verticle or horizontal incision?

Im scheduled for a total hyterectomy removal of my uterus and and cervix. My Dr. said she is going to cut vertically. I have a 7cm fibroid, three that are 5cm and 6cm and several small ones. Its my understanding that verticle cuts are done in cases when one has a fibroid as large as a basketball or cancer, which isnt the situation in my case. No test have shown nor has my Dr. indicated cancer. Isnt cutting vertically the old school way of doing the procedure? If someone has some insight on this...... please share.

Hello,

I would definitely have another conversation with your physician to make sure that is the only option available. I would think a vertical incision would be more painful and a longer recovery time.

Best of luck!

I had a grapefruit sized cyst on my left ovary and have a bikini cut. Not sure why they are wanting to go vertically. I would ask him/her the reason for this. I'm no expert but haven't heard of many having that incision lately.

You'll do great no matter which way they go - attitude is everything!!

I also think it would be good to have another discussion with your doctor......my fibroid was 9cm and the incision was a bikini-line cut. It is just coming up to six weeks and I've been on my road bike for the first time today: the recivery time has really flown by and been much more enjoyable than I expected. Hope yours goes well!

I would just talk to her again and see exactly why she wants to do the incision that way. She may have reasons other than just size of fibroids.

I had grapefruit size ovarian mass with septations and uterus size of a melon. She wanted to take it all out intact due to possible malignancy. Dr said as long as she could manipulate it externally once I was under she could do bikini instead of vertically.

My surgery is supposed to be bikini cut. My largest fibroid is the size of a grapefruit, but it is low in my uterus. A friend of mine had a vertical incision, but she had a pre-cancerous tumor the size of a soccer ball on one of her ovaries.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by mayjunejuly My surgery is supposed to be bikini cut. My largest fibroid is the size of a grapefruit, but it is low in my uterus. A friend of mine had a vertical incision, but she had a pre-cancerous tumor the size of a soccer ball on one of her ovaries.

Thanks Ladies...Im going to call my Dr. Monday. Everyone I have told about this vertical incision is somewhat alarmed by it. All this stuff is new to me, I have never had any major surgery besides a tubal ligation and a procedure to remove dysplasia from my cervix which were both done laproscopically. I do remember my Dr. making comments of too much bleeding and issues with scar tissue from the previous surgeries and of course the size of the fibroids.

I too am scheduled for a vertical incision. I was hopeful that he would just go through the same incision bikini cut from my c-section.

He said, no. Reasons he gave include:

Suspect fibroid tumor---wants uterus and all fibroids whole when remove.

Adhesions from previous c-section; not sure what the scar tissue is attached to inside and finally
He wants a clearer view, which he will get from this type of incision.

He is my second opinion.

Note: none of my blood or pathology reports show any cancer, however, he is for whatever reason, not convinced and is playing it safe.