Diagnostic Lap

Hello ladies -

I am scheduled for a diagnostic laparoscopy on 10/26. Am a bit leary as I am overweight and have had previous abd. surgery, so I understand that these increase risks (not to mention the asthma thing). Any advice, insight, etc. would be appreciated. Have a wonderful day.

Hello, Lori. I just wanted to send you a cyber hug, because I don't really know much about exploratory laparoscopies. You mention being concerned about your weight, but my sense is that a lap is really going to be useful for their examination, because they will be able to use existing routes, so to speak, rather than cutting for exploratory views.

What I do know about laparoscopies comes from reading my physician's surgical notes on the hyst surgery. He remarked in his notes that the first process they engaged in was releasing adhesions. Never having had *any* pelvic surgery before, I was surprised to learn about adhesions. But the lap method did enable them to get at and release adhesions, the surgery report said, so from this I surmise that even if you've had surgeries before, the lap will be the least invasive way for them to assist you while creating an examination that will be useful.

Your message doesn't explain why you are having this done, but perhaps other messages you have written have explained it.

I hope things go well for you. You know where to find support, right here, where you've been giving it all along.

Best wishes to you this afternoon.

I am having it due to chronic pelvic pain since the hyst. They are looking for adhesions, etc. w/ a possible BSO. Thanks for the luv. :0)

Hi, it's me again. I think a lap will really help them do the exploratory work they need to do. And really, I gather that they took nearly 40 minutes before my surgery just checking around to find adhesions (that seemed to me to be the case, given the surgical notes). I think this sounds like a very good procedure for you, and I hope it relieves you of the difficulties you must be having. Chronic pain is so hard to deal with. I hope the surgery will help you out. They pumped me full of fluid during my surgery -- as in 11 lbs of fluid! -- so plan on feeling a little smushy in the abdomen for a bit! Maybe someone will come along real soon to tell you she's had this treatment and how it went for her! Warm good wishes to you, Lori.

Hi again -

I am a bit concerned because as I said I am overweight (obese by the docs standards - 5'9" and up to 212). All the fat is in the belly which makes it harder to insert the trocars. On top of that, there is a risk of the bowel being adhered to the omentum (inside belly fat where they place the instruments). I LOATHE the thought of general anesthesia which is why I waited so many years to finally have the hyst. to begin with. I can deal with the pain, no problem. Of course then you face the same risks as the initial surgery (nerve damage, injury to the bowel/bladder/ureters, etc). You know the drill. I told my hubby that if I knew I would have more pain after the hyst. I would'nt have had it to begin with. I keep waiting for my healing to manifest.

i'm sorry youre facing another surgery and wish you the best of luck. i hope they can find the cause of the pain and correct it

Hi, Lori,

It sounds as if you are in good hands, and it also sounds as if the pain you are experiencing outweighs the potential problems from the lap. I don't know very much about weight categories. I did check into the body mass index chart, and the category of obesity is just where it indicated you would be if you are *at* 212. I used the CDC system to run the check. It seems to me that really yours is a situation of overweight on the verge of obesity, but as I said, it's not an area I know much about. I do know that I have picked up this odd roll of fat cells since my surgery. I have a little layer that just hangs in there below my belly button. My reading indicates that our bodies collect fat cells in our abdomens upon menopause or surgical menopause, because fat cells hold estrogen, and our bodies are seeking estrogen. That makes it all that much harder to get rid of the fat, I gather.

Anyway, here's the body mass index chart that I use, part of the centers for disease control website.

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/

I guess what I wonder is this: did you have no adhesions prior to surgery? Have they checked out the location of your colon, to be certain that the colon isn't wrapped around itself, or some other tissue or cell mass, causing you the pain you are experiencing? I don't know how far an ultrasound can be used as a diagnostic tool, but I guess I wondered whether other, less invasive tests were run for you.

One of our sisters who was posting to the list at the time I joined it, way back over a year ago, wrote to us about a hematoma that had developed as a result of her surgery, causing her terrific and unresolvable pain. Her name was bacardi, if you wanted to check for some of her postings . . . .

I hear your concern, and I will keep you in my thoughts and in my heart as these days go on.

Thanks for all the information and the prayers. I have had U/S, CT scan, as well as other tests for bladder and bowel. I was recently diagnosed with Crohn's and the new doc is thinking this pain is related to that. However, I was experiencing right sided pain over 2 years ago, but the left sided pain didn't start till after the hyst. I was told that there were no adhesions upon surgery - however, the doctor that was supposed to do my surgery never even touched me. I went to a teachig hospital UNFORTUNATELY and two other doctors did the surgery without my knowledge. I will look for the posts from Bacardi. Thanks again.

Thanks for all the information and the prayers. I have had U/S, CT scan, as well as other tests for bladder and bowel. I was recently diagnosed with Crohn's and the new doc is thinking this pain is related to that. However, I was experiencing right sided pain over 2 years ago, but the left sided pain didn't start till after the hyst. I was told that there were no adhesions upon surgery - however, the doctor that was supposed to do my surgery never even touched me. I went to a teaching hospital UNFORTUNATELY and two other doctors did the surgery without my knowledge. I will look for the posts from Bacardi. Thanks again.

Hi, again, Lori. One more thing comes to mind, now that you talk about right-side and left-side pain. I had terrific pain in my left side, and it turned out that the ovary was significantly encysted (I went though IVF). I guess they would have checked your ovaries for cysts during your surgery. Is there anything in your surgical notes about the state of your cysts under their internal examination? I'm sorry you have to face this. It has to be very trying and worrisome. I hope you'll keep us posted on things. My hat's off to you for your patience with these extra issues.