What was your laparoscopy outcome?
I am in the process of getting diagnosed for what my GYN says is “likely endometriosis” (which I brought up to other doctors before who dismissed it). He said he would prefer to give me hormonal treatment with an IUD than to do a laparoscopy. I can’t take estrogen and have had terrible reactions to other forms of birth control and do not want to be on it again. I want to go to another GYN for another opinion, but I’m not sure how to advocate for what I want. It’s frustrating that this pain (which I’m used to dealing with monthly but has been happening daily for the last 3 months) DEFINITELY SEEMS like endometriosis, yet no doctor so far can give a definitive answer. But I know I can’t just walk in and be like “So, I think I want a laparoscopy!”
What was your laparoscopy like?
I just wanted to know..do people who have had the surgery feel this was a good option for them? Does the endometrial tissue wind up growing back eventually? Is it a difficult surgery to recover from?
Hello again
😀
I’ve had two laparoscopies. First one was just to diagnose, and frustratingly, because the surgeon carrying out was not an expert on endometriosis they didn’t touch any of my adhesions. The second laparoscopy was done by a specialist. They removed all of the adhesions and they unstuck the organs that had glued to each other. They used a mixture of ablation and excision surgery. I’m attaching a link on this procedure so you can have a better idea:
https://endometriosis.net/clinical/excision-ablation/
I’d say it’s not a difficult surgery to recover from, in fact, in most cases they send you home the same day of the procedure. It took me 2 weeks to be able to walk around pain-free. It was only really tough for the first 4-5 days I think. But that’s just me, I am very squeamish about stitches and bellybuttons 😀
The second laparoscopy gave me my life back, and for a while, I thought I would have pain-free periods, or just normal periods, with some discomfort. But my horrible periods did return. However, I was able to have sex without pain, the pain and UTI-like pressure I felt on my bladder also was gone, same with the nausea. I now have some scar tissue that seems to be a direct product from the surgery. But further surgery could give me more scar tissue, so I am looking at alternative ways on treating this.
In short, my laparoscopy didn’t cure the disease, nor did it get rid of all the symptoms, but it gave me a lot of relief and my quality of life improved.
I hope this helps – Jessie (team member)
Hi
,
That is so frustrating that your doctor doesn't want to give you a laparoscopy. A laparoscopy is the only reliable way to diagnose endometriosis, so it would definitely be worth getting it. I hope you can find a doctor who is willing to perform a laparoscopy.
I had one laparoscopy to diagnose and treat the endometriosis (unlike Jesse I was lucky that my surgeon was an endometriosis specialist and could excise the endometriosis when he found it). I didn't think it was a particularly painful surgery to recover from, but your recovery depends to a large extent on where the endometriosis is situated and how much needs to be removed.
After my surgery I was symptom-free for about 7 years during which time I had two children. Laparoscopy is not a cure for endometriosis, only a treatment and the speed at which your endometriosis returns is different for each woman. I would still recommend pressing a doctor for a laparoscopy though, I think it will provide you much needed relief, even if it's temporary.
Wishing you all the best, Christina (team member)
Hi
. So sorry to hear you are/were dealing with such a difficult doctor. I hope you have since found an understanding one and have been able to find relief.
I have had two surgeries. Very similar to Jessie above. The first lap was ablation, just so I can finally have a diagnosis. The gyn was not a specialist and warned me he would not be able to do pretty much 80% of what would need to be done. But at that point I just wanted a diagnosis. Sadly, after that, I only felt relief for 3 months + it grew right back. My second surgery was excision done by an endometriosis specialist and he was able to check every where and remove everything. I am feeling better, especially when I can stick to the right diet. Of course, it does not mean it will not ever grow back. But excision is known to be the gold standard treatment! For some that means they find relief for a very long time, for some it means they find relief but eventually will need another surgery.
I would not say it is the hardest recovery. It is painful, I won't lie. I think the most pain for me was from all the gas they pumped into my body during surgery. Trying to get that all out took about 2 weeks. And that pain was excruciating at times. But the sites where the scars are, they were sore for a few days!
How are you doing today? -Kimberli (Team Member)hi there warrior. Just wanted to circle back around and see how you have been doing lately? We hope well! Sending you big hugs. Please reach out anytime you need. -Kimberli (team member)
