Lombo-aortic curage

[Frenchdeb]

Has anybody undergone this surgery? I think I now fully understand what will happen but as I'm working in another language, I'm still not quite sure from what I read, just how effective it is.

[Frenchdeb]

I beginning to understand now why there's so little about this on the internet!

[RuthPOvacome]

Dear Deb

I am one of the support line nurses at Ovacome and I am sorry that no one has so far responded to your posting. I am afriad it is not something I have come across before but I will try and get in touch with one of our medical advisory board to see if they can shed some light on the matter - Best Wishes

Ruth

[Frenchdeb]

Thanks Ruth very much. I have found a few things on the internet but mostly in French and more technical than my everyday chatty version can really cope with without an enormous dictionary to hand.

From the (possible misinterpreted) the information which I have been given there are "ganglions" (as they are referred to here) close to the aorta which have produced small nodules which although not life-threatening at the moment, could potentially be larger in the future. What I can't get my head round is how the words ganglion and nodule correctly translate into English!

What appears to be happening is a kind of washing out (curage in French means mucking out to me in English - ie what I do for my dobbins!) of these ganglions but I'm still not sure! I have 3 surgeons working on me at the same time - two gynaes and a neuro-surgeon, plus the anaesthetist told me this morning, I may need to spend the 24 hours following the procedure in intensive care since it is major surgery.

As you can imagine, I'm a little anxious and wish I could understand it a little more.

Kind regards,

Deb

[RuthPOvacome]

I have heard back from one of medical advisors and I am afraid he has not come across the original terminology. However from what you said in your reply just now, it sounds as though there are lymph nodes ( enlarged ) around the aorta which they may want to remove. Have you had any chemotherapy at all? - sometimes this can be given before surgery to make the operation easier but as I am not sure of your exact medical history I am not sure if this would be appropraite in your case. It must be very frightening being in this situation especially when it is not in your first language.

Do get back to us if we can help further

Ruth

[Frenchdeb]

Hi again. Yes, that sounds bang on!

I had a full hysto' back in August and my last of 6 carbo/taxol (excuse my spelling!) just before Christmas. The gynae surgeon who did my op' said that she could not carry out this procedure when she did the original surgery because it required 3 surgeons including a neuro-surgeon because of the proximity to the aorta. What you say sounds exactly right, when I add it to what I have gathered.

I saw the anaesthetist this morning and she had a good read of my (enormous!) file and was extremely jolly about the outcome of my last scan (Thursday last week) which was clear and my CA125 which is currently 7. So yes, scary, but happily I am content that I have the best of care and have responded well to treatment thus far so I turst their judgement.

Thanks for your kindness in looking into this for me. Whilst I cope very well day-to-day with the language (I've spoken it since I was quite young) , no matter how many diagrams they draw me of my insides, I still find the technical and medical stuff a bit trying.

Regards,

Deb

[Frenchdeb in reply to Frenchdeb]

Ruth, I just wanted to update this as you were kind enough to look into it for me. The op' went ahead last Tuesday and the biopsy results from the lymph nodes (still assuming this is what the "ganglions" were!) they removed during the six hour procedure are all clear. So it's a nice break from the cancer for 3 months when I go back for a routine check up.

Relief all around.

Thanks once again,

Deb