Hi Heather,
I hope you are doing okay, I assume you had the surgery by now, I hope your relaxing and not in pain, how many days were you in the hospital?
My tumor is 6.7cm [3 1/2 inches], I talked to my gyno today and asked him if the date can be moved up from the 21st to sooner cause of the pain, he said it can't, I figured my cycle is coming that very day too,this should be fun!
Let us know how you are, get plenty of rest!
Angelwings21[Paula]

I agree!  I had my lap on Tues. and was released from the hosp on Fri.  I had a morphine drip for 2 days and a catheter for a day.  I would complain of everything possible after the surgery so that they will need to keep you and monitor you.  My doctor also said that she would not release me until I was passing gas.  I hope this helps.  I will be thinking of you and hope all goes well!  :) Laura

Actually I Couldn't go home till I pooped. Yeah I know...TMI.

Going home the following day thats ridiculous ive never heard the like. I still had a cathater cause I couldn't get to the toilet for 2 days and I am thee most stuborn chick on the planet.

Anna x

Wonderwoman- the reason for your one night stay was because you had a mini lap. The original poster is not getting that. She is having a full cut from pelvic bone to navel. From what I understand, this type of vertical cut is a lot harder to recover from then a bikini cut. Trust me I healed amazingly fast for someone who had a full Lap done with 25 staples and 16 weeks pregnant. I was in no way shape or form ready to go home the day following my surgery.
I would advise definetly speaking again with your doctor!

That doesn't sound right to me. There are all kinds of complications from the surgery that you will need to be monitored for at least 2 days. There is no way in hell you can even get out of bed the day of surgery. I don't see how they aren't keeping you. I would call your dr and ask him why you are not granted a hospital stay. This is a major surgery involving at least 20 staples. It doesn't make sense.

hello,
i am 6 days post-op from a laporotomy to remove a 10 cm dermoid and my left ovary. I was only in the hospital for one night following my surgery , have been back home an am doing great.I don't know why i wasn't in the hospital longer, but I did feel ready to leave when i did. I guess its very much up to the individual. For those of you about to undergo the surgery: don't be scared, its not that bad, in fact the weeks leading up to the surgery (for me anyway) were the worst part, recovering has been easy! Its mostly a tired sore feeling, but having the flu is worse! Just make sure you can allow yourself to rest when arriving home. My doctor called what I had a "mini-lap" and the cut is horizontal (bikini cut) and about 4-5 inches long. I had a lot of swelling at first, but even thats gone down considerably in the past few days. If the hospital is trying to gt you to leave and you dont feel ready: TELL them! Insist on speaking to someone and tell them that you simply need more time. I'd like to believe that they would listen to you.
I wish you and all who face the surgery the best of luck, let me tell you : it is a relief when you wake up an all of the fears are then behind you! And if you are in pain, get pain med, it helps make the time go by quicker too. You just rest and heal.
My best to you!!

Hi angelwings21!
Thanks, I will keep you in my prayers too. I know how ya feel. I get worse everyday too. How big is yours? I figured I would have to wait a lot longer to get in for my surgery. They are being great about everything so I don't think its an insurance issue, but ya never know. I will be goin back to the hospital that night if I don't feel right at all. Luckily my mother in law is a hospice nurse and will be staying a few days to help. She'll know when to get my butt back to the hospital.

I also applied for medicaid but we are over the income limit by like 500. They said there is nothing to help us. The hospital does have a clinic and medassist that will pay for a percentage so I'm hoping to get a good discount from that.
Good luck with everything!


Heather

There is no way you will be ready to go home that same day. I am really shocked your doctor said your surgery will be outpatient. You should talk to your doctor about that. I had the same procedure done two weeks ago and was in the hospital three nights. I had a fever and was sick for two days. I can't imagine you having to go through that while at home on your own, if that were to happen. You definitely need to be in the hospital at least overnight.

Hello, I had very similar done to me about 7 wks ago now, blimey its gone so quick.  I had a 17cm x 10cm cyst on my left ovary so had to have the big incision from belly button downwards. I had my left ovary and tube removed also along with the cyst.
Please don't worry yourself over this operation. You will however need to be in hospital at least 5 days I would have thought.  I went in on a weds and was discharged on the sun. I had a morphine pump and all after the op so I didn't feel alot of pain at all. I had a catheter fitted so didn't have to worry about going to the loo for the first couple of days.  I didn't get out of bed the first day of op purely because I was very tired and needed rest, second day I managed to get out of bed for a bit just to sit in a chair and get washed. I didn't feel alot of pain so don't worry too much as its bearable. The only thing that bothered me was my stomach was very bloated from the gas they inflated it with during the op, this is so they can see everything clearly. It goes down after a few days but can be a little uncomfortable.  My stomach was stapled aswell but these were removed after about 10 days. I think some people recover quicker than others to be honest. I am 22 and was dreading this op as I hate little needles let alone a big op. I surprised myself in the end and had a couple of wks off work and then went back as I felt fit enough. I do only work in an office tho so it wasn't anything to strenuous.  
I wish you all the best tho, it will fly by, it certainly has for me as I remember a few wks back when I were reading advice about the op on here.
Good luck and write back on here in a few days to let me know how you got on.
x Kelly

Hi Crazy,
     It is almost 10PM here in the midwest so perhaps you will only see this on the RS.  Here's the thing, you are having a verticle laparotomy and all your instincts are correct, the day surgery nonsence is a lack of insurance thing!  Given your situation I can tell you are in the US and illustrating, up close, the health care emergency in this country.  So here's the thing, given the size of your mass, you have to have it our!  You have had to wait too long already.  The recommendation for surgery immediately is sound.  The Doctors do not necessarily get any say in the allowed observation perriod post-op and are counting on you to communicate clearly post-op to circumvent the system.  Be vocal, do not play down anything CT!  With a vertical Laparotomy the stay should be 3-6 days.  I have had three laparotomies, at various ages.  All horizontal type, but know enough that a vertical laparotomy is, in terms of musculature, more intense.  So have a strategy Crazy, if you are out the same day I will be outraged but not at all surprised, then we will concentrate on what you do from there.  Hopefully, we don't have to go there Crazy.  There is no way any hospital will want to shoulder the insurance risk if you voice even normal post-op issues. Might be a rough RS Crazy but we are here for you!  MV

Hi Crazyturtle,
First off I am GLAD you are getting your surgery tomorrow I know it is soon but you will get it over with FAST,I know how scared you are feeling,it isnot easy try to keep positive, you will be fine, alot of people including myself will keep you in their prayers,I too am having a laporotomy but have to wait till 8/21 -the pain and waitig is getting  worse, I'd rather get it over with FAST.
I can't believe they would keep you in the hospital one day only! Like you said it usually 3-5 days. Please let them know if
you are not feeling well enough to go home tell them you have to stay one more day, maybe they are being pushy cause you do not have insurance? Like you I have no insurance either and when I found out I had this tumor in my ovary I applied for Medicaid , it took 2 -3 months to get - my doctor told me I'd be in the hospital 3-4 days.
Best of luck! You will be in my thoughts and prayers! Let us know how everything went.
Angelwings21

I would really, really push for extra stay in the hospital.  Do what ever it takes.  I think you are better off at least over night.  I cannot believe that they would send you home so fast, especially with the large incision.  If something happens, it is going to cost your insurance company more for you to have to go back into the hospital.  Good luck!
~Tascha

Thats what I thought, but mine is definitely a laparotomy. The cut will be from my belly button down because the mass is so big it is behind my belly button so no goin in through there because of rupturing. I am very happy about getting this monster out of me sooner but getting sent home the same day with that big of a cut is really scaring me. The nurse told me I'd be fine to go home except I could not drive because of the anesthesia. I even asked her if they scheduled laparoscopic surgery by mistake and she said no its a laparotomy. I guess I just have to trust the doctor at this point and go to the ER after if anything does not feel right.

Hi and welcome!  With Laproscopic surgery you are usually sent home the same day, however a laporotomy is the bigger cut and I think you should have at least 2 days if not more in the hospital.  I am glad that you have a quick surgery date, so no more waiting around.  Get it out now!!  Before you know it you will be on the Recovery Side and feeling so much better.  Keep us posted.  You are in my thoughts and prayers.  Godspeed
~Tascha