TAH/BSO - A UK Experience - Hystersisters Hysterectomy Article

		HysterSisters > Abdominal Hysterectomy Stories Articles
TAH/BSO - A UK Experience

TAH/BSO - A UK Experience

From the Abdominal Hysterectomy Stories Articles List

HysterSisters Articles

Options to Hysterectomy
Pre-Op Hysterectomy
Post-Op Hysterectomy
Hormone and Menopause
Intimacy after Hysterectomy
Fitness after Hysterectomy
GYN Cancer
Hysterectomy Stories
Ask A Doctor

TAH/BSO 4th April 2001

Being UK based, my experience is slightly different - at least in so far as hospital is concerned.

In the UK we have two choices for surgery. Completely free on the National Health Service (NHS) or paid for (either through medical insurance, or hard cash) - other wise known as private. If you have no medical insurance you can still go privately in the UK, and many UK hospitals will do what is called "fixed price" surgery. This is the route I went down, and the whole thing, apart from the initial consultations and the post-op check up (i.e. surgery, hospital stay, pills, dressings, anaesthetist) was one price - April 2001 £4095 (UK sterling, approx US$5,800).

To go privately you still need a referral from your General Physician (GP).

Having spoken to others who went NHS the only difference between the two (apart from the cost) is that if you go privately you get to chose when you are operated on, rather than waiting to be "done" when the NHS decides (an important factor in my case) and you also get a private room, better food, own telephone and probably more relaxed visiting. So the actual hospital experience is similar, but the UK version is very different from the US.

The key difference appears to be in the length of stay. Here is my story.

April 3rd afternoon arrived at the hospital. Seen by the nurse (is it only in the UK that nurses seem to be obsessed by the workings of bowels and bladder?) and the anaesthetist (UK version of anaetheologist). Father-in-law (almost as wonderful as DH) arrranged for some flowers to arrive, which was nice. Had supper with DH and watch some TV. DH left at about 9.00 p.m. and at 10 ish was offered (and accepted - on anaesthetist's advice) sleeping tablets to help me sleep. I'm not sure I would have had a problem as I seemed to be really tired, but better safe than sorry.

April 4th. Woke. No breakfast, not even coffee or tea, so got up, showered and washed my hair (I'd read other posts on this site and being one who normally washes my hair every day learned the lesson from others!!!). The nurse came in and put some cream on the back of both my hands and covered it with a clear dressing. Apparently this was to both numb the area and raise the veins. At 8.30 they came in and gave me my pre-med which sent me to sleep! At 10.30 they took me down to theatre and knocked me out. I felt a bit cheated because the cream had not worked (not the raising of the veins bit) and they stuck the needles in bits that had not had the cream!! Also the anaesthetist had promised that before I went out I would be taken on a wonderful trip. All I felt was prickles all over and that was it - in fact my last words were "that prickles...".

Waking up was something else. Ow! Big ow!. It had never really sunk in how much it was going to hurt when I woke up - I was in real pain and quite shocked. Silly really. Still they reminded me about the pain pump, put as much morphine in me as they could and sent me up to my room. DH had arrived by then (about 12.45) with his sister (who was providing him with moral support and distraction from the worry). I do not really remember much else as I spent the time drifting in and out of sleep. I had been hooked up to one of these pumps where you press the button and get a dose of pain killer - in my case morphine - and every time I pressed that I dozed off.

I was attached to a catheter and was allowed sips of water - really all I wanted. As time passed I pressed the pain pump less and less. DH & sis in law went and I dropped off to sleep again. I woke in the night (when I turned over - or tried to - owww) and pressed the pain pump again. That was reallly the last time I needed to for the operation site. Early in the morning of Thursday 5th my back was killing me so I pressed again, but it didn't do anything for the back ache!!!

I spent a total of six nights in hospital. The catheter was in for 48 hours. Boy was I pleased to get rid of that. Not that it was painful but that it was irksome to have it permanently attached. And walking down the hall (which they made me do on Thursday) having to hold could have been embarrassing had we met anyone other than nurses - fortunately we did not.

I did have some bleeding - but not much and it stopped by Saturday.

All my stitches were dissolving, so I had none to be removed, and I was put on HRT on the Friday.

Leaving on Monday was great - I was ready to come home, although I was pleased I had been in until then.

At home I have found turning over in bed painful - it has helped to have a pillow pressed to the wound site, and it also meant that the site felt protected against inadvertent bumps from DH whilst he was sleeping beside me. For the first week home DH stayed off from work to look after me. The next two weeks my house keeper (who normally comes in on Wednesdays) came in every day, and then my parents spent a week here - I have been thoroughly pampered. I am more or less back to normal, although I tire easily - less easily each day. Now, 1 day short of 5 weeks since the op, I am completely pain free - although I am numb above the wound site. I was allowed to drive 3 weeks after the op and am theoretically allowed to make love - but DH (bless) wants to wait until the 6 week check up - so we make do without penetration - OK but not quite the real thing!!

I am planning on going back to work in 2 weeks - but as I travel from mid Kent to London to get to work will only go into the office 2 or 3 times a week until the end of June, and will work from home in the interim - fortunately I have a great boss and brilliant colleagues so I can do this.

Thanks to all sisters for hints which helped me understand what was happening.

Printer Friendly Version

TAH/BSO - A Success Story

TAH/BSO - Adhesions and endo

Find A Doctor Near You

Gregory Glover, M.D. 10810 Parkside Dr. Knoxville TN 37934 865-218-6690	Alison Clarke DeSouza, M.D. 3100 Coral Hills Dr. # 207 Coral Springs FL 33065 954-341-9777	Danielle J Jimenez-Flores, M.D. 4324 N McColl McAllen TX 78504 956-630-0240
Mayra J. Thompson, M.D. 5323 Harry Hines Blvd Dept OBGYN Dallas TX 75290 214-645-3888	Iris Orbuch, M.D. 202 Spring Street 2nd Floor New York NY 10012 212-343-3040	Steven McCarus, M.D. 400 Celebration Place Suite310 Celebration FL 34747 4073034190
Laurence Orbuch, M.D. 202 Spring Street 2nd Floor New York NY 10012 212-343-3040	Jennifer Schnee, M.D. 3001 Coral Hills Dr., Suite 300 Coral Springs FL 33065 954-341-2916	Ken Sinervo, M.D. 1140 Hammond Dr., Ste. F6220 Atlanta GA 30328 770-913-0001

Receive support and resources for your hysterectomy related needs: