Questions for Consult

Ladies,

Tomorrow is my appointment with my GYN since she did the endometrial biopsy.  Here is my list of questions.  Have I missed anything?

1. How many laparotomies have you performed?
2. How many years have you performed this surgery?
3. If I decide to do nothing what are some of the risks?
4. What are the risks associated with this surgery?
5. How do you plan to control excessive bleeding?
6. What will you be removing?
7. Will you perform a frozen section biopsy given the complex cyst on the left ovary?
8. Will there be an oncologist on call if needed?
9. Are you comfortable with performing the operation at the designated hospital?  Have you operated there before?  What other hospitals do you have privileges?
10. If there is more damage than what the ultrasounds found what happens?
11. Should I donate my own blood prior to surgery?  If so, what effects would this have on the surgery if there is excessive bleeding?
12. Is there any prep I should do prior to surgery?
13. On average how long does the surgery take?
14. Since I have for the most part had painful periods, if Endometriosis is found, what happens?
15. Based on my symptoms and reports is there a possibility that cancer exists?
16. If cancer is present will it be detected during the surgery?  If it can be detected during surgery what is the best course of action?
17. If the appendix is fine, I do not want it removed.

[greenThumbs]

more questions...

18. In terms of a laparotomy becoming a hysterectomy what types of things would you generally find to make such a change in the procedure?
19. With the laparotomy I understand that my chances of developing adhesions increase.  Will you using an adhesion blocker such as Interceed or Seprafilm?
20. Will my cycle resume as normal after the surgery?
21. What should I expect after surgery?
22. How long of recovery should I expect?  How long off from work?
23. How long before I can drive?
24. You mentioned that my uterus was enlarged.  By how much is it enlarged?
25. How long after surgery do I have a follow-up?


Abnormal Endometrial Biopsy
1. Is this an indication of endometriosis or cancer?
2. If cancer, what is the course of action?
3. Should surgery be moved up?
4. Will there be post surgery treatments?

[Gatsby]

Boy, looks like you have covered everything!!!  Way to go.
~Tascha

[JGMom]

I'd ask if she bags the cyst before removing it too (as a precaution in case it's cancer).  You have a lot of good questions about what happens under different scenarios.  It may be the way you were just trying to list them out on here and you are probably already doing this, but the questions sound like you don't have control over what is removed and it is all up to discretion of surgeon. So I just want to make sure to note that what is removed/left in is totally up to you and you can make a step-wise scenario consent to cover your preferences.  Of course, you want her opinion/recommendations on what she would do under each scenario, but ultimately, you want to control this and give specific consent for removal of this or that under specific scenarios of what they find when they go in.  They can't put things back once they take them out is what I kept thinking, so I got pretty anal about it all - eg, how much endometriosis is "a lot" so that you would want to remove both ovaries and uterus (the surgeon finally said that at some point I was going to have to trust his judgment - rofl).  So maybe I get carried away w/ it, but I didn't want to have any regrets!  

[Raynbow]

Good ones! Some I've already asked, but will ask again at pre-op....I'm gonna' copy and paste some of these and print them out for myself.
(((Raynbow

[greenThumbs]

Yes, some of the questions are worded awkwardly.  Some where it seems like I have left the decision making up to the doctor is more or less me trying to figure out the best course of action for the given scenario but I need more information.  In some ways I will be relying on what the doctor says but ultimately the decision will be mine.  I really don't like being a grown up sometimes!!