Should I or shouldn't I?

New to this site-- I am 47 (almost 48)- throughout my whole life, my periods have been irregular, light, no cramps. Since I turned 40, they have been very regular, heavy for several days, lasting a week, bad cramps. Over the past year they have gotten closer together, heavier, until the past few months when I had bleeding (although light) for 6 weeks straight. My GYN has always told me my uterus was big. Last week had a hysteroscopy and D & C done, bad reaction, then U/S- uterus is 16-week-large (I can feel it almost up to my belly button), 2 golf ball size fibroids, probably adenomyosis. Thing is, I always thought the uncomfortable, full feeling, pain and pressure were normal, and didn't think anything about it. I could live with the heavy periods for few days a month, cramps are a killer- but can manage them with medication. But is this going to continue to get worse? My GYN says I a a great candidate for a robotic-assisted hysterectomy. I am not afraid of surgery, (had 4 spinal surgeries, 2 c-sections)- but don't want to do it if unnecessary. Doc says do it on a Friday, out of the hospital Friday night or Saturday morning, back to work Monday-- Really?? any advice or suggestions are welcome. My case seems so minimal compared to some of the stories I've read here, I'm so not sure what to do--

Lab23

Sorry to hear you have to sort through all of this but glad you found us.

I will tell you on the daVinci recovery "your mileage may vary" The marketing materials say things like this but when I asked my Dr "will I be back to work in 2 weeks" He said "let's go for 6 and maybe 8"

Are there women here who were back to work in a few days after surgery or a week? Yes. However each person is different, you don't know how your body will react and if you will have complications. What I've seen here is 2/4 weeks generally for those kept their cervix and ovaries. 6/8 if ovaries and cervix removed too and 10/12 if you had more work done or are a slow healer. This is initial recovery. Full recovery can take 6 to 12 months.

I hope that helps you a little bit.

I think it depends on what kind of work you do. I had a myomectomy (da Vinci) on Jan 2 and 10 days later, I feel pretty good, but not yet cleared for driving. Last week I started doing work from home (I'm a real estate attorney). While my brain was clear being off painkillers after a couple of days, I found it uncomfortable to sit at my home office desk for more than about an hour at a stretch. I was also told not to lift anything heavier than a coffee cup for a few weeks.

I think it's very safe to assume that you will be recovering at home for a bare minimum of 2-4 weeks, maybe longer. Da Vinci is pretty amazing, but its not instant recovery. You still will have the same "inside" healing no matter what type of surgery.

Good luck!

Why not try the MRI focused ultrasound procedure? The recovery time was only a nap after the lunch!

NO!!!!!
Yesterday was a year that I had mine and I am still having complications.
I almost died in<March, have had 3 surgeries since to repair damage- one surgery was a life saving one. I was septic 2 times, had multiple abscess form, had to have part of my bladder removed- then bladder reconstructed, then had a vagina; dehiscence because the vaginal cuff was necrotic (direct result of electrical surge from robot)...by intestines literally fell out of my body. I almost lost my bowel, it was saved but had to be repaired in three different places. I had to have a visiting nurse, needed a home health aide to live with me for 6 weeks. That was last march. I still do not have normal function of my bowel- I go from no bowel movement for up to a week, then multiple ones where i cannot even leave my house (14 BM's in one day just 2 weeks ago), no prescription or anything has yet to regulate me in all this time. I have chronic pain that ranges from dull to so severe that I want to scream or cry…and NOW...., my bowel now leaks (started in November- which was 8 months post bowel repair)

After yet another hospitalization on Jan4.....I was told I may also be having problems with pelvic floor- affecting the colon and rectum so I now have to have more test (ingesting rings/markers with use of radiology to follow for up to five days through my intestines, then having a balloon inserted rectally to test the colon and rectum…..just to name the next two tests I am having done in the next few weeks. Naturally, I am now referred to yet another specialist- a colorectal surgeon....

Robotic was supposed to significantly decrease recovery- and from what was suppose to be 4 wks max has now begun over a year time. What was supposed to be less risks and complications has proven the opposite. I know women who had worse problems than I did, who had a classic hysterectomy- with everything taken out, and did better in a month than I have been doing in over a year now.

I want to point out that I still have my ovaries.....so my hyst should have been even less recovery time than indicated.
It has been not only traumatic, but outright gruesome. Consider your intestines hanging out of your vaginal...and being told not to move or so much as cough because your bladder would come out next!

Yes, this is my story, but only in a summarized version. I have been going thru severe PTSD as a result of this. I have lost the quality of my life- At age 47, I think if this is not fixed soon I will need diapers...oh, reminds me, in addition to the ongoing bowel/intestines issues including the bowel leakage, my bladder still leaks from this procedure. This bladder issue is not as serious or embarrassing as the bowel leaking but I wanted to add that in as a side note to the other problems I am having.

I cannot have sex because the pain is too severe. The one time I tried a few weeks ago- was the first time in over a year that I was sexual - 2 weeks ago-.I was told that my screams from the sudden and severe pain- were blood curdling!

The gyn has no idea why!!!! So if they don’t even know the cause, they cannot even attempt to try and correct the problem.

This surgery has ruined by body (multiple scars from it all now) has diminished my quality of life, has been physically and mentally traumatic, and has rendered me homebound because I won’t take the risk of going out and not knowing if my bowels are going to start leaking- as it has. My time out of the home is always short and comes with much anxiety not knowing what to expect.

BTW- I was told 2 - 4 weeks recovery max!

366 days later- I wish I had the traditional hysterectomy.
Take a look at the robot. It looks likes a spider, an alien. The surgeron doesn't lift one surgical instrument at all through the whole procedure...just sits in a chair, using a joy stick and pushing buttons- you know, like playing a video game.
Remember, to err is human but to really screw things up requires a computer.

This is gruesome news, and I really will pray for your recovery!
I also think robot surgery is just another way to outsource surgeons to the lowest cost jurisdictions while you lay inside the states paying the price. Think about it.

The MRI focused ultrasound might also be just another marketing scheme since so many women are potential candidates. I know that in France, they think 70,000 women could use this every year. French social security pays for everything since it is much cheaper for this outpatient procedure than it is to pay for surgeons, etc.

I did do the MRI focused ultrasound procedure on January 11, 2013. It has only been a few days since the procedure, but I have only a dull ache in my pelvic area. I am not really tired.

Who knows how this will turn out? I am scheduled for another MRI in 6 months and in 1 year.

I choose this method since I have an elderly husband to care for who depends on me for many every day services and a portfolio to manage.

I didn't have months to recover. The medical opinions differed so much, that I just choose the lest invasive way to try to do something for myself.

I decided on the least invasive as well due to being a singloe mom to a child with special needs.
Im no tsure what the MRI was for...ablation perhaps?

I had ablation the year before my hysterectomy to resolve issues. The robotic procedure was mentioned over and over again due to being minimally invasive'. My gyn of many yrs knew my position as a simgep mom and that my child had a significant medical history, now learning disabilities- so she thought this was a viable option. She does not do robotic, so had to refer me.
I agree with your suspicions on why certain procedures are recommended...and believe there are kick backs for every robotic procedure done. The more procedures, the more the manufacturere gets a kick back from the hospital which uses such a robot.

The robot looks like a spider, an alien. It is outright freaky looking. The dr doesnt even have to pick up a surgical instrument. He uses a joystick and pushes buttons, similar to video gamming
To err is human, but to really screw things up requires a computer/machine. I wish I had been shown pictures of the robot while making my decision. This would have without a doubt been a deterent in itself.

I wish you well and good health!

Hello JJ11,

The MRI focused ultrasound was to ablate the fibroid. I had 45 shots or sonifications to my fibroid which destroyed 75% of it. Who knows what this means? I sure don't. I do know that it was extremely painful. I thought I was in a torture chamber being branded with an owner's firery logo.

How are you doing today? Did you have a D & C before your hysterectomy? How did you do post op? How is your child?

My mother died from having a hysterectomy. That is one of the main reasons I never did it. I hope you are well now. All the best!

Ladies -

I had the robotic procedure for my hysterectomy and have seen and used it at various women's health fairs so just want to clarify a few things.

Yes the machine does look odd no doubt about that. However the surgeon controls all the movements of the surgical tool and implements in the same way that the surgeon controls the implements in an open procedure or in a regular laproscopic procedure.

The guides that the surgeon uses are controlled by the thumb and index finger. So if they are using a grasping implement if they close those two fingers the clamps on the implement close just as if the surgeon had their hands directly on the surgical implement. The device makes no movements without being directed by the surgeon. The movements used in robotic surgery mimic the ones used in open surgery, where the ones in standard laproscopy require the surgeon to operate "backwards". I had a chance to try out some laproscopic "sticks" at another health fair and it felt very foreign to me. I couldn't figure out a person learned to use them efficently.

Questions to ask before any robotic surgery would be:
How many times have you done this procedure?
How were trained?
What type of complication rate have you had?
How many times have you had to convert from a laproscopic to an open procedure and why?

I asked these questions of my surgeon, he answered everyone and my procedure was flawless. The issues that I have had were from going into surgial menopause (had to have ovaries removed due to my cancer diagnosis).

Yes there are issues that some Drs. push the 2-4 weeks recovery time, my surgeon did not.

As in all cases there can be complications from the surgery. You need to be comfortable with the surgeon and the technique. Many women here have opted for an open procedure because they were more comfortable with their surgeon's demeanor than with the way the surgery is performed.

Get a 2nd and 3rd opinion as necesssary. You can't put back what has been taken out you need to be comfortable with the procedure and the person doing it.