Has anyone had a lap to separate bowel, uterus and pelvic wall?

[wobblytulip]

I've just been booked in for my second lap in 3 months. In the last one I was diagnosed with endo stage 4 and had chocolate cysts removed from my ovaries as well as a lot of laser/excision work on the endo. My right ovary and tube were embedded in my pouch of douglas and shrouded in endo, so the surgeon worked mostly to free them up last time.

I now need to have the uterus, bowel and right pelvic wall separated from each other. In addition my consultant will perform diathermy/excision of any remaining endo and take some photos.

I've now been on Prostap and Mirena coil for the last 2.5 months and am hoping that this will have shrunk the endo back a bit. I've also been going for acupuncture privately, which has been brilliant for pain and restoring energy levels after my last lap. I am getting sciatica nerve like pain in my right leg still, but apparently that won't be sorted until my surgeon unsticks everything from my right pelvic wall.

However, I saw my consultant again yesterday and she warned me that it will be a very painful operation. Do any of you have experience of dissection of uterus from pelvic wall and bowels?

I thought the last lap was pretty intense!

[Juleyanne]

Not that exactly, but like you I have had a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy (along with lots of previous ops ie removal of fallopian tubes damaged by endo and adhesions) and the lap and hysteroscopy revealed alot more endo and adhesions than was originally thought. Ovary stuck to bowel one side and fallopian tube stump embedded in bowel the other, plus endo and adhesions had spread to my stomach (round belly button). I ended up being in hospital for a few days rather than the day op that was originally planned and the op was, I have to be honest painful. However,

I had various pain relief - morphine (made me a bit sick) so they changed it. The inspiring thing is after a few days recovering at home (after the storm had passed) I suddenly realised I was pain free for the first time in years. The pain after a while did return, which they thought was adhesions

(scar tissue) reforming and they tried Mirena (did not work) Zoladex injections in the stomach and tibolone (synthetic HRT) but when that didn't work, they said it must be adhesions. Its such a complicated horrible condition endo and adhesions, even Gps and Gynes/Bowel surgeons

seem to struggle with it. I went to a endo support meeting a few months ago with an endo/adhesion specialist gyne. He said what seemed like a lot of truth about the condition; stating that he recommends bowel resection where a endo specialist surgeon and bowel surgeon work together

if it has affected the bowels. I remember him saying that it is essential to get every bit out

and that often can involve the pouch of douglas (a difficult and awkward place to get to). However,

the scar tissue is a problem and some people seem to be more prone to forming scar tissue than others. I asked him about adhesion barriers and he mentioned that there was a new one out (forgotten the name) which generally had better results at preventing scar tissue but it was not available to the NHS due to cost! Maybe privately it is! I don't know. Of course handling of internal organs very gently during surgery and not letting them dry out is also key, so that is why a specialist endo/adhesion gyne is best rather than a general gyne. As for pain that's a difficult one and I absolutely know about the fear! I have been offered a full hysterectomy and I am scared

I will have a big op which may or may not work (particularly worried about scar tissue formation).

I would guess that if your pain and discomfort is at a level that it affects your every day life

then bite the bullet. I still myself get bowel problems and morning pain that wakes me, can't bear tight waistbands get low back pain and pinching worse when i sit or eat, upright is better walking

but I am frequently very bloated and urinate every 20 mins which is a nuisance but I can't bear having the feeling of a build up of urine or the other its uncomfortable and often painful. I feel sickly often and achey all over and very very tired all the time - does any of that sound familiar!

CT scan recently picked up Diverculitis Disease and Hernia to add to my problems. I also have a tilted uterus (apparently that can often pinpoint something like scar tissue/endo pulling internal organs out of line. Having ultrasound soon but they don't always pick up endo deposits or scar tissue unless there is a mass but nothing to lose. Sorry I can't be specific but I noticed your pain was right sided, so is mine and I also get right leg ache down to knee (just one side), yet most of my endo was found on the left side (had some on the right). You can have a little endo or adhesions and get loads of pain or in another case have loads and get very little pain, such a complicated condition! Good luck - truthfully any surgery can be painful but sometimes you just have to go for it to get to the other side of hopefully a thing we suffers strive for 'a pain free life'!

[sambrodie in reply to Juleyanne]

Hello, your story is very similar to mine so was really encouraging to read! I am struggling to find an adhesion specialist who was yours and where? Thanks hope you can help

Rachael

[wobblytulip]

Thanks so much Jueyanne for taking time to reply to my question. I'm having my operation tomorrow - am a little apprehensive, but as you say, it's time to bite the bullet and aim for a pain-free future.

[Mazzy2006]

This is the merina coil because it like a pulled muscle ur left side aches leg back u have yet more symtoms to come get it takin out weight gain headaches pain hair falling out etc list goes on merina have been taken to court by so many women in America plz read this clearly do not get merina coil put in if u have any problems I tablespoon of blackslap molasses with herbal tea daily will take away all the pain menstral heavy period uterus problems so if u take it everyday u will notice the diffrence

[Mazzy2006]

Am telling everyone to use organic blackslap molasses. One tablespoon every day and it get rid of any kind of women problems from heavy periods u can take with tea or water