I have my pre-op tomorrow for a laparoscopy and removal of 5cm ovarian cyst/suspected endometrioma.
Gynae have suggested they suspect I have endometriosis, but I am unsure if this will be diagnosed from my operation?
I am still awaiting a date for my operation, I have been put in priority 2 due to a raised CA125 level.
How long do you usually wait for a date following pre-op?
Thank you
Hi, you sound like you have the exact same issues as me.
I had a raised CA125 test which set me off in panic mode and an MRI and ultrasound scan picked up a 5cm endometrioma on my left. I had my Laparoscopy at the end of October which was to remove the endometrioma along with my left ovary and tube.
Following the procedure I was advised by the surgeon that there was some evidence of endo but that he couldn't remove the endometrioma, ovary or tube as they are all stuck to my uterus and bowel. Currently waiting my follow up in March to see where we go from here.
It's a minefield
Hey :)Usually the op has to be within 3 weeks of the pre op or they need to do the pre op again. Wishing you all the luck xx
Depends on what hospital you are under. I’m under Coventry and I was told surgery would be within 6 months of the pre-op
Hi there,
It depends on the hospital, but for my recent surgery at Chelsea Westminster, the pre-op assessment had to be within 3 months of the procedure. I ended up needing a second pre-op because the first one had expired.
My first surgery in September 2020 was for the same issue—a cyst (endometrioma) on my ovary. During the procedure, they diagnosed stage 4 endometriosis. Unfortunately, they also discovered endometriosis in and around my bowel, which required a second surgery to address. I hadn’t had an MRI prior to the first surgery, and I suspect that if I had, they might have been better prepared and avoided the need for a second procedure.
The wait for the second surgery was unusually long—4 years and just under 3 months. The delay was partly because my care was transferred to a different hospital, which caused a lot of complications.
The good news is I’m now 8 weeks post-op and feeling fantastic!
Wishing you the best of luck for your surgery and recovery.
Can I ask what your recovery was like. I have had one laparoscopy and recovery was quite quick. My next is going to be more involved so I wondered what difference that makes to recovery?
It depends what procedure they do. In my case, I consented to rectal shave, discoid resection or segmental resection. Fortunately, I had a rectal shave, with some stitches added to reinforce the bowel, as they had to remove quite a significant portion. I was initially signed off work for 4 weeks but because of how Christmas fell, I was off work for 5.5 weeks in total.
I feel like my recovery has been relatively quick—faster than after my first surgery, though that might be down to my poor memory of the recovery last time.
I didn’t need painkillers after the first 3 or 4 days, but I did feel delicate and couldn’t walk very far in the beginning. No baths / swimming for 4 weeks.
I was surprised at how quickly the incisions healed.
While I’m pleased with how recovery has gone so far, I’m not fully back to all my usual activities yet, I’m usually a lot more active - cycling, running and lots of weights at the gym. I’m taking things gradually and building up —slow and steady wins the race!
Endo will be diagnosed from your operation. They sometimes send off a biopsy to confirm Endo. So they maybe cautious and wait until this comes back before diagnosing you and making a treatment plan.
You are having the lap for suspected Endo and removal of a 5cm cyst. Once they confirm this with biopsies, that’s your diagnosis. It’s highly likely that will take out all Endo that they find too.
I hope everything goes smoothly and you get answers and treatment quickly. Well done for getting to this point 🫂💞
Pre op appt
Waiting times for surgery?
Pre-op Appointment
Pre op for Lap
Pre-op Assessment 
