Unexplained infertility, 19months of trying. Saw gynae today and im being listed for laparoscopy, its the only investigation i havent had while also referring me to fertility specialists. He didnt explain it in a great amount of detail and as with all these things I had no questions when i was there but a million now ive left.
Can all those who have had a lap walk me through it? How many incisions? Pain? Recovery period? Risk of causing damage when there’s potentially nothing wrong in the first place? All experiences good & bad are welcome.
Thanks xx
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Sunshine92
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Hi my love.... a laparoscopy is a minimal invasive surgery and a quick recovery time... on my first one I had 2 incisions right at the bottom of abdomen where my tubes are and also in my belly button. I also went home same day... nothing to worry about at all xx
Yes - left tube flushed perfectly. Right was a little sluggish initially, they’re not sure whether it went into spasm but then dye passed through fine so both tubes were clear x
Ohhh that’s great news... one less thing to stress about. Perhaps you won’t have as many incisions as me and maybe it will be just through belly button to take a look, if not then you will have a couple of incisions. I didn’t get any scarring from the first one. However, on my second the stitches didn’t dissolve and I left it thinking they would and eventually went to docs to take them out. So make sure you ask what stitching they are using and when they should disappear as I’ve now got three scars that could have been prevented xx
You may not be able to get rod of them completely but the best thing to do is:
1. Gently massage daily for approx 1min with an unperfumed moisturiser. This hydrates the scar which is vitally implrtant and stimulates melanocytes to begin producing more cells to return any lost pigment.
2. Apply a silicone gel x2 daily or silicone plaster, depending if scars are raised and need pressure. Just stroke the gel on, no need to massage.
2. Protect from sun for about a year. Cover or high factor suncream - very important!
Any silicone gel is fine, the higher the silicone content the better the quality.
It will take at least 3 months to see any change. Good luck! xx
Hi. Completely understandable to be worried and have questions. As destiny 121 said, 2 small incisions. I can barely notice mine now. I was out the same day but was sore for a while. I was also signed off for 2 weeks by the doctor. Hope it goes well. Wishing you lots of luck xx
Thank you! Its a straight forward procedure then? The thought of it being surgery is scary. Particularly as im unexplained. I dont want to regret having it if something goes wrong x
It is a very straightforward procedure. They found some endomitriomas (cysts) on my ovaries,which is why I had mine. I did have a pre op beforehand and that gave me the opportunity to ask any questions. Do you know if you have a pre op?xx
Not sure - i hope so! All he mentioned today was that he will list me for it. He is retiring but will pass it to one of his colleagues who im sure will offer me an appt before x
Hi lovely. Just to add to the other ladies' comments, I had a lap to remove my tubes in July but also had lots of adhesions removed so fairly involved. I had an afternoon surgery and was home late that evening. I had a week off completely but was only really sore for 5 days or so, then just in the office for another week (I work with kids who can be quite physical so confined myself to desk duties until my tummy felt OK again 😊). I had 3 incisions, one in my belly button, one on my left side and one down on my knicker line. All healed quickly and have only left tiny scars. Really nothing to worry about as a procedure. K x
😱 Awake? No thank you! 😂 I've never heard of it being done anything other than under general - that sounds horrific! To be honest, the anaesthetic was what I was most concerned about because I had a nasty reaction to one when I was younger, but I explained to the anaesthetist what had happened, requested no morphine because it makes me sick, and I felt fine.
Hello Sunshine92. Whilst I have no input to really add (sorry) this could literally be myself writing this post! We are coming up to 2 years TTC and I'm currently waiting a laparoscopy which will lead onto IVF. I've had every test done too and my partner so we are currently unexplained but the laparoscopy will be to check for endo and tubal disease. I'm 26 and my partner is the same, both healthy and ttc our first! I just wanted to wish you all the best really as our stories are very similar and I'm getting pretty anxious whilst waiting for the laparoscopy so your post will be helpful to me - thank you for sharing xx
Thank you so much for commenting - you’re right! Identical down to the age. Reassuring knowing im not the only one in this situation. Please keep in touch and let me know how you get on wishing you lots of luck xx
It's insane! I don't know about you but I just can't believe that at such a young age people like ourselves have difficulty when there should be such a high percentage of chance ! Every one says (including my doctor) you're lucky your young.. which is true, but it makes it harder to understand and I guess whatever age it's hard to accept that things aren't happening as quickly as you planned or hoped! I'm sorry the consultant didn't give you a date.. I've just been expedited because I was on the list for fertility reasons, with endo pain being overlooked. It's only that time has gone on whilst I've maintained being in agony each month (I think it's endo) that I've stomped my feet and the ball is rolling for a laparoscopy (I saw someone private who recommended it asap but still got to get expedited through the NHS because I can't afford 3.5k!). Definitely happy to stay in touch xxx
Sadly no - but seemed to think it would be quicker than assessment with fertility specialist. He was just general gynae from the hospital that has explored everything else and its fine apart from my mildly polycystic ovaries but they’re not causing me any issues because i have regular periods and i confirm i ovulate tracking temps x
I think it’s brilliant you’ve been forward for a laparoscopy. Our infertility was unexplained until i had a laparoscopy which found endometriosis. It was the best decision we made to have a laparoscopy; we found the cause & afterwards conceived naturally twice ( one was an early miscarriage)
It’s considered minor surgery & I think the clarity you will get from having it done will out weigh the cons, personally I can’t think of any!
It’s usually a case day surgery unless complications arise.
I’ve had 3 laparoscopys within 13 months. And honestly they’re not at all bad!
You’ll have 2 incisions if it’s a diagnosis lap & they don’t treat anything , if they treat endo etc you’ll have at least 3 incisions. My last lap I had 5! One incision is in your belly button. Another one is for the tool to look around. Depending on what needs to be will determine how many you will need.
They will inflate you with gas to get a better look at your organs & you will feel bloated for a few days. Also expect shoulder pain as gas causes that; only lasts a few days & paracetamol should ease it. I would advise you to wear loose comfy trousers.
You will be able to go home once you can drink eat & pee!
You will need to have someone take you home and to be with you for 24 hours due to anaesthetic ; some hospitals allow you to have a guest with you I appreciated having my hubby & mum with me, it really calmed me down. Also my memory isn’t good after anaesthetic so having them there helped me know what happened!
Also as you might not be first on the list bring things to occupy you like books tablet etc. Some hospitals provide you with a locker to place valuables.
You can’t wear make up or nail varnish & or jewellery except for wedding rings which they can & are happy tape up.
Keep a close eye on your incisions; sometimes they put a dissolvable stitches that don’t always come out. I had to get a nurse to remove some. Also if they are red, weepy & painful get to the drs asap. I had one get infected as the wound healed over stitches was very painful! It was better once I had antibiotics.
Recovery is very individual.It will depend if it was just diagnostic or treatment was done. I had endometriosis treated & found 2 weeks off work was fine. When I returned my employer put me on lighter duties.
Jess what a wonderfully detailed response and just what i was after! Thank you ever so much! I will keep you all informed of any planned date xx
Defo take two weeks if you can, especially if you are on your feet/physical with work but usually a week recovery is fine. Light pain management for a couple of days should be fine! I remember mostly the bloating , and had hip / thigh swelling which was quite entertaining trying to get knickers on , I think I ended up wearing hubbies boxers as I ballooned! it was just a bit of an odd experience as my husband had to help me to sit and stand up and down for first couple of days as my core muscles seemed to just not work... But honestly swift recovery ! Best of luck to you enjoy some box sets or books X
I had a laparoscopy done 3 weeks ago and I am still recovering, everyone is different so the recovery time is different for each person, I suppose it will be much faster if they don’t find anything to remove.
My operation took under two hours as they found mild endo, I had 3 incisions, one in a belly button and two on my left side, I had to stay overnight to make sure that everything is ok before I went home.
I found the first two days post operation quite difficult but was feeling better after that.
After 3 weeks I feel pretty much normal, I have some pulling inside of the belly, probably from the internal stitches, I presume that they will take longer to dissolve.
I have described it as detailed as I can and I hope it helps
Hello. I’ve had 4 laparoscopys now, 1 investigative and then 3 further to treat severe endometriosis. It is classed as minor surgery and providing all is well the recovery time before returning to work is usually a couple of weeks. I was home the same day after my first one but had overnight stays for the last 3. Depending on what I had done whilst I was under anaesthetic my recovery time has varied from 2-6 weeks. The hospital have always given me a sick note for 1 week and then I’ve seen my GP if I’ve needed longer. Don’t go back to work until you feel ready. From my experience I have had four incisions each time, one on each side of my abdomen, one in my belly button and one just above the pubic bone. Afterwards these are closed with dissolvable sutures which can take a good couple of weeks to dissolve and can need removing if they’re not budging. I found lathering up simple or sanex shower gel (use non scented products on your wounds afterwards) and massaging the areas gently in the shower encouraged mine to dissolve. During the surgery, the surgeon pumps you full of gas to move the lining of your tummy away from your organs so they can get to where they need to see. They remove the gas afterwards but I have always had some left behind stuck in my shoulders which has been quite painful. Get some peppermint tea in for when you get home and moving around helps to shift it. Take a pillow with you for the car journey home to protect your tummy from the seatbelt. Hope this helps, anymore questions just ask! Good luck with the op xxx
I'm due to have mine at the beginning of March (immobile ovaries and endo treatment). The appointment took a good couple of months to come through and I got one letter with a pre-op appointment, surgery appointment and paperwork explaining everything that will happen. I'm sure you'll get something similar so don't worry!
I had laparoscopy twice. The first was to removed my right fallopian tube as it was blocked wih fluid, Ill be honest the trapped wind was awful for the first couple of nights, i couldnt lay down to sleep properly so make sure you have plenty of trapped wind meds 🙈😂 i used buscapan and cooled boiled water. I was informed I had endo but it was too risky to do anything as it was too deep and surrounded by too many blood cells or something so I had the surgery again around a year and half later to sort the endo and they also found adhesions. That was around 4-5 years ago. Since then We conceived naturally twice but both sadly ended in miscarriage. I am awaiting to see my gyno as something as shown in my bloods but not sure if it is anything to worry about. Im also convinced endo has spread again as i suffer every single month with my period! Its agony and the flow is ao heavy i am scared of going out for the first few days. I get every single af symptom it is awful. Just wanted to share my story with you. As it has been mentioned everyone reacts differently but the worst for me was the trapped wind. Obviously the stitches are sore but they get better, wear loose clothing. Id say recovery between 1-2 weeks lovely. Good luck 💖 xxx
Hi, I had a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy in august 2018 due to unexplained infertility and possible blockage in tubes. Nothing was found and all went well. I have two small scars, on in my belly button and one just above the pubic hair area - where most knickers sit! I would advise taking big pants to wear home. I was sent home on the same day and the pain is there but bearable. Worst part is the trapped gas giving you pains in neck and shoulder blades. I also struggled with the anaesthetic which made me sick. In total I had 2 weeks off work but probably didn't need the full time. Make sure you wear loose clothing on the day. Hope this is of some help x
Hi. I have been advised to have a laparoscopy before undertaking ivf because there is a suspicion of some liquid in one of my tubes and that might be harmful for the future embryo. Does anybody know where I can have that done privately? As time in not on my side and I just want to start ivf asap
Hi Sunshine92! I just had my laparoscopy 20 days ago for unexplained infertility, irregular periods and intense pelvic pain! It was my first time being cut open and so I was incredibly nervous!! I think the thing that frightened me most about the whole endeavor was the idea of them getting in there and finding nothing wrong! I had been through every test possible and had gotten zero answers! In my case fortunately the laparoscopy did the trick! My surgeon found several adhesions, paratubal cysts and a hydrosalpinx (Fallopian tube blocked by scar tissue and an old infection) on my left side! The reason I am telling you all of this is because it obviously makes my situation different from what you may experience. Although I imagine it shouldn’t make much of a difference in the end. There were a total of three 5 millimeter incisions used in my procedure. One on the bottom of my belly button, one about an inch inside of my right pelvic bone, and one an inch inside my left pelvic bone. When I woke up from the procedure I felt absolutely no pain! There was alittle discomfort from the catheter, but nothing to make a fuss over! I was able to leave within a half an hour of waking up, and felt fine for the rest of that day! The next day I was pretty soar, it felt to me like I had pulled every muscle in my stomach, and I had a really hard time swollowing anything so I recommend sticking to soft food for the first day! I was also extremely bloated from the gas they pump into you during the procedure. For me the soarness and the bloating lasted about 4 days, and I had alittle trouble bending over or doing anything strenuous for another three or four days after that. I did have alittle shoulder pain as well from the gas trying to leave my body, which your doctor should tell you about. Honestly, all in all it was nothing! Especially when you do get the answers you’ve been looking for!! It is really nothing to be worried about, and the risks are very minimal! The biggest thing you have to worry about is infection and you have that with any surgical procedure. I hope I answered all of your questions! But if not feel free to hit me up with any others you may have!! I wish you the best of luck! I hope you get the answers you’ve been looking for!
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