laparoscopy.

[Shabs2024]

I am due to have a laparoscopy, unfortunately it won’t be a endo specialist. I have waited a long time, and in a lot of pain and fed up now. I have asked numerous times but i haven’t seen a endo specialist. My question is how successful has surgery been for you without a endo specialist? I am worried i will be worse off. Any advice on your experience appreciated. Thanks

[Hollymariaxox]

Hey! Is it a diagnostic laparoscopy? I am in the same boat.. although no scans or internal scans have shown anything they have referred me for suspected endo due to all of my symptoms and I'm so fed up 😩 I'm in constant pain, had appendix removed, colonoscopys and everything this last year due to misdiagnosis, I now have 16 weeks left to wait for a referral! Good luck I hope everything goes well ❤️‍🩹

[Shabs2024 in reply to Hollymariaxox]

Hi mine is to remove endo, i had a mri which showed deeply infiltrated. I hope you get answers when they do the laparoscopy, I had suspected appendicitis, as the pain was so bad. It is because of the endometriosis. A lot of women are getting a misdiagnosis. X

[Hollymariaxox in reply to Shabs2024]

Aww I see! Do you think they will automatically do an MRI first? Or go straight to diagnostic laparoscopy? 🥴 I have no idea who to ask, but I have had CT scans, colonoscopy, ultrasound and internal ultrasound and all was clear! 😩 It's so frustrating. I'm glad you have answers albeit that you do have endometriosis, sometimes it's better jus to know 🥺 it's so sad how much it's undiagnosed and how much you need to go through for the answers! Good luck ♥️🙏🏻🙏🏻 I hope all goes well for you xx

[Shabs2024 in reply to Hollymariaxox]

Thanks, ultrasound scan showed nothing. I went undiagnosed years. Then decided to get Mri as the pain was really bad. It showed deep infiltrating endo. I was then put on the list for hysterectomy. Because i have Adenemyosis too. But we recently agreed to have a laparoscopy to remove as much endo as possible. Xx

[Els123456]

I think there are different levels of Endo specialists. I’ve got lap on Monday with a surgeon who ‘ has over 22 years of experience in the field of Gynaecology. Her special interests include minimal access surgery, both laparoscopic and hysteroscopic, pelvic pain and endometriosis’ so I’m hoping to god praying it will be ok. I’m in so much pain! Good luck maybe you can call them in advance to have a chat with a consultant and talk this through and keep chasing for a date x

[Shabs2024 in reply to Els123456]

I hope i will be in good hands. Heard so many women worse of after laparoscopy, as the consultants were not endo specialists. But not given much choice. X

[Lofty1589]

As long as you see someone with a specialist interest in Endo, it’s okay for a diagnostic lap. Because waiting lists are so high, Endo specialists are typically only seeing those with stage 3 or 4 Endo as per the BSGE guidelines. More often than not, if you have severe disease, it’s discovered in the diagnostic lap and you are then referred to a specialist to have excision.

If you have just a general gynae, then that presents an issue. However, if they have the specialist interest, they should be able to recognise Endo but will know their limits of what they can treat. NICE Guidelines state that a gynae with a specialist interest is required. If your surgeon doesn’t have this, don’t be afraid to fight back and request someone who does. I know it’s so hard waiting for surgery when you are in pain but speaking from experience, I’d rather wait longer to see someone who knows what they’re doing and looking for than seeing someone who tells me all is fine despite my pain and symptoms because they aren’t trained to recognise Endo.

[Faylen34]

Personally I would find out as much as possible about the consultant performing the surgery. I would request an appointment or call and ask as many questions as you can. As above mentioned do they have an interest in endometriosis. How many endometriosis surgeries have they performed. Who will be in theatre. Robotic or laproscopic. Excision or ablation. You need to feel comfortable with who is performing the operation and their experience. In the mean time I would go on this website and find your closest bsge approved hospital, you are in your right to request a referral to them if you do not feel comfortable with the person who is due to peform the surgery. Or even just get advice really - bsge.org.uk/centre/category...

[Shabs2024 in reply to Faylen34]

Thank you for your reply i am looking into this now.

[Els123456]

Hi all, I also need some advice as above have my lap on Monday with a surgeon with a special interest in Endo. So think I will go ahead with it. I was referred through a and e though. If you ask for an Endo specialist do you have to go back through the gp? If they find out it’s stage 4 and very serious can they refer onto a specialist centre straight away? I’ve also only had a scan not mri and found 2 chocolate cysts one normal cysts, uterus sticking to bowel, kissing ovaries. Pls any help really appreciated!

[Cocoacupid in reply to Els123456]

Hun this sounds like more advanced endo to me I think for the diagnostic they will do a cystectomy to remove the cysts and then they will have to perform an excision later on. I was like you and then had to wait a year for surgery I had my excision back in may with a coleractal surgeon and my endo consultant although I had excision I have another cyst on my ovary just after five or so months I have another scan I a couple weeks and have been in tremendous pain again. Sometimes even with excision depending on the person can grow back as the endo cells multiply and even though they said to me all visible endo removed it has come back for me. I have changed diet and still come back . It could be to do with the fact I have autism and get anxious about things sometimes unknowingly and stress etc has triggered the cells to multiply even though I don’t have things with lactose have gone gluten free don’t have very much sugar in diet at all . Eat a lot of fish don’t drink alcohol so for me these big differences haven’t help me very much at all . Trust your gut and have as much rest after op as possible . If you need extra time off take it . Depending on whether it is your bowel you will have to have specialised individuals so you may well be transferred on the bsge waiting list in their center. But that sort of excision they only do once a month as the operations in its self can range in length of time in surgery. My surgery was three hours but I was about three and a half nearly four hours in recovery after. Take care xx

[Shabs2024 in reply to Els123456]

Mine is the same hun stage 4 kissing ovaries 2 large endometriomas. But there not too bothered, if i refuse they will probably discharge me.