New and scared! I have 1st laparoscopy booked - is this just to investigate?

[rsmith881]

Hi All,

Saw consultant yesterday and after jumping up and down in front of GP for the last two years, it was a great feeling for someone to finally take me seriously! However it was a great shock to hear he wanted to do a laparoscopy straight away. I thought they would just put me on some tablets or something.

Can I ask will my first lap just be to investigate or if they find anything will they remove anything? The impression I got was he was just going to see what was going on and take some pictures.

I am 24 and he explained that because I am so young he wants to push the process on as he tends to find younger patients are usually much worse. He also explained about fertility and that if they do find anything I may need help or reconsider my plans - depends on severity. I am getting married to my fiance of 8 years in 2014 and we really want children just not so soon!

I really am scared and just want to talk to someone. There are so many confusing messages and articles.

Thanks in advance.

xxxx

[GRosetta]

Hi there,

I had my first laproscopy 6 years ago when I was 15. They just did mine to investigate and take pics. They didnt do the laser treatment till my second laproscopy a year later which unfortunately didnt work. Although a friend of mine had hers removed via laser on the first op, which was a lot less severe and she didnt have any symptoms. I'm not sure on the fertility side of things I was told I cant have children so I cant give any advice there.

Good luck x

[ilovemykids]

Hi I was told I wouldn't have any more children, infact gyne doctor was amazed I had one. I have two children now after being told I wouldn't be able to have anymore. I've had 3 laps, was diagnosed at 24 after years of suffering, had my first child at 21, had my second at 28 Im now 30. Depends on how bad your insides are however I was told mine were pretty bad and I still managed to have two children so I'm pretty lucky. First lap is usually to diagnose endo, my second lap that actually did something to remove it, however they were not very informative. Ask as many questions and write them down if need be. They say depending on how deep endo is then laser is not a good option as it grows back where cutting it out from the root is the best option. I would say if they find endo then try to see an endo specialist instead of a regular gyne as there are more clued up. Good luck x

[memyselfi]

I had my first lap over 10 years ago. It wasn't endo but part of investigations to try to find out why I wasn't getting pregnant. When I came round the surgeon told me that I had endo on my bowel and she had burned some of it off. BTW I am glad you are being told that there may be fertility issues, I was told that endo made no difference to my chances of conceiving! If I had known what I know now I would have asked for help rather than waiting too long for nature to do its thing (which it never did). They may simply be telling you not to put off trying until you are much older.

My second to last lap was for endo removal, the surgeon did remove some but explained that he wasn't skilled enough to remove it from certain areas so he referred me to someone else.

That surgeon then altered the order for the day and instead of operating on me first as was scheduled, he changed the order and put me last so that he would be able to do all he could without having to worry about running out of time.

So, my experience is that they make decisions while they are in there depending on ease of removal and time available. I doubt they will have you scheduled for a long op for your first one, but they can remove some even during what is officially just an investigative lap.

And please don't worry about it, best they get in there and see what is actually happening rather than guess and prescribe medication that may or may not be right

[Juleyanne]

I have previously had two laps on separate occasions. The first they found one of my tubes was blocked (furred up) and kinked. They removed it during that op. The second a few years later was a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy and they found extensive endo and adhesions, filmy glue like scar tissue adhering my removed fallopian tube stump to my bowel on one side. They removed as much as was safe to do, due to close proximity to my bowel and removed endo and adhesion deposits on the other side of my pelvis which had spread also into my stomach (round belly button). The previous lap made a tiny (few centimeters incision close to my belly button and two other equally small incisions in and around the area most of the pain was coming from (ie right pelvis) so that they could feed a tiny camera on wire into my pelvic cavity to see what was going on inside.

The lap camera is thinner than a pen so they don't need to be invasive and the incisions are tiny.

This method is less likely to cause scar tissue but unfortunately it probably did, hence adhesions found around belly button on second lap. However, they need to get in there to see what is happening and in years gone by they would do big ugly incisions and long recovery time. Laps more often than allow you to go home the same day! In my case, because they found a right mess inside they dealt with it there and then and I had to stay in for about 3 days. There is no 'one rule fits all' with laps, every case is different. They can find cysts on ovaries, fybroids, endo, adhesions

from laps. It is down to what they find, whether they can do something at the time.

[endo_star]

In my experience I signed the consent form to say they would treat any they could if they found endo, but it ended up that the surgeon wasn't skilled enough so it was just a diagnostic lap. I'm now waiting to be seen by an endo specialist. HTH.

[Chrissie66]

Hi Rebecca

It may well be that they're just planning to explore at the moment, but I think it will depend on what they find when they get in there - if they can easily deal with it, they'll probably do what they can rather than calling you back again later.

As for the fertility side of it - I was told at 26 that I Needed To Get A Move On or nothing would happen. And in the next 6 years, nothing did happen. But then my marriage broke down and I found a new partner, and within a month of moving in with him I was pregnant. By that point it should have been impossible, I'd had more surgeries and everything was apparently blocked and stuck together but it happened.

If you are diagnosed with endometriosis you will soon find out that nothing about this disease is predictable or set in stone.

Good luck

C xxx

[Lillil]

Hey, I saw gynae for first time the same day as you!

Like you I was glad, but shocked someone finally listened!

I was given the option of diagnostic or treatment, I chose to have both as cannot stand the pain any longer.

It might be worth calling the secretary to see what type of surgery you have been put forward for so you are not dissapointed on day. If it is just diagnostic, they don't allocate extra time and will put you back on waiting list for treatment op if that's what is needed.

Let me know how you get on xxx

[mandajay]

Hi I had my first laporoscopy 2 weeks ago while I was asleep they found endometriosis in several places and removed it I feel so much better since, I am having hormone treatment now to stop it growing back so don't worry you will be fine. Good luck x