Surgery options

[Lavenderpetal]

Hi everyone,

I really need some advice!

I have had severe pains everyday for a year along with fatigue, nausea ect. Everything's been ruled out apart from endometriosis which is what all my symptoms and history points at.

I booked an appointment with a specalist last year and he gave me meds and told me at my next gynaecology appointment to ask to be put on the list for a laparoscopy. Well after longer than I thought I finally have an gyneacolist appointment on the NHS next week.

Question is what surgery do I ask for? Or can I even pick? I've seen so many people say one certain surgery is better but I can't remember the name of it or find it.

Any help, advice or suggestions are so welcomed! Thank you in advance (hope everyone is doing well) 💗💗💗

[Purplehunkymoo]

Hello,

So sorry it has taken the NHS such a long term to actually get you seen by a gynaecologist...bad to say but thats typical NHS!! When you are in with the consultant for an assessment or a consultation: You can request surgery, the main type of surgery that will diagnose endometriosis is a laparoscopy, it is impossible to get a diagnosis without one.

During laparoscopy surgery: if they fins endometriosis tissue growing where it should not, they will remove it. Post surgery the gynaecologist will speak with you and explain your diagnosis, surgery and a treatment plan.

Hope this helps- be strong and keep your chin up! 💛

[pinkie25]

excision surgery is the thing everyone says is better cause they can remove more of the endometriosis. Ablation surgery is cheaper for them to do and less risky but isn’t always very useful because it only removes the surface of the endometriosis. If you get referred to someone on the nhs then you might not have a choice which surgery it is because they might only do one type. Specialists sometimes do both on the same surgery if it’s too risky to cut a certain area or if it’s minimal in certain places.

[Jen_dog]

I have found that the NHS are currently pushing the coil as treatment due to waiting lists: but you can decline this and request surgery.

What surgery you get very much depends on who you see. There are specialist centres that do excision, but it seems very difficult to get referrals to them in my experience. Plus there are waiting times for surgery: where I am it’s 12 months to get a gynaecologist appointment, and then the Gynie Department are making people go through 12 months of pointless assessments/scans/appointments before putting them on the surgery waiting list (which I have been provisionally advised is 12-18 months).

[Marcia71]

a lap is the surgery and a step to diagnosis. Nowadays scans - MRI or ultrasound - when done by someone trained to spot endo are a diagnostic tool and can give a diagnosis particularly if deep infiltrating endo and if they show this then you would need referral to a bsge specialist endo centre.

If scans haven’t shown deep endo then you should have a lap with a gynae with special interest in endo. Thats harder to pinpoint but is the U.K. pathway. Excisions surgery is where they cut out endo and is more likely to see it not return. Ablation is when they burn it off and is just the top level so it’s possible endo is below what they see. It’s appropriate to use both methods of removal in certain areas and someone trained in endo will know.

Good luck.