Hysterectomy Questions

12 Things that Will Happen Before and After Your Laparotomy

2010-01-17T15:44:00.001-08:00

Laparotomies are quite a common procedure, as they are used to diagnose such a wide variety of conditions, including fibroids and the answer to infertility questions. Complications are quite rare -- but it is still very normal to feel worried about being cut open with scalpels and having your insides looked at! We know that feeling of unease, and we believe that forewarned is forearmed. If you want to ease your mind about an upcoming laparotomy, read our partial list of what may happen before and after your laparotomy surgery. Always remember to ask your gynecologist for the full list of things that will happen in your particular case.

Before your laparotomy

Your doctor will discuss why they need to do a laparotomy to help with your condition, and tell you about the risks and benefits. They should also tell you about what you should do to prepare for the surgery, and how you can expect the treatment plan to proceed once they have information from the procedure. They may decide to do the treatment at the time of surgery, depending on your wishes.
You'll most likely have to have x-rays and/or blood tests that could add to the information from the surgery to build a complete picture of your health issues.
You'll be asked about your medical history and lifestyle factors that could affect the operation.
You will need to have nothing by mouth for a certain time beforehand -- your doctor will tell you how long you should avoid eating and drinking.
You might need to take a bowel preparation to help empty your bowels completely, or you could be given an enema for this purpose.
You'll have your pubic area shaved, and will need to use a surgical scrub lotion as preparation and put on a theater gown.
The anesthetist will check up on your and ask about known allergies.

After your laparotomy

You will have tubes sticking out of various parts of you -- this worries some people immensely, but is definitely one of the best ways to help rest your body as it heals. You will most likely have a urinary catheter inserted, have an IV drip in your arm to provide nutrients while your gut is healing, have a drain inserted at the wound site to let fluids out, and you may have a drain from your stomach out through your nose to help rest the digestive tract by removing stomach secretions.
You will have pain relief at regular intervals -- don't be afraid to ask for more if you feel you need it. The doctors or nurses will let you know if you can’t have more because of the risk of toxicity.
You can expect to be told about what happened during the operation! Ask your doctor what happened, and whether any further surgery is needed to correct your problem. You might finally have the answer to your infertility questions, or know the cause of your pelvic pain.
You will be encouraged to do your deep breathing and leg exercises to encourage healing
You will be told about what you can and can't do in the period following the operation. For example, there is no heavy lifting allowed for at least two weeks, and it may take 12 weeks before you can resume your normal activities.

Time for Some Straight Talk about Fibroids

2010-01-07T12:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed that when women start talking about problems with periods, the word “fibroids” often comes up? It’s usually spoken in hushed tones, such as the ones used to discuss cancer. The truth is that fibroids are a highly treatable condition. This common confusion is why we decided it was high time for some straight talk about fibroids.

Non-cancerous tumors in the uterus are known as uterine fibroids. They’re very common -- in fact, the Mayo Clinic reports that three out of four women probably experience fibroids in their lifetimes.

Most fibroids cause no symptoms at all. That’s why they often remain undetected. Only when they become large enough to press against other organs, cause excessive bleeding or get in the way of a woman becoming pregnant are they usually detected and treated.

In case you’re wondering what causes fibroids, they’re simply uterine wall cells that for various reasons continue multiplying to form a benign tumor. You may have an increased chance of developing fibroids if your mother had them, and certain hormones seem to increase fibroid growth.

But, again, they aren’t normally cancerous and there are plenty of treatment options.

When uterine fibroids become large enough to cause problems, you may experience a variety of symptoms:

· Excessive menstrual bleeding

· Prolonged pelvic pain

· Stress incontinence or trouble with bowel movements

· Spotting between periods

These are the warning signs that should have you talking to your doctor. This is the time to start asking questions about treatment.

If you’ve been diagnosed with fibroids, talk to your doctor about recommended treatment options. Depending on your age and whether or not you plan to have more children, there are several ways fibroid tumors can be removed.

Women who want to be able to have children may opt for a laparoscopic procedure that involves making several small incisions in the abdomen and performing the removal while observing the area on a camera screen. Known as a myomectomy, this is one of the best options for women who want to remain fertile.

One thing that should be said about fibroids is that they often return. For that reason, women who are finished having children may opt for hysterectomy. Either way, being able to sit down with your doctor and have all your questions answered will ensure choosing the best option for your life.

Having fibroids doesn’t have to be a life-altering event. If you suspect you might have them, or that’s been your recent diagnosis, taking the time for some straight talk about fibroids can make all the difference in treating your fibroids successfully.

All About D&C for Miscarriage Treatment

2009-11-30T20:45:00.001-08:00

Miscarriage treatment is one of the leading reasons for patients to undergo a D&C -- a dilation and curettage procedure. The other leading reason is for purposeful termination of the pregnancy. In some cases post partum women may require a D&C; if the placenta did not detach properly during birth and a small piece was left in the womb it will cause constant bleeding which may eventually be life threatening. Today we are looking at what will happen if you need to have a D&C for miscarriage treatment.

Why have a D&C?
There are several reasons when a miscarried pregnancy might need medical intervention to complete:

* If the embryo is not living, but has not detached properly it could cause excessive bleeding
* If a stillbirth was discovered by an ultrasound, but there is no sign of imminent spontaneous abortion
* If a doctor feels that the miscarriage might not ever complete naturally, and may become septic

Basically, having a D&C helps ensure that your body has the best possible chance to recover from the miscarriage without permanent damage to your reproductive organs.

If you have experienced repeated miscarriages in a relatively short period of time, your doctor might recommend that you have chromosomal testing done on a spontaneously aborted embryo. Having a D&C done means that it is possible to do that chromosomal testing. The tissue sample might not otherwise be retrievable.

Risks of having a D&C done
In the medical profession, these are generally accepted to be outweighed by the guaranteed benefits of the procedure. However, if the following minor risks are important to you it is always your choice whether to undergo the procedure.

* Slight risk of puncturing the uterus
* Slight risk of later cervical insufficiency -- which can cause problems in later pregnancies
* Risk of scarring in the uterus, which can cause heavy post partum bleeds in subsequent deliveries.

How is it done
D&Cs may be done in either a hospital or a doctor's office, and under general anaesthesia or local anaesthesia. You will need presurgical tests in some cases, and will have to take a pill to help dilate your cervix.

A speculum is inserted into the vagina, the cervix is manually dilated if necessary and a curette, or flat blade, introduced to scrape the uterine lining away.

You will most likely be able to resume your normal activities after your D&C with just a day's rest. Bleeding is usually mild to moderate, and cramping is not usually extensive either.

Introduction to Tubal Ligation

2009-11-30T20:42:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are finished having children, tubal ligation and vasectomy can be an attractive, cost-effective option that minimally impacts on your health. Tubal ligation is not a guarantee of contraception, and there is also no guarantee that the procedure will be reversible, although from both points of view it is an extremely predictable and highly reversible procedure. You should ask your gynaecologist about how your particular surgery will be done - here we are looking at the standard methods and side effects of tubal ligation that you might encounter.

How it works
The principle upon which tubal ligation is based is that of preventing the egg from reaching the sperm. It is a barrier method -- although a much more permanent one than other barrier methods like condoms, diaphragms or inter-uterine devices. Rather than hormonal contraception methods, which usually prevent an egg being released, when you have a tubal ligation done the tubes are either burned, cut or otherwise closed so that the egg is still released, but it cannot meet the sperm. The egg is broken down and reabsorbed by the body.

How is tubal ligation done?
Your Fallopian tubes may be cut, burned, tied up with rubber bands, or clipped to ligate them. Alternatively, you may have tiny, flexible devices placed inside your Fallopian tubes which the body recognizes as foreign, and so forms scar tissue around them. This effectively blocks the tubes in a more natural way, but takes longer to effect.

The procedure
The procedure will differ from surgeon to surgeon, and patient to patient. You should ask your own gynecologist questions about how tubal ligation will be done in your case. However, a common scenario involves:

* You will be anesthetized
* One to three small incisions being made around the navel
* A laparoscope is inserted in the incisions -- a tiny camera which allows surgeons to see the internal organs with cuts as small as possible.
* The tubes are ligated by one of the methods above.
* Your belly will be stitched up by either dissolvable or non-dissolvable stitches.

Is it reversible?
In many cases, yes. In some cases, no. If your tubes have been burned or cut to ligate them, you have a much lower chance of being able to become pregnant following reversal surgery. If there is a greater than even chance you'll want to become pregnant after a tubal ligation, it is recommended that you explore alternative contraception options with your doctor.

Asking your Doctor Questions

2009-11-18T20:34:00.000-08:00

After my third child was born, I decided that three kids was enough and made arrangements to have a tubal ligation to prevent any further pregnancies. I was lucky to have a doctor who was easy to talk to; some women are not so lucky and often their doctors are too busy to answer their many questions.

Ten years after my sterilization surgery I began experiencing the onset of terrible pelvic pain. My menstrual cycles became very heavy and would last for two weeks or longer. My doctor tried several different treatments to try to ease the pain and regulate my cycles. The treatments would work, initially, but then within three months the pain and heavy bleeding would return. My doctor was doing everything possible to keep me from having to have major surgery; she was exploring all the options before she made that suggestion.

About two years after the excessive pain began and all the treatments had failed, my doctor finally suggested that I have a partial hysterectomy; she would leave my ovaries but remove my uterus, which was the source of all my pain. I asked her countless questions before I agreed to have it done; I wanted to make sure this was the last option. She scheduled the surgery for the following month. I was nervous about having a major surgery such as this but my doctor reassured me that the procedure was very common these days and could actually be done on an outpatient surgery. Part of me was relieved that the source of my pain was going to be removed and another part of me was scared.

On the day of my hysterectomy my doctor came into the room where I was waiting before surgery and went over the procedure one more time. She answered any other questions I had and then wheeled me into the operating room. It took less than an hour to complete and I was home in my own bed by five o’clock that same afternoon. The pain from the surgery was minimal and by the second day after I was up walking around with very little discomfort. As far as surgeries go this was not such a bad experience.

After I completely healed from the surgery the pelvic pain was completely gone. I felt like a brand new person and had energy to do all the things I used to enjoy doing but couldn’t because I was always in such pain. I was very thankful to have such a great doctor who allowed me to ask lots of questions and kept me informed about what was happening to my body. It’s very important to feel comfortable with your doctor when dealing with such personal issues such as this.

A Quick History of Vaginal Hysterectomy

2009-11-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

Your doctor may have recommended you have a very common surgery known as a "vaginal hysterectomy." As you're compiling your list of questions about that surgery, it would be good to know how long doctors have used it as a medical intervention. Vaginal hysterectomy, or the removal of a woman's uterus through an incision in the vagina, may seem like a modern procedure, but the truth is that it's been done in some fashion for hundreds of years. Here's a quick timeline of the medical history of vaginal hysterectomy.

As early as the mid-15th century, medical journals give detailed accounts of doctors doing vaginal hysterectomies. Even earlier than that, however, a doctor by the name Soranus of Ephesus wrote of one such procedure in the second century! These primitive surgeries were done primarily for treatment of gangrene, and there isn't much said again about them until the late 1700s.

A lot has been written about the vaginal hysterectomies being done during the 1800s, especially by a Dr. K.M. Langenbeck, whose work wasn't generally well received. Later efforts by others to improve on his methods resulted in widespread interest in the procedure later in that century. These surgeries were done for a number of reasons, most notably cervical cancer.

As with other gynecological procedures such as tubal ligation and D&C, advancements in surgical equipment, anesthesia and antiseptic techniques significantly lowered the risks involved.

In the late 1870s, another form of hysterectomy began to be explored, in which removal of the uterus was accomplished through an incision of the abdomen. By the beginning of the next century, several forms of this procedure, involving removal of not only the uterus but also the ovaries and/or the cervix, began to be used but vaginal hysterectomy was still preferred by most physicians.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, the use of laparoscopy, or inserting a scope through small incisions to assist in removal of organs through those incisions became highly developed. In 1989, these advancements brought about the first laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy.

Hysterectomy is used today to relieve a wide variety of conditions including fibroids, several forms of cancer, and prolapsed uterus, and is still the second most common of all surgeries. Surgeons continue to improve the outcomes and safety of vaginal hysterectomy.

As you discuss your upcoming vaginal hysterectomy with your physician, don't be afraid to ask questions. Because the procedure has a long history of success, they'll be able to draw on a wealth of research to give you the answers you need.

New Post

2009-10-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

QuestionsToMyGynecologist.com is dedicated to empowering and providing women with knowledge about their gynecological conditions before undergoing surgery. By downloading one of our easy-to-understand eBooklets, you will have a list of the necessary questions to ask your doctor before deciding on surgery or other treatments.

Each of our comprehensive eBooklets is designed to make women’s health issues less complicated and less scary. We make your visit to the gynecologist a peaceful, empowering, educational, and less stressful experience.

Don’t leave your doctor’s office without the right answers. Download one of our 12 eBooklets now. Each eBooklet contains at least 75 questions for your doctor, plus instructions on the 10 most important questions.