Getting a bit freaked out by upcoming laparoscopy :(

Next Tuesday I have a lap booked at the RWH.

I'm having the lap, removal of endo, hysteroscopy, cystoscopy, dye studies, repositioning of ovaries and a D&C.

The nurse told me it would be a two hour operation and I would need two weeks recovery :o I've read through this part of the forum and it seems most people are back to work in a week after a 30 minute operation. Was she exaggerating??

I'm a bit worried about the procedure given i am overweight and my weight is on my belly/lower abdomen. Things like blood clots, being cut because of the fat on my organs....death :(

I have had one lap previously (last December) but that was to retrieve eggs for an IVF cycle.

I'm not sure the point of this post, but if anyone has any words of wisdom, I'd be happy to hear them!

Thanks!!

I have to admit that the recovery from my second lap was a lot longer than it was after my first. I was back at work in a few days after my first one but after my second I was stil very sore for 3 weeks afterwards. If I worked, there wouldn't have been any way that I could do my job properly - I could hardly bend over! Maybe that's just me though, and I assumed it was the difference between 9 years and 4 kids from when I had my first one kwim? I would listen to what you've been told and assume that it could take at least that long and anything less than that is a bonus.

The recovery from my lap was a lot longer than I thought it would be...two weeks off work (then two weeks school holidays anyway). There was no way I could've gone back before about three weeks. It took nearly six months for my energy levels to return to near normal. My op was abt two hours. However, it had an infection too, so that may have affected my recovery time.

I agree with PP - I'd go with what you've been told and anything less is a bonus.

I had a lap, removal of endo, hysteroscopy and dye study and D&C, on a Friday, went back to work on the Tuesday. Looking back I should have stayed home longer, I wasn't quite up to it yet, but didn't have a sick note from the Dr's so felt like I should go back. Don't forget it is a proper operation and your body will need some time to heal. I agree with Trillian and Jleigh29 about keeping in mind it could take 2 weeks and anytime sooner is a bonus! Good luck hun, wishing you a speedy recovery for afterwards! xxx

Definitely over a week for recovery, bleeding for 9 days (not super heavy, just constant on and off). Definitely needed the following week off work - I had it done on a Thursday and took the following week. Maybe it depends on how much you have done??

It's ok to be freaking out N2L, the unknown always freaks me out. I hope the others have said something that will shed light on your recovery period xx

Technically laparoscopy just means abdominal keyhole surgery with a camera so when people are talking about laparoscopies it is like comparing apples with oranges. It varies from a quick look around to make sure everything looks OK such as what they do pre IVF to the major surgery me4ever described.
So recovery time is difficult to predict from other people's experiences. Also your doctor may change the estimate on recovery after the operation depending on how much they do.
Sorry, I know that is not reassuring but I think it is natural to be worried about it. I have lost count of the number of day procedures I had through the Ivf process but I was always stressed before them so knowing you are going in for some major surgery would be difficult.
Good luck. Hope it all goes well.

Don't freak out lovely. But it's good that she has told you two weeks. I had the whole works done ( not the ovaries though!) and I had fibroids and adhesions too.
I lay on the couch for a week. The shoulder tip pain was bizarre and worse than I expected. If I had gone back to work it would have been in the second week and I really wouldn't have been able to do much - I'm not sure I even drove in the second week.
I kept thinking I was a bit mad because everyone else said they were back at work in a few days. But I know know that everyone is different, and it's not minor. I think I was knocked out for about 2.5 hours and I spent the whole day in recovery and nearly didn't make it home that night - general anaesthetic and me are not friends.
I never had a lap for egg retrieval, but I guess it must be much shorter and involve less gas and less instruments and less anaesthetic.
I had a lap for the gall bladder and I was kept in overnight. But I recovered much much quicker and had very little shoulder tip pain even though it was a similar operation in length etc.
So, everyone is different and every op is different. Don't expect the worst, but at least book the time off at work and at home too, so that you can take it slowly if needs be. Do you have a heat pack? Shoulder tip pain bites!

Thanks everyone :) I might even ring the nurse to confirm what she said. I'm wondering if they will keep me in overnight?? I am not sure what time the surgery is other than it is in the afternoon. I guess I will find out soon enough !

I have several wheat bags and I have organised for DD to stay home from school with me (DP can't) the next day because I figure two hours is a big whack of general anaesthetic and I might need someone with me the first 24 hours or so.

I have arranged just under two weeks off work. I drive an hour or more each way in heavy traffic so I need to be okay for that.

Lenny, you just reminded me...I had a lap for my gall bladder too...but I was in hospital for a few days after, and it was 12/13 years ago so I don't remember much :D

Anney -I've had five egg retrievals and three other surgeries (inc gall bladder), but this one has spooked me. Partly, if I'm honest, because I am hoping they find an "answer" to my infertility and if they don't, well.... You know.... :(

I think the ovary repositioning is scaring me a bit. It sounds uncomfortable :lol: my luck though, I will have absolutely no endo and everything will be totally normal and it will be all for nothing :lol:

Eta - I'm also having trouble getting DP to understand that I might be out of commission for a few days. I think he is so used to me having IVF procedures (which are comparatively minor), and he assumes I'll be okay within a day or so.

When I had my 2nd lot of Endo removed they also did dye studies, and I felt a lot worse after the 2nd. I quite vividly remember dry retching in my mum's flower bed LOL. It was a definite 2 week recovery.

Def what Anney said...lap is just a term for the type of surgery, so doesn't explain exactly what happens. I was told I'd be kept in overnight, but ended up being there for 7 nights (then back for another two nights for observation a few days later). Looking back, of course I had a long recovery after all that!

My second lap was just day surgery and the recovery was a lot quicker...a few days.

You might not know til after the op. Any chance DP can get time off to look after you if you need it?

Jleigh, he could if I *needed* him to, but it's leading up to his busiest time of the year work wise, so I don't want him to stay home if it's not warranted.

I rang the hospital. Another nurse confirmed two hours. She said I might need to stay overnight :/

I think pain and recovery is really dependent on what they find.

I had no endo or anything to remove, so my recovery was probably minor to somebody who had a lot of 'work' done in there.

I stayed overnight with mine and can recommend it, you will be able to get nice pain relief :D My dr had told me I could go home, but if I wanted to I could stay the night, I felt pretty unstable still and not very well with the shoulder tip pain, so I decided to stay on.

I had several hours surgery. They didn't do the dye studies as they ran out of theatre time and I wasnt having it for fertility at the time. I returned to work in a week. Yes I was still tender and careful about what I did, but I didn't need 2 weeks off.

I would also go with an overnight stay if possible as the pain relief was much better in hospital.

A lot of the recovery time is going to depend on what they find and do. If they go in and find you have a lot of endo, they will obviously have to do a lot of work inside, which will slow recovery. If they find nothing, then your recovery will be quicker.

I have had ovarian drilling/golf balling via lap, and the associated hunt for endo at the same time. It took a good month before I felt "right" again. I went back to work after a week and even though I work in a call centre where I can basically relax if needed, it was too soon and I think that delayed my recovery. I bounced back quicker from my c/s than that one!

You are right to have someone with you for at least the first 24 hours. At least. And take it easy. You need to let yourself recover. Even though there are only small external cuts they've still poked and prodded and moved your internal organs around, and that needs a chance to recover!

Hopefully they find something to give you answers. I'm sure far too many of is understand that need to just KNOW why!

I strongly suspect I have endo. I have adenomyosis (confirmed) and the two usually go hand in hand. Earlier this year I was in hospital just under a week with a massive 'infection' - they never determined whether it was infected ovarian abscesses or chocolate cysts. It was bad enough that I was in critical care. If the latter, then I definitely have endo.

Answers would be good, because then maybe there might be some solutions :pray:

In reply to what BG said about the amount of endo, I had lots and they removed lots, but it's done via burning, so there is not any actual pain associated with the removal of the endo as the nerves are burned and so there is no pain. The only pain I had was from the puncturing of the muscles in the stomach to get the instruments in. I had 3 sites plus a drain because there was a lot of fluid used to clean stuff out. That's also why I had to stay in overnight, the drain had to be removed the next day.