Newbie with questions - Worried about possible bladder repair and future surgeries :/

Hi Ladies. Newbie here with questions. I am having the Laparoscopy Hysterectomy Nov 18th. Uterus and Fibroid removal.

1.) I have been reading stories about people needing their bladder re-hung. How do you know if that has to done? Is it discussed ahead of time, or does the issue come up during or after the surgery?

2) I have been told that if you get a partial one, later on down the line you will need a full. Has that happened to anyone?

Thank you all in advance.

If you need bladder repair, your doctor should have talked to you about this before surgery. Is there any concern with your bladder? I would certainly talk to your doctor. Something like this shouldn't be a "surprise" when you wake up from surgery.

A partial hysterectomy now does not mean you will need a full later down the road. I kept my ovaries and know that should I experience problems later in life, I could potentially have to have them removed. But there isn't history of ovarian cancer in my family and my mom who is almost 70 still has her healthy (and now post-menopausal) ovaries, 25 years after her hysterectomy. So one does not preclude the other. If you have a history of ovarian cancer or other issues, definitely speak to you doctor to get their opinion. Hope this helps!

Hi and welcome,

Here is a link that may help you understand the type of surgery you are having:

Laposcopic Surgery

I know it's so hard to worry about the "what ifs". In general, you may want to start a written list of questions to discuss with your doctor prior to surgery. The more you know in advance, the more comfortable and confident you will feel embarking on surgery.

As for the bladder work, I must admit I did not expect it - not was I told it was a possibility in advance. My surgeon felt it necessary during the surgery to do repair work to prevent Incontinence in the future. While I wasn't thrilled of course to have "additional" surgery, I was happy it was successful and I didn't have to face future bladder work. I do not fault my surgeon for doing this work without telling in advance because he made that decision based upon my situatio. Sometimes even extensive amounts of testing do not show the surgeon everything that is possible and they need to adapt - so I can accept this.

That being said, that is just my own experience. Unless you have issues now with your bladder, please don't assume you will have bladder issues now or down the road. If you need piece of mind, ask your surgeon now what he/she anticipates.

Also, I agree with Sarrie that please do NOT assume you will need further surgery. Yes, while many gals may - it is not a given! We all heal differently and face different issues that necessitate our surgery.

Please start checking out the articles in the Pre Op section. I learned so much by reading articles that were positive and factual. There is no sugar coating surgery, but once you learn more about what to expect, your fears I hope will be eased.

Last but not least...if you haven't gotten a second opinion, please do so! Knowledge is power and you deserve to know all your options.

Hugs and best of luck. We are here to help you in this journey.

Hi!
If you are having problems with a leaky bladder now then you should definitely speak to your doc about it before your surgery. There are tests they can do to check your bladder for leaks.
I was incontinent for years and I figured since I was having a TVH maybe they can fix my leak and the same time. My doc did a bladder test, confirmed my incontinence and we opted for the RetroArch Mini Sling and I am sure glad we did. So far I am leak free! I can sneeze and cough without crossing my legs.
I hope this post helps you and good luck on your journey.

Sorry So late. Thank You so much for your response.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by sarrie22 If you need bladder repair, your doctor should have talked to you about this before surgery. Is there any concern with your bladder? I would certainly talk to your doctor. Something like this shouldn't be a "surprise" when you wake up from surgery. A partial hysterectomy now does not mean you will need a full later down the road. I kept my ovaries and know that should I experience problems later in life, I could potentially have to have them removed. But there isn't history of ovarian cancer in my family and my mom who is almost 70 still has her healthy (and now post-menopausal) ovaries, 25 years after her hysterectomy. So one does not preclude the other. If you have a history of ovarian cancer or other issues, definitely speak to you doctor to get their opinion. Hope this helps!