a heat pad thing and this was a real godsend for after the op so would recommend this! It can just sit in the bed and you can turn it on and off as needed, put under your shoulders, lie over your tummy etc. I also purchased some wound spray from the chemist which I used to gently spray around the wounds after showering. Pack a bag for the hospital in the days leading up to the surgery . As well as your personal possessions and books etc it’s handy to take phone charger, snacks, water bottle, nice clean PJs and toiletries (including sanitary towels) just in case you need to overnight. They will probably ask you to remove all jewellery for the surgery so either remove it before going or take a wee purse or something to pop it safely inside your bag (and bear in mind they may not have lockers).
Day of the op itself - wear comfy loose clothing and stay warm as you can!! I didn’t wear proper shoes but chose a socks and sliders combo to avoid having to bend after the surgery to put my shoes on etc. Also found a soft non-wired bra more comfy. I’m a contact lens wearer but wore my glasses instead - the anaesthetist took them off and I woke up with them on lol. You’ll probably need to do a pregnancy test before the surgery so check with the nurses about this before going to the loo etc. after you’ve had the op if you feel sick from the anaesthetic you can ask for an anti-emetic. I didn’t end up getting any because it was a strike day, so I was kept in longer and not discharged until 9:15pm (despite being first on the list) and then vomited in the car on the way home (luckily into a bowl thing I’d grabbed!). So if there’s any sickness after the op that isn’t passing ask for an anti emetic 😊
Post op - alongside the usual taking it easy etc, expect constipation! The hosp may send you home with laxatives but if they don’t it’s worth taking some stool softener/ laxatives for a few days after surgery. I found a heat pad helped with the gas / shoulder pain (for me it always got worse after walking or moving around etc) and peppermint tea was also soothing.
Take care x
Thank you Apprentice Hag! This is an amazing reply with stacks of tips!
This is great. What was the wound spray for? To minimize scaring?
Do you mind sharing the name of it?
Thanks.
Hiya, wound spray wasn’t mentioned by the healthcare team but it was something I decided to buy. I had an infected post-op wound in 2015 and I wanted to help prevent infection with this op any way I could. It was just this stuff which is an antiseptic - I carefully sprayed it on/around the wounds after showering. Didn’t sting. Not aware it can cause any harm and think it helps just keep things nice and clean. I’m 2 weeks-ish after surgery and wounds healing well.
Lots of great advice here. Peppermint is a must for the gas pain for the first 3 days or so at least. I also got some gentle laxatives in (dulcoease and laxido). Keeping mobile as soon as you can helps but go gently I just did little laps walking around downstairs first few days.
I will add that it is useful to have a body pillow or V pillow to prop you up initially for comfort on sofa or sleeping on your back in bed. I found the body pillow great to support sideways sleeping (you can support tummy and have between your legs) after the 2-3 weeks as I struggle to sleep on my back but incisions were still too sore to lie sideways normally.
A pillow for putting between the seatbelt and your tummy on way home and sick bowl of some sort for the car (I didn’t need it but best to know it’s there).
I kept a cushion or pillow to hand in case I coughed/sneezed/laughed for first couple of weeks and it helps to support your tummy when getting in and out of bed.
I was told specifically not to use anything on the wounds so I would double check before using any sprays etc. If you’re worried about wound infection I did buy some Hibiscrub (it’s used by surgeons and hospital staff) and used it in the shower the morning of my surgery (they said to shower before) to get rid of any bacteria on the skin and focused on cleaning my belly button, and then post op once my dressings were off (I was told to leave a week) I would gently put some on the upper belly skin above my incisions, not directly on the incisions, and let it wash over the incisions in the shower. I didn’t get any wound infection and healed well with that regime.
Having someone to prep meals for you or some make ahead freezer meals helpful. As you can’t be lifting heavy things or bending it’s helpful to put things you’ll need in easy reach and ensure the house has a good clean pre op!
I’m a skinny jeans kind of girl so I had to invest in some looser clothes. I’m a size 8 normally but bought size 12 joggers, and some medium pyjamas, and medium leggings and some bralettes. Glad I did as I remained bloated for 8-10 weeks post op so they have had good use.
Best of luck!
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