adhesions

Hi everyone:

Could someone please tell me how a doctor can detect adhesions. Also once they suspect / diagnose adhesions how do they take care of them.

I have been to the drs every week since my surgery 3/`8/05 including today and am still having pain post surgery. She is trying to rule everything out with testing = blood work, cat scans, mri, ultra sound etc. but everything is coming back normal.

The only thing she is telling me is either adhesions, reaction to my vivelle patch (which I found no one else to have a problem with pain) or gasto problems (which I have already been cleared from my gastro doctor)

So I'm trying to find out as much info as I can and hopefully can find an end to all of this pain.

thanks for your help

Kim (38 yrs young - TAH/BSO vivelle dot .05)

I had hysterectomy 3/03. For the past 2 months have been having pain in lower right side. Had CAT scan last week, it found nothing. I suspect adhesions, but not sure what the CAT scan was looking for...hernia, tumor etc. I've heard that adhesion surgery can make them come back even worse.

I am also having pain in the lower right side. I went to doctor yesterday because for the past week I have been pretty put out by this pain. He put me on Milk of Magnesia for three weeks and said if getting the bowels going did not work we may have to go back in and check for adheions. He said my bowel might have adhered to something AGAIN.

That was what caused my pain before surgery. The colon/bowel was adhered to the top of the vaginal/uterus.

I am ten weeks out and feel pretty bad. He told me the only way to know for sure if there is adhesions was to go back in and explore. YUCK.

I have had severel test to rule out kidney stones and other things nothing has shown up so far.

Good luck
Dumby in alabama

Hi,

The only way to positively diagnosis adhesions is by having lapraoscopic surgery. They typically do not show up on x-ray, CT scan, MRI or ultrasound.

Here are a few sites and information that better describe adhesions; why they develop, treatment options & possible prevention:

What Causes Adhesions?

How Are Adhesions Treated?


You might also want to check out the HysterSister Resources section on Adhesions


Take care.

s

HI Ladies, I know in my case I started having very bad pain in my left pelvic area and after monthas of going to the doc and ER visits from the pain being so bad and after having many ultrasounds and a CT. my doc decided he would have to do a lap to find out what was wrong he did that on 12/21/04 and was shocked at the extent of my adhesions. cleaned me out and that worked for about 2months early Mar started having pain again . back to the doc early April after trying to wish the pain away for about a month. well we decided my option at this point was to do a TAH and to remove my left ovary do to the fact that it keeps producing cysts. so had my TAH 12days ago. but as far as I know which is not much the only real way to know for shure if you have adhesions or not is to do a lap. I hope this helps answer your question. Take Care, Cathy

Hi Kim,

I'm over 5 months post TAB/BSO and my pain started within days of surgery. Both sides. The right side finally went away after 3 months but the left side just burns, pulls and feels like it swells.

I also went to my doctor at 4 months to complain about it. She did not use the word "adhesions" because I had begged her twice to use prevention adhesion barrier during the the surgery, of course she said, "no". She told me that I have granulation on the left side of my vaginal cuff (treated it) which would mean that I would have an overgrowth of scar tissue on the other side of the vagainal cuff. She thinks my pain is from the scarring. OTHERWORDS: ADHESIONS!

My doctor thought it was too soon to do any testing. And here you gals have had all these tests! She ruled out hernia, hematoma and didn't talk about returning endo.

I've tried to do research on adhesions but find it's pretty bland: common in all people, a side effect causing a problem for 10% of all abdominal surgeries. No treatment. Diagnosis done my lap.
I can't even find common symptoms of adhesions.

I could talk a day on this subject but my hubby is waiting for me. I want to know your symptoms: do you burn, swell, throb?? Do it feel better in the AM? Do you always hurt etc. I have a million questions.

Also....I'm trying to do research to see if the ligaments that are reattached during surgery, I think there are 3 on each side that use to suspend the uterus, these ligaments are reattached to the vaginal cuff to keep the vagina in place i think, well....bottom line, could these ligament be trapped or causing the pain??

And what about endo returning? Did you have endo prior? I must leave now but will check back later.
Maralyn

I had a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LSH) in October '04 and a seond surgery in November '04 to try to fix a severe hemorrhage from what remained of my cervix from the botched LSH. I have constant pain on the lower right side and in the top of my vagina. I have been hosptialized twice with partial bowel obstruction from "scarring" (read adhesions). I am seeing a new gyn now and she has tentatively diagnosed adhesions. Like other posters, I too asked the surgeon who did my LSH back in October '04 about using adhesion barriers during the first sugery. She told me that was not necessary (with the attitude of "how dare you question my judgement") and that her patients never got adhesions from LSH. HA! I am now in continual pain (burning, pulling, stabbing) and I'm facing more surgery. I understand from my new gyn that the only definitive way to diagnose adhesions is through a laparoscopic procedure to see what's really in the pelvis/abdomen. If only I knew prior to having surgery what I know now. Never would have had a hysterectomy.
Westcoast

I just had my first lesson in adhesion prevention - sounds simple but it's 'stretching'. However I am working with a rehab trainer - who has me moving and stretching the correct way.

I have another session tomorrow and will post some of the things we do --- but remember, I worked out before surgery so for me to do this is taking a step back but not starting anew.

Hey Sandy, thanks for the info about the streching. I have suffered with adhesions for many years due to many surgerys.1 D&C.2Laps and two Laparotomys for ectopic pregnancys that ruptured my tubes. and I just thought that adhesions was something I would have to live with because of all the surgerys. I am 12days post op from my TAH with my left ovary removed. so I am not ready for any type of excercise yet. but I would really like to know more about this stretching. so if you could please post more on this I myself would really appreciate it. thanks , Cathy

Hi Sandy...got to pop in here again...about the stretching. Is it too late to begin at 5 1/2 months post? Most of us with adhensions are willing to do anything. Wish I'd know about it sooner.

Later...busy day today and I have so much that I need to learn!!
Maralyn