Hi all! Just looking for some advice r.e. Bilateral salpingectomy I’m booked in for this Thursday!
Bit of background:
We’ve been under fertility investigations for the last year or so and found that both of my tubes are completely blocked due to bilateral hydrosalpinx (apparently they’re pretty huge, both bigger than my uterus 😩)
Once this is all done and dusted all being we will go ahead with IVF early next year - we’re having a slight delay as due to get married early July and don’t want to be due then if we’re successful 🤞
We’ve paid to go privately (spire) and still feel pretty unprepared as to what to expect post-op, I’ve never had a surgery before
Has anyone had this op and can give me any advice/tips? I’ve been told it should be able to be done laparoscopically, very worried they’ll have to open me up due to the size of the beasts
Thank you!
Emily
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Emilye92x
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Hey. So sorry your going through this awful situation. I’ve had numerous surgeries for tubes and cysts. Firstly you will be fine! Give yourself a week of not doing much and a couple of weeks light activity. Pain afterwards is uncomfortable but manageable with pain killers. I had a heat pad which helped. Take some senna for your bowels the night after op because the most discomfort for me was being bunged up. You may have had pain from the air pumped inside you but that should subside within a few days. I promise you it’s manageable 💕 you will wake up and it will all be done! Then you can move forward with plans xx
Forgot to say take a pillow for the car ride home! It really helps cushion over your tummy. Also use it at home if your going to cough. I also used it to prop my side up when I slept xx
Awh brilliant thank you I’ll add that to my checklist! Going to bring an overnight bag just incase although they’ve said I should be home that afternoon 😊 xx
Hi lovely, I was in a very similar situation before starting ivf. I needed my tubes clipping and delayed ivf due to getting married…. Congratulations ❤️
I actually had them clipped rather than removed (I’m not sure why, I wasn’t offered removal) but it was laparoscopic. They made 3 small incisions and they had dissolvable stitches.
It was fairly achy when I woke up but they gave me good pain relief.
I was swollen for about a week then it settled down but realistically it was a couple of weeks before I was back to normal. It didn’t feel that long to me…
I’m terms of the surgery they just put a small canular in your hand and give you a sedative which knocks you out before administering the GA. I actually loved the feeling of the sedation 😂
Oh gosh no way!! Nice to speak to someone that’s been in the same boat as lovely as my friends are they all have little baby tribes and don’t quite understand 😂If you don’t mind me asking, how did you IVF go after the surgery?
Aww I totally get that. Same with my friends really. This forum has been a lifesaver.
Yes we did IVF after - it was quite a long road for us and I think it was immune issues that was our main problem, but took a while to figure that out! Amazingly I’m 20 weeks pregnant now after our 6th transfer. Xxx
Very glad to be joining the bunch so nice to speak to people that have been through similar things Oh wow so sorry that must’ve been really hard, exciting you got there in the end though massive congratulations and well done for all you must have been through! Xxx
Wishing you lots of luck with the op and sorry you’re having to have it done. I had my second laparoscopy in June to clip my right tube. My consultant said they didn’t want to remove it as the inflammation was so close to the ovary, and she wanted to preserve the ovary as much as possible to prepare for IVF. I had my first laparoscopy about 6 months before to remove a large cyst and endometriosis. The recovery after the tube was definitely a lot quicker than the first. But definitely take it easy for a couple of weeks. I remember it feeling quite tender where the clipping had taken place and I sort of had a dull ache there for a while. I felt quite nauseous from the GA and had some gas pain in my shoulders. Peppermint tea is meant to really help with that. I also took a mild laxative after a day just to make sure I didn’t get blocked up. I wasn’t offered any strong painkillers to take home - only told to take paracetamol and ibruprofen, but it worked fine
Congratulations on your wedding and wishing you all the best with your surgery and IVF. Xx
That’s great to know thank you, my consultant did say that if there looks like there’s adhesions to other organs then he’ll clip instead of remove them but I’m hoping he can just whip them out so I don’t have to think about them anymoreSounds like laxatives are definitely going on the shopping list!!
Thanks again and best of luck with your journey 💕 xx
I also had a huge hydrosalphix removed - the operation was really simple, they just go in through your belly button (no scarring), felt a bit uncomfortable for a few days afterwards but there was no real pain. The best bit was I got two weeks off work!
The doctor removed the whole tube - he advocated that clipping can cause more issues in future.
I used to have agonising period pains because of the hydrosalpinx but after the surgery, they suddenly became painless so it made a huge difference to me and I felt my body was in better shape and ready for IVF.
I had a bilateral salpingectomy one year ago. I too had huge hydrosalpinx particularly on one side. Due to the size etc I ended up having an extra incision. I believe the tool that has the camera and pushes air into your belly goes though the belly button and then most people have 2 small incisions i their Bkiniline, but I ended up having 3 due the the size of it. The scars are very small and barely visible now. The pain afterwards is mainly due to your bowls being sluggish so make sure you take laxatives. Take at least 2 weeks off work after, I had quite a lot of bruising and swelling to me belly after the op. Good luck with everything.
Hi emily! So sorry to hear that, hope you’re doing ok? I had the same thing with one tube, and wanted to reach out because I also had my surgery at the spire (Cambridge) this August. Mine was removed entirely (laparoscopically), and they also tidied up any adhesions there. The surgery was ok, i was walking around very quickly afterwards but took it easy for a week or so just to be sure. There was some discomfort from the gas but otherwise not too much pain and you’re given painkillers as required. I actually went on holiday 2 weeks after the surgery with no issues 😊 we’re just starting IVF this month and the surgery hasn’t impacted that timeline at all. If anything, once I’d processed the diagnosis I was just relieved to have it removed! Good luck and if you have any questions at all just reach out 💙💙
I have not had a salpingectomy, but I did have laparoscopic surgery to remove endometriosis. I think recovery will probably be similar, so here are my tips…
I definitely agree with the other ladies to purchase something to help you “go” afterwards as being backed up makes the pain so much worse. Rather than laxatives, I drank Traditional Medicinals Smooth Move tea that I purchased on Amazon. The taste was just ok, but it worked and I enjoyed having a warm drink.
The second thing that will contribute to pain during recovery is the small amount of leftover gas trapped in your body. It will move upwards towards your shoulders and be extremely uncomfortable. Try to rest/sleep slightly propped up on pillows, and look for Charco Caps (also on Amazon). They help the gas to dissipate faster, and I found they worked better than anti-gas medicine. A heating pad or hot water bottle can also be helpful.
I also recommend getting some cough drops or hard candy to suck on in case you end up with a sore throat (they put a tube in mine during surgery).
You will want comfy clothes as well. I preferred cotton night dresses, but loose fitting high waisted lounge pants might work as long as the waist band is well above where your incisions are. I had 2 incisions, one just above my pubic bone which is no longer visible, and the second at the bottom of my belly button. It did not completely go away, so my belly button now has a tiny permanent smile.
Best of luck on your surgery and everything that comes after!!! Xx
Congratulations on getting married 🥰 I am sorry you are having to go through this and hope you are ok!
I have not had this type of surgery, mine was a laparotomy for fibroids, so recovery was longer. You already have lots of good tips above!
My advice;
Keep hydrated. You might initially feel a bit sickly, but sipping water in small amounts often helps if you are. Hopefully you won’t feel sickly - they often give something for nausea as part of your anaesthetic, but not always.
Move around, but take it easy to stay with. Will help pass wind and avoid complications like clots.
You are likely to feel bloated and can get trapped wind pain, likely in shoulders like others have said. Peppermint is said to help - and light movement like say.
Wear comfy clothes.
I also needed mild laxatives to help avoid constipation after and help go easier - I just asked them for advice post op as to which type they recommended. Did not need to take them for long.
Take some painkillers when needed the first week, again, I felt pain got easier quicker than I thought.
For the preparation for ivf - they advice to start folic acid 3 months prior and vitamin D, not sure if you already are on these supplements, but perhaps check with your clinic if they have not said already. Vitamin D supplements are always good in winter anyway in the UK 😇
Wishing you all the best for Thursday - you are in good hands! Hope you recover quickly and well from your surgery! 🧡
Hi - I had a bilateral salpingectomy around 3 years ago now. My advice is to allow at least a week to fully rest but the doctors should sign you off work for at least 2 weeks. I remember being very tender and bloated for the first week but was otherwise fine, apart from feeling nauseous as a result of the GA.
It's a big deal though and sorry you are having to go through this.
Good luck on your journey. My IVF miracle girl is now 2 years old.
Thank you for posting this, the comments have been helpful as l had so many questions which have been answered. l am also having same procedure next month and then proceed with FET after. My fertility consultant noticed the issue with my tubes during 2nd ICSI cycle before transferring and the decision was made to freeze. I want to think this might have affected implantation of first fresh cycle so l am glad to have them taken out.
All the best for Thursday and hopefully you will post back for an update. X
Hello! Yes I struggled to find any posts similar, definitely didn’t expect this kind of response how wonderful are these women! I’m sorry you’ve had that news I hope you’re feeling okay about it, I struggled a lot at the start but am trying to focus on what is to come afterwards to keep positive 🤞❤️
I’ll definitely post an update feel free to let me know if you need any info once mine is all done and dusted xx
Wow ladies I’m so overwhelmed with all of your support and advice what a wonderful network this is!! I’ll be sure to post an update once I’m home thank you so much again and wish you all the best in your own journeys 💕💕 xxxx
Hi Emily! Yep had the same surgery and had one Fallopian tube removed. Totally agree with the advice above, get Dcr to sign you off from work if you can as it is a bit uncomfortable afterwards and definitely have some medicine to help with bowel movements and get some strong pain relief! You can get a lot of trapped gas afterwards due to them expanding your stomach with air during the procedure which can be painful. It didn’t affect my IVF at all and in my case was absolutely necessary for it to be successful. I’m currently sleeping next to my 7 month old ICSI baby 🥰🙌🏽
Good luck hun x
Hi Emily, I had this procedure in July this year, same as you, mine were huge due to hydrosalpinxes and endometriosis and just had to be removed, I am 45. We were advised to go straight in for IVF as soon as possible (probably due to my age) we started in September (first and only cycle as we had to go private) so very much straight after my recovery from the salpingectomy. Don’t underestimate the recovery time though, take the week off after if you can, also take a laxative straight away from the op day and mint tea is a must. I went on you tube and got loads of useful information on what to have in regarding the op. Personally I was utterly exhausted when I think back when I got to the transfer stage of IVF, we were really lucky and got two quality embryos, sadly the first one didn’t take but I had nothing left in the tank at that stage after everything happening so close together so a break after the op might be a really good thing tbh. I am now having a few months break, really looking after myself to be in a much better position when we try the transfer again with our last little embryo. Don’t worry about the op, my scars are tiny despite them saying my tubes were so enlarged, like I say loads on you tube too which I found so helpful. Good luck with everything x
Hi soozwoo, luckily I’ve been advised by my consultant that I should take two weeks off work completely and a further two weeks of non-clinical work (I’m a paediatric nurse lots of manual handling!) so hopefully that will be more than enough timeGlad your op went well and I’m so sorry to hear your first round wasn’t successful, we’re actually only looking at taking a 3 month break to give us time to squeeze in two goes before the wedding if we need them
Sending lots and lots of good luck your way for round two, hopefully being in a better place will give you an extra boost to keep your egg nice and cosy! Xx
Thanks Emily, you sound like you’re all set. Wish you loads of luck with everything x
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