After Laproscopic surgery - 3 questions

[AliceE]

Hi I am new to this forum and wish I had found it when I first found out I had a "mass" on my ovary and a CA125 reading of 79 and didn't know what anything meant.  

Eventually it turned out to be a benign 11cm cyst and I had it and my left ovary removed by laproscopy nearly 6 weeks ago now.  The size of my incisions are slightly longer than normal due to the size of the cyst.   I seem to be taking a long time to recover - certainly longer than the 2 weeks suggested!  Internally things are still very uncomfortable.   How long does it take for the "swelly belly" to go away? Clothes that are comfortable in the morning are deathly tight by nighttime!!
  2. I have continued on Orthocept (birthpill) without a break since the operation but for the last 2 weeks (coincidentally since I have been back at work) I have had intermittant bleeding - one day there might be nothing, then the next a spotting, then another day a real flow of blood.    Do you think that my body is trying to have a period ? (orthocept is fairly loss dose).   3.  WHY does the remaining ovary get the most awful  pain in it?  This vaires between a stabbing pain and a dragging cramping pain.    I hope some of you can answer these questions or someone just let me know that they also experienced these things.   Thanks I would really appreciate knowing that what I am going through now is "normal" !!  :-)

[Gatsby]

The 2 weeks that the dr gives you just means that the anestesia(sp)is out of your body and that you have recovered from the surgery process.  However, depending on the surgery It could be six months to a year for you to be fully healed.  I had 2 softball sized dermoids removed and there was a lot of tissue trauma.  The swellybelly can last 4 weeks!.  Your body will let you know if you are doing too much.  Pain and fatigue set in.  Take it easy and relax, let your body heal.  Godspeed
~Tascha

[willowfly]

HI, I had a tumor removed laproscopically about 5 weeks ago and kind of feel like you do.  I had my post-op appointment yesterday and the doc said, you are still healing as an answer to my questions of stabbing pain in the pelvic region and that even though my surgery was lap they still have to cut through some muscles, which I think justifies the pulling feeling I sometimes have.  I basically told my doc that I don't feel as well as I did before I had surgery. I have also been bleeding since surgery even though I'm on birth control pills, doc said it will probably take a few cycles to get back to normal, also the bleeding is attributed to the device they put in the uterus to move it out of the way for surgery.  I've had one period since surgery and it sucked, really heavy and basically made me feel like the day I came home from the hospital.  I got the docs official write-up about my surgery, its kind of interesting to read about what they do to your body when your not awake.

[AliceE]

Thanks for your answers - I didn't realise they used a device to hold the uterus out of the way!  Did you stop your pill to have a period or did you start on the next pack without taking the  "sugar pills' and just bleed anyway?   I decided to continue onto the new pack because I figured I had enough to deal with - not sure if that was a good idea or not.

[willowfly]

Before surgery I actually thought about skipping the sugar pills b/c I had my period during surgery but then decided I didn't want to mess with my system anymore than what was going to happen.  So I bled away during the surgery, I think the nurse was a bit surprised when I finally got up in the recovery room,,,she was like you'll probably bleed a little....or a lot. I think at the time I was a bit more concerned about flashing the rest of the recovery room patients   due to my gown starting to fall apart on my way to the restroom.  I've continued to spot after my surgery until my period last week and two days post-period I'm still spotting, so much for my supply of nice undies.  I haven't altered my birth control pills at all, so I guess for some of us we just bleed until things get back on track and lets hope that doesn't take too long.

[miamigirl000]

Hello girls! I am 7 wks (today) post surgery to remove two endo cysts on my left ovary including 1/3 of that ovary. I had my surgery through my csection scar rather than laperscopiclly due to other medical issues. I am still having a lot of pain, am able to feel my interior stich line due to fluid build up...its quite painful. I did have the stabbing pains in both ovaries after surgery, but that has since gone away. I got a very heavy period about 3 wks after surgery and had severe pain w/ that one. Im praying my next one will be "normal".
Hang in there, the pain will get better. Does anyone have numbness/pain to the skin of the abdoman? this bothers me tons, but i know is likely related to the larger inscion and cutting of all the nerves...anyways, happy healing!

[marskinner]

Alice:

I had my right ovary removed in November 2005.  It took me about 8 weeks before I felt normal again.  I thought something was really wrong with me because my pants felt like they were digging into my stomach and I had to sit down with them unbuttoned.  My ob-gyn seemed to think that I would be totally healed within a week.  She was way off.

My remaining ovary is still giving me problems to this day (see my recent post).

It kind of helps to know that we aren't alone.  Sometimes the doctors make you feel like you're abnormal.  It's good to know that not everyone is a textbook case.

[Gatsby]

I still have numbness from my c-section 13 yrs ago!
~Tascha

[AliceE]

Thank you so much for your responses.  It is a comfort to know that others have the same feelings and pains etc.  I was worried but now feel much better - now if I could just get rid of the "swelly belly"!!

[lacjmc]

It has been a week since my surgery and I am still very tired and swollen.  I was hoping to be closer to normal by now.  I guess I just need to give my body time to heal.

[lacjmc]

It has been a week since my surgery and I am still very tired and swollen.  I was hoping to be closer to normal by now.  I guess I just need to give my body time to heal.

[GSLA]

Hello All,

I'm new to the forum and a bit concerned.
I'm having surgery April 12 and I just discovered the recovery time on this website, thank you...I have two cysts, one on each ovary, and the larger one, 7 cm, is potentially a dermoid. They aren't quite certain. I got a second opinion after the 1st Dr. kept expressing the strong possibility of losing both my ovaries. The second Dr. (my sister's Dr. actually) said that the best thing would be open surgery vs. laproscopy because there would be a better chance to save as much as possible of the healthier ovary. I chose her, but yesterday I received the insurance forms and it clearly states, "approval for removal of ovaries and tubes." I was devastated. I see my Dr again next Tuesday, but I'd like to know; is there one procedure  (abdominal surgery vs. laproscopy) that is better than the other? Pros and cons?
Thank you so much for any information.
GSLA

[AliceE]

My oby/gyn said that laproscopy is quicker to recover from  - that was the 2 weeks versus 6 weeks recovery time.  I am 6 weeks today on the laproscopy!!   I am 49 years old so maybe that has something to do with it.   My oby/gyn also said that the open abdominal surgery was easier for the doctors as they can see everything easier.  Good luck.

[Medsec]

I had a 20 cm ovarian cyst. It turned out to be a benign serous adenoma. I had the ovary and the tube removed. I also have the stabbing pains. It has been about 5 weeks since my surgery, and I feel this continous shaking-fluttering type of feeling. It is driving me crazy. My OB looks at me like I am crazy when I try to explain it to her. She says "maybe you are feeling movement in your colon". I don't think my colon has moved into my groin!! I was wondering if anyone else has felt this. It is really hard to put these sensations into words.


Thanks!!!

D

[kah22]

I had laproscopic surgery on April 3rd to remove a 3cm cyst and both ovaries. the doctor also removed scar tissue from previous surgeries .  I had such pain on the left side in December, I couldn't even move for 10 minutes.  The throbbing continued until I had surgery.  )I had my uterus out when I was 30, I'm 53 now. fibroid tumor) I also had a vaginal prolapse 3 years ago, and has surgery.  It's over a week and I can't believe how sore I am and I'm still having pain in on both sides.  I am a teacher and am supposed to go back to work on April 24th.  I have not gotten the biopsy results yet and I am a nervous wreck. Maybe today.  I also have a pacemaker since I have neurocardiogenic syncope.  I had too much pain medicine the day after surgery BP went 60/40 and my heart rate went to 42. I am so glad I was in the NY hospital where my cardiologist is.  I am not lifting anything - my husband does everything- still very uncomfortable= when will I feel better.

[Bronx]

Hi I am new.  I am sorry for all of us but glad that I found you.  I am a very young 64 yr old.  I had laproscopical removal of my right ovary and they tried to remove the left because I asked the Dr. to take it out.  I didn't want to think about having to do this again and at my age who cared about the other ovary.  He couldn't get the left one because 27 yrs ago I had my a tubal ligation laproscopically.  That caused me to have adhesions or scar tissue.    So when he went in he had to go three times then he decided to make the incision in the belly longer or else he had to do the bikini.  He had to go through the adhesions.  Got the right ovary only one stich.  The left ovary a bigger 3 stich incision and he didn't take it.  He said it was good but it was close to the intestines and some adhesions so he left it alone.  I had my surgery on Feb. 7th, 2006.  He said I would be fine and ready to go in 2 weeks.  When I had the tubal ligation I had absolutely no trouble back to work in 1 week never took a pain pill.  It was great.  This time it has been hell.  I had so much pain when I woke up in the lower pelvic area from one ovary to another.  I has now been 9 1/2 weeks.  I feel much better but not good.  I still get a pain in the abdomen it feel like a contraction.  I get pain in the lower pelvis where I had the pain after surgery when I walk up a flight of stair.  So I have stayed away from steps.  I have a friend that is a dermatologist her husband is a surgeon in Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC.  She says that he says.  It is better to get the bikini becaus then they so in do what they have to do and get out.  He killed my by going through 3 times.  When through my muscles.  He can't understand why it is taking me so long to feel good but he promises that I will.  My friend the dermatologist suggested that I go for water phyical therapy and I have just started to do that.  Wish me luch because during all of this I must and am scheduled for surgery on May 9th for fusion of 2 discs C4-5 and C56 in my neck and I have to wear a special collar 24/7 for 6 to 8 weeks.  I hope my belly feels better by then?????????  Wish me luck.  Anybody out there know what the longest recuperation for ovarian removal is????  God Bless Us All

[welderchick]

I had laproscopic and a tubal ligation surgery done 5 days ago. Doctors had to remove a large portion of my right fallopian tube and a portion of my left fallopian tube due to a cist the size of a toonie. My question is that I'm bleeding quite heavy with large clots for the last two days.....Is this normal after the kind of surgery I had???

                                                "welderchick"

[welderchick]

I had laproscopic and a tubal ligation surgery done 5 days ago. Doctors had to remove a large portion of my right fallopian tube and a portion of my left fallopian tube due to a cist the size of a toonie. My question is that I'm bleeding quite heavy with large clots for the last two days.....Is this normal after the kind of surgery I had???

                                                "welderchick"

[Marla Roth]

I had a 7 centimeter endrometriosis cyst removed last Monday.  It turns out because it was attached to my ovary it makes it stage 4. I am a healthy 35 year old and still want children.  They tell me I have two options, hormone therapy or stimulate my ovaries and try to get pregnate ASAP. They say people with endometriosis have a hard time getting pregnate on their own.  Is that true?  What should I expect with stimulating with hormones?    

[wannabyoung]

I had surgery to remove a cyst off of my ovary 3 days ago.  Once they got in there they realized they couIdn't remove the cyst without removing the ovary, so they removed both.  They also found another cyst on my other ovary which they removed while in there but left that ovary.  My question is when will this swelling in my stomach go down and I keep feeling movement in my stomach when I turn from side to side.  (Like a ball rolling around)  Its driving me nuts and I was wondering when I would start feeling normal again.  I mean, I guess I thought since Laproscopic wasn't as bad a the real deal that it wouldnt affect me this bad.  I think its hurts just as bad on the inside maybe not the out.  

[carolinagirl5]

I have a left ovarian cyst that is 7 cm. Should I opt for a bikini cut or laproscopic removal? I had my uterus removed three years ago and a dermoid from my right ovary. At the present time, I have both ovaries.
Carolina Girl

[BMayBe]

Ive had laparoscopic surgery 4x for bilateral dermoids and am about to have the 5th surgery for a new very large dermoid on my left.
There is only 1 benefit of laparotomy (open surgery) vs. laparoscopy and that is that there is an increased likelihood they get "all of it out". I read in a gynecological oncology journal on the web that there is about a 10% recurrence with dermoids within 2 years for laparoscopy but 1% or so for non-laparoscopy.
However laparoscopy is "day surgery" and requires only a few days out (or should) while a laparotomy is a week in the hospital and 4+ weeks before you can return to work or operate minimally. Plus you can't move because your stomach muscles are cut open. So if you have any choice AND you have faith that your doctor can do good laparoscopic surgery you should always opt for that b/c it's far less invasive, with speedier recover and far less chance of the complications that open surgery can have.

Howver you need to ensure your surgeon is skilled in laparoscopic surgery to be effective. A good benchmark is supposed to be someone who does at least one and if not several laparoscopic surgeries a week. I am now, after my 4th recurrence, with a really top-notch gynecological oncologist who specialises in minimally invasive surgery and it is a big weight off my mind to know that this is literally all he does-- no babies, nothing else but gynecological surgery, 3 days a week in the OR. That's what you want to find.

That said, Ovarian cancer is nothing to mess with, so if your MD is not skilled laparoscopically, better to be opened up than have any type of cancer grow and spread. But for regular cysts, dermoids and other benign growths... laparoscopy is totally the way to go. My last surgery included several growths in my left ovary including an 11cm dermoid and the surgeon was still able to remove it laparoscopically even at that size.

[reg132]

I am one month Post Op.  I had a mass and my left Ovary removed.  I was given that 2 wk mark and told my job that.  Obviously....THAT did not work out.  I have now been given an 11/10 return to work.....

My concern is that yesterday I baked muffins from scratch and by the time I went to bed my body felt like I had been hit by a truck.  I had severe pain in what felt like my kidneys, my incision still hurts and pressure/pain in my lower pelvic region.  I wonder if I can really return to work on 11/10 which will only be 2 days shy of 6 wks.

BTW...this site helped immensley because I really had no clue what actually hapened to me and was concerned and frustrated at the amount of pain I was in after 2 wks.

[ButterflyonmyShoulder]

Hey all-

  I am so glad I found this site. I have been dealing with poly cystic ovarian syndrome for 8 years now. My husband and I are unable to conceive at this juncture in our lives. We are both 30 years old and terrified we will never have children of our own.
For the last 4 years I have been struggling with a large cystic structure attached to my right fallopian tube. Each time it swells with fluid I have to go into same day surgery and have it drained. I have had it done 3 times so far and each time the doctor drains between 1.5 -3 liters of fluid. The first time I lost 20 lbs.
Well I went into the doctor today, and after my exam she told me she wants to do laproscopic surgery to remove the cystic structure and my right fallopian tube and possibly my right ovary. She gave me the two week recovery speech, and suggested I have my thyroid out at the same time ( I also have hypoparathyroidism). When I went to the ENT they said it would be a 6 to 8 week recovery. She said "No Way, it shouldn't take 6-8 weeks to recover from that!"
I can not afford to be out of work for 6-8 weeks, let alone 2-4 weeks! I am freaking out right now. Should I follow through with this or deal with the pain, and discomfort? I am so afraid that I am going to end up with a heart attack because my calcium levels are non existant with the thyroid problem. I should have it out.
STRESS... I am also freaking out because I just want to be normal... Have a baby normally.
STRESS... I cant afford not to work, I will loose everything.

[cam27]

For me, everything started with an abnormal pap I think. I felt fine though and nothing happened until one day I was having sex and there was a sharp stabbing pain near my ovaries. I went to the E.R. where I found I had a blood filled cyst. They sent me home and told me it would go away on its own and they would monitor it in 2 days. Well, next day I spent all day on the phone trying to get a followup appointment as recommended while my pain worsened. By the next morning i was a total mess and when I went into my appointment two doctors looked at me. The first was about to send me home. The head surgeon/OBGYN then came in, took one look at me and gave me a second pelvic exam and said I needed surgery. They said I had "exquisite tenderness". I just know it felt like I was dying. I had the 2.5" cyst removed about 3 weeks ago in an emergency kind of situation. I was drugged and left before I was really feeling ready, and ended up back in the E.R. the next morning after a night of unbearable agony. The only good that came of that day in the hospital were the drugs. Nothing except this "D" drug, can't remember the name...could even relax me or ease the pain a little- not even vicodin with ibuprofin or morphine. I was in horrible pain for about 1.5 weeks-couldn't get out of bed kind of pain. Moving, walking, even talking hurt. Cooking was out of the question. Friends helped by bringing me meals. (If you are going into surgery and have time to plan, this could be the biggest life-saver, having people who can cook for you or pick you up some food, bring you movies, books, etc while you're recovering) I experienced many of the post surgery symptoms you all have desbribed. I was doing much much better but now I am having complications. I don't want to freak anyone out-- If you have surgery and are in pain you may just be healing and it may take awhile. Don't let a doctor feel like your pain isn't real or significant. Bodies are fragile, and amazingly strong at the same time.It takes time to heal but you will heal! Anyways, I was feeling loads better and was getting back to grad school/thesis stuff, when I started experiencing this horrible discomfort under my ribs. I can't find any comfortable position that relieves it. It feels like someone is poking two fingers hard right under my ribs and that I am breathing on top of the fingers. Breaths are painful, but more of a strange, queezy discomfort than pain. Sounds weird but this is EXACTLY how it feels. It is unbearable and feels just..wrong. I called the nurse and she said it could be something serious like a blood clot. After going online it looks like it could be an adhesion, clot, or gallstones. I have no idea. I have an appointment tomorrow and am trying to hold off and wait. However, if it is serious, am I being stupid not to go to the E.R.? Has anyone been through this? I can't afford to go to the E.R. to hear them say "Just exercise more (or less) it's normal." But I don't want to have a stroke or heart attack either. Ugh. Any comforting advice or similar situations?