Have to have a Laparoscopy- Is it worth it? Advice needed please.

[Madissun]

I saw a gynaecologist a couple of weeks ago and im waiting on a date for surgery. I was supposed to have a laparoscopy done about 5 years ago but I went to work on a cruise ship and the surgery date was scheduled for after my contract start date so i had to cancel it. The laparoscopy is to see if i have endometriosis. In 2007 i had my son and the painful periods reduced significantly. However, within the last year it has increased again and the pain is pretty much back to how it was. I have heard that pregnancy can sometimes alleviate it, however it usually returns within 2-3 years.

At the moment i skip my period every month with the pill, on my GP's advice. I know that people have laparoscopys done all the time, but im really doubting whether or not it's worth having it. I know that if it is endo, it usually returns again within a few years anyway. And there are a lot of risks associated with having a lap done.

This might be a silly question but can't i just keep skipping my period instead? I know that people have a lap done mostly when they are having problems trying to conceive, but im not trying to conceive and honestly don't know if i ever will be again.

If I can manage the pain by skipping my period, still having one every 4 months or so, is it really worth the risks of having a lap done and more than likely having the endo return in a few years anyway?

I should probably add that my mum had a hysterectomy at a young age due to endometriosis and that my GP and gyno both think that i definitely have it also.

I just dont know what to do!

[PumpkinZulu]

It's a hard decision, and it really only comes down to your own personal preferance, if the pill is working for you and you see it as a long term solution then that's great. On the other hand, if your endo gets really bad and you do need an early hysterectomy how would you feel about that. As far as I knew laps did not carry much of a risk at all, I think the main concern is a slight chance of scarring, but if you're not considering ttc then it shouldn't matter? Sorry, not much help here

[Madissun]

PZ- I think the gyno may have scared me a little. Dont get me wrong, she was lovely , but she told me all of the risks associated and that she knew of a case where a girl had to leave with a colostomy bag. Plus the risk of damage to the organs and that if that happened, it would turn into open surgery to repair the damaged organs. She also said that if i had to go back in the future to have another lap done, she would recommend asking for a referral to a gyno who specializes in endo. And she leaves at the end of December so if my date is for next year, which is highly likely, it will be another gyno doing the surgery, not her.

[PumpkinZulu]

I have not had a lap, I fell pregnant two weeks before I was booked in for one. But a lot of BB women have had it done and will hopefully be in soon with more useful contributions. I think if you really think about whether you will want more children in the future, that decision will pretty make up the other one. If no, staying on the pill and tri-cycling (so af every 3-4 cycles) sounds like it's working well for you. Although I was never formally diagnosed with endo, my mother had it, and I was sure I do as well, so I can sympathise with the pain. I hope whatever happens, you'll be pain free and comfortable with your choice

[onthefly]

There are risks with any surgery of course, but laps are pretty low-risk since they're keyhole surgeries.
If your current method is manaing the problem and you're happy with that, then maybe just continue as you are.
Removing the endo would give you longer lasting relief - and the other thign to consider is finding any other problems that may be there (since they haven't confirmed endo).
If it were me, I'd probably get the surgery just because I don't like messing round with pills and would really appreciate relief from the pain.

[Trillian]

PZ- I think the gyno may have scared me a little. Dont get me wrong, she was lovely , but she told me all of the risks associated and that she knew of a case where a girl had to leave with a colostomy bag. Plus the risk of damage to the organs and that if that happened, it would turn into open surgery to repair the damaged organs. She also said that if i had to go back in the future to have another lap done, she would recommend asking for a referral to a gyno who specializes in endo. And she leaves at the end of December so if my date is for next year, which is highly likely, it will be another gyno doing the surgery, not her.

Those risks can also happen if you end up having a hysterectomy too, not to mention going through early menopause as a result. It's a hard one to weigh up, especially if you think you are able to live with it for the time being, but it can cause other problems. I have had two now without a problem and huge success with both of them. If the endo is left, it can cause adhesions with other organs and cause you more pain. A better alternative than taking the pill and skipping the sugar ones may be to have implanon or a mirena. Because you are only 30, so not old at all and taking the pill for the rest of your life may not be the best solution either. If it were me, I would go for the lap and then see how things went because I would not want to risk damage to other organs on top of dealing with endo.

[Elocin]

Those risks can also happen if you end up having a hysterectomy too, not to mention going through early menopause as a result. It's a hard one to weigh up, especially if you think you are able to live with it for the time being, but it can cause other problems. I have had two now without a problem and huge success with both of them. If the endo is left, it can cause adhesions with other organs and cause you more pain. A better alternative than taking the pill and skipping the sugar ones may be to have implanon or a mirena. Because you are only 30, so not old at all and taking the pill for the rest of your life may not be the best solution either. If it were me, I would go for the lap and then see how things went because I would not want to risk damage to other organs on top of dealing with endo.

:yeahthat:

Trillian has written everything I was thinking while reading your post.

I've just had a lap and had my right tube removed (not endo related). My FS said to me that if there was a risk of damaging any other organs, he would not continue with the surgery.

If you don't feel comfortable with your current FS, and it sounds like she's really scared you, can you see another FS and organise surgery through them?

As the others have said too, if you are planning on TTCing again and you want to get rid of the pain for good, surgery would defintely be the way to go.