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TAH vs TVH
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11-24-2003, 06:29 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 10
Hysterectomy: March 4th, 1992
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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TAH vs TVH
I'm also new to Hyster Sisters - just found out I'll be having surgery sometime February. I won't go back to my Dr until Dec 4th to get the full details on the surgery. I am very anxious about the possibility of a TVH. I have a VERY small pelvis - both children had to be delivered by c-sect, and although I'm 38, I still have to tell the dr to use the smallest speculum he's got - and, of course, it's still VERY painful! Apparently, I have a lot of scar tissue. I have a cyst which is attached to my left ovary, tube, uterus, as well as my bowel. Endo is everywhere. Although I realize y'all aren't doctors, under what kind of circumstances do they choose TAH over TVH? Having already had five abdominal surgeries (2 c-sections, 2 exploratories, and appendix removed) abdominal surgery doesn't scare me, but vaginal does. Does it take longer to heal with a TVH? Do you have to refrain from sex longer? Just the thought of having surgery there makes me cringe. Please tell me I'm overreacting!
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11-24-2003, 06:49 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 198
Hysterectomy: January 14th, 2004
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Removed both
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TAH vs TVH
Relax, Oddie...you're just feeling the shock that comes along with being scheduled to visit the castle. Went through something similar myself a week ago when I got the news, and I spent 10 YEARS as a surgical nurse, mostly in GYN surgery!! I can't even count the number of hysterectomies I've been involved with over the years, and I was still kind of loopy that day!!
TVH can have a shorter recovery time than TAH, since it's a little less invasive, but it all depends on your body's ability to heal. Your doctor may not want to even try the TVH because of all those adhesions/endo. I've had 2 laparoscopies, and my adhesions are bad enough to make TAH the safest way to go.; even money risk of some bowel complications from LAVH, and
TVH wasn't even a possibility. My big uterus had someting to do with it, too, I'm guessing.
At your Dec 4 appointment, make sure you have a really complete list of questions to ask your doctor. This site is a wealth of good info. And one other suggestion: take your DH to the appointment, too, if he can go. My DH was thrilled when I asked him to come with me, and it helps him start thinking about how the family will manage during recovery time.
Stay in touch with your sisters here, and good luck!
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11-24-2003, 07:09 PM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 6,053
Hysterectomy: February 5th, 2002
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Removed both
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TAH vs TVH
There is a great list of questions for your pre op apt - it's in the PreOp hints and articles section which is located on the home page.
Best wishes!
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11-25-2003, 03:55 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 10
Hysterectomy: March 4th, 1992
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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Dealing with the shock
Thanks for all the words of encouragement. I'm trying to find out as much as I can prior to my Dec 4th appt, but I'm finding the more I learn, the more nervous I get. I know I have time to get a second opinion - and am planning to do so, but I'm really worried that I'm going to have even less of a desire to be intimate with my DH! Sex is very painful now and has been for the past year, but to go through all this and find that I'll be even less interested will surely be the death of my marriage. Do the HRTs really work? Does anyone find that after the surgery, because of a lack of pain, that they're actually more interested in sex? If I have a TAH vs TVH am I less likely to have any sensory problems? UGHHH! I'm a mess. Why is it that we, as women, are faced with questions like - Either suffer and deal with the pain of sexual contact, or have the operation and deal with possible hormonal induced lack of interest/sensation? I hope y'all aren't getting sick of my questions!
Signed
Dragging my hubbie to the appointment!
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11-25-2003, 04:04 PM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 779
Hysterectomy: December 11th, 2003
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Removed both
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TAH vs TVH
Hi Oddie
There's so much information out there that you can get turned around. I went on a research kick like crazy. Everything I could find I would read it. I got to the point where I was making myself sick by reading everything. Yes...it can happen. You end up stressing yourself out.
Research enough to know what is going on with your body and have your second opinion, but do not try and stress out too much. I know...easier said then done. I'm more scared of my doctor having to go through my stomach in a few weeks and I'm praying that he does the less invasive simply because my husband can only be out of work for two weeks and then I'll have to depend on the kids (4 kids..ages 3-13) for another week. I won't have a choice then. I have to get back behind the wheel of my van to take them too and from school.
Now my doctor will slap the hormone patch on me right after surgery. I'm not too worried about sex myself, but that's just me. I'm shooting for Valentie's Day myself.
Linda
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11-25-2003, 05:20 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 198
Hysterectomy: January 14th, 2004
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Removed both
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TAH vs TVH
Women do get the short end of the stick, don't we?
I'm also really concerned about the sex after surgery aspect; my libido is about as low as it can get right now, most likely due to the discomfort. Honestly, how am I supposed to get "excited" about something that hurts? GEEZ! Fortunately, my DH and I are both healthcare professionals (not doctors), so he understands.
Oddie, dragging your DH to the appointments should help a LOT! 2 reasons:
1. Your mind will be a mess (mine was!), and he'll be able to help you figure out later some of what was said.
2. Ask the doctor POINT BLANK about sex after the surgery; how long to wait, can sensation/arousal take longer to return, how does the hormone replacement affect this, etc. Really get detailed with DH there, so he understands exactly what to expect in the libido department. My doctor came right out and said that libido may take take longer to return, and he pointed out that fully healing can take up to a year. Getting rid of unrealistic expectations now is better than trying to fix them later. Since you seem to be really concerned about this, start talking to your doctor now.
Linda hit the nail on the head; research is a good thing, but it's easy to get confused/nervous by the amount of stuff out there. A second opinion is always a fine idea.
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11-25-2003, 08:10 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 10
Hysterectomy: March 4th, 1992
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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TAH vs TVH
I think I may have od'd on research this week! Probably a large part of my problem. Much more anxiety producing rather than resolving. My mom also had a TVH early - 40 years old. She was able to keep her ovaries and said she didn't start any kind of hormone treatment until 10 years later when she started menopause. She said the hyst was best thing for her. No negatives only a whole lot of positives. Doc said for me he'd have to take atleast one ovary due to the cyst and endo, though. Atleast I know hormone treatments are much more fine tuned now.
Thanks for letting me vent - I appreciate the support. Hopefully, after the second opinion, I won't be quite so wishy-washy over my next step. I'll get to see the pictures from my laproscopy on Dec 4th - maybe it will be obvious just how bad the endo and cyst are - I guess I just want to see for myself just how necessary the surgery is. (Too bad I won't really know what I'm looking at!)
Thanks again for the support - Happy Turkey Day!
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11-25-2003, 08:25 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 198
Hysterectomy: January 14th, 2004
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Removed both
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TAH vs TVH
I hope the second opinion helps clear out some of the clutter for you. I know what you mean about OD'ing on research, but one neat thing I did see out there that you might be interested in...some reputable medical folks in Europe did a study of women in Europe who had hysterectomies. After one year, many of them were MUCH happier with their sex lives! Gives us something to look forward to!
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11-25-2003, 08:46 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 10
Hysterectomy: March 4th, 1992
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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TAH vs TVH
I've got my fingers crossed that that will be the case!
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11-26-2003, 04:40 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 109
Hysterectomy: November 14th, 2003
Surgery Type: TLH
Ovaries: Removed both
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TAH vs TVH
Oddie;
As I was reading your postings I noticed that there was not mention of the LSH procedre. This is a Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy. I am aware that not many physicians offer this as an option, but you might want to ask about it. I would look at postings from Cynthia H, and there are some others also, *LSH will bring this up as a search.
With this procedure the utereus, tubes, and ovaries are all moved via a laparoscopic procedure. One small incision in the belly button, two one inch incisions (either side of lower abdomen). I just had this procedure on 11/14/2003 and am glad that I was able to have this procedure. Since I had never had children a hyst with vag asst was not an option, and I could not bear the thought of the TAH, so I asked for a second opinion with another physician in the practice I go to. Much to my luck I met a doc that was up on this procedure, and was able to help me. My endo was out of control, it was everywhere, there was a lot of adhesions/scar tissue, and part of my bowel was attached to the wall of my abdomen, but yet I was still able to have this procedure even though I was a mess inside.
With this procedure you do stay in the hospital over night, I was released the next morning. I would ask your doctor if this is an option. While everyone heals differently, I was back at work on my 10th day post-op, and am doing extremely well.
In addition, immediately before surgery the anesthesiologist administered a single shot of long acting morphine to my spine for post operative pain control. I had no pain until about 24 hrs post op, now this was not an epidural or a spinal and you do not loose the feeling in your legs, it is merely pain medication administered in a single shot, this made all of the difference, I was walking 6 hrs post op, the only side effect of this shot is you will be itchy, which I can deal with way better than pain, and the Benedryl about took care of that.
I just wanted to let you know about this option, there is not an extremely large amount of information out there about it. Good luck with your pre-op, and do not be afraid to ask questions!!!
Best Wishes!!!
Annie
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