Vertical incision?

I had my pre op yesterday and it was pretty routine, blood work and urinalysis. No x-rays, EKGs, etc. since I am relatively healthy. The resident that saw me told me that they would probably do a vertical incision due to the size of my uterus. Okay, that freaks me out. I DO NOT want a vertical incision!! My surgeon said he will try to do a horizontal and I am also having a urologist doing a sling procedure with my own fascia. I know that I shouldn't be that concerned with how they go in, but I was upset when I was originally told that I had to have an abdominal instead of a vaginal, but I got my head around that one. AAARGH!! Don't want a vertical incision, but I guess once I'm under they will do what seems best.

My doctor said it was possible I'd need a vertical incision but he'd try for a bikini cut. Luckily, I had the bikini. I guess they just want us to be aware that they might have to change plans once they get in there.

I was told at first that I would have an abdominal bikini cut. Then they did another ultrasasound and he "gently" told me it would have to be vertical because of the size of my uterus and where the fibroid is. I was not happy either.

But I am sure it is in our best interest. My mom had one many many years ago and thinking back it faded and was not that noticeable.

You are not alone with your thoughts!

It is okay to be mad about that . big hugs. and thoughts for you .
hugs
lisa

Sorry you're being faced with this possibility.

Of course, it's better to be able to be prepared for what *might* happen than to wake up from surgery and have something different be the reality.

In my case, I was told I'd have a "T-shaped" incision -- a hip-to-hip horizontal bikini incision to do the panniculectomy, and then they'd go vertical to my navel for the hysterectomy. Like you, it was because of the size of my uterus, which was 15x10x7 cm.

When I awoke from surgery, the doctor said they had been able to do the surgery with just the horizontal incision! I was very happy...not so much because of the horizontal vs. vertical aspect, but because I was only going to have to deal with one incision.

I hope your surgeons are able to do your surgery with the bikini incision. Let us know how everything goes, OK?

Here's what happened to me. 18 cm fibroidal uterus -talked hyst, with obgyn. I thought she would say vertical cut -I just wanted removal. But she said "Let's put you on lupron to shrink them and it will be less bleeding too." 1 shot a month for 3 mos. It shrunk my fibroids down by 80% and she was able to do a bikini cut. You could ask your dr.

I'm scheduled for a TVH on Friday. My doctor told me that should he run in to a problem and need to go in another way, I'd end up with a vertical incision. He said they do it this way because it gives them better access for what they need to do. Not ideal, I know.

Good Luck!

Check with YOUR doctor. I had thought I'd have to have a vertical incision as well but ended up with a bikini cut.

I will have to have a hip to hip incision which, after two c-sections, one of which was fully hip to hip, it is no big deal to me. Even though my surgery is a long way away, my Dr. has told me there is a chance of me having to have a vertical incision. I told him, and it is really true, that I don't care how they get in to solve the problem, just solve the problem. Of course, my abdomen has had scars since I was an infant, so that doesn't bother me and having been cut before, the where part makes no difference. To me, it is just one more thing to have decorated with ink when I am healed.