TAH: Is it common to have an oncologist assist?

I have endometriosis and a 5 cm endomitrioma on my left ovary. I've had female problems since I was twelve and I'm ready to end this bad relationship I've had with my uterus and girl parts my while life. I'm so blessed to have my son and he's the only good thing to come out of it! (he's 18 now) I'm ready to live without the pain of having 2 miscarriages, bleeding all the time, being hormonal and just overall "female problems". My trouble is the journey that I have to go through to get there. My doctor said he wants to do a vertical abdominal hysterectomy but wants to have an oncologist assist. Is this common? I'm sorry if it's a silly question but I'm scared and new to all of this. I can't stop crying...

I have no idea if it's common to have an oncologist assist - hopefully someone else can help answer that question. I just wanted to send some big HUGS since you sound like you need them. On this site, you know you are not alone.

Perhaps the oncologist is just a precaution??? My doctor is a urogynecologist and I know he is having some other type of surgeon assist him. I'm not sure exactly what type of surgeon, but I thought it was a tiny bit odd since my doctor does surgery all the time. However, I figured it was probably just standard practice, and hey - it can't hurt to have more than one surgeon doing a complicated procedure!

I'm sure everything will turn out fine. As you're learning, waiting is the hardest part for us all - it can really make you mental! Hang in there!

Sometimes it depends on the hospital. The hospital where I had my surgery requires another surgeon to assist. My DR is a surgical gynecologist and her husband is a general surgeon, they both worked my surgery together.

Good luck to you!

My surgeon considered having a GYN Oncologist assist for my procedure - he said it's because those surgeons deal with very complex GYN surgical situations and sometimes they are valuable for that expertise, not because cancer is involved. In the end he had a vascular surgeon assist instead, because I have a pulmonary embolism that was a risk that had to be managed during surgery. Hope that helps!

~ Jael ~

My surgeon is a gyn oncology surgeon. My regular gyn referred me to him for the surgery because she said he's the best. I feel comfortable knowing that someone so experienced in gyn surgery will be doing mine.

I think a lot of doctors have a certain doctor they prefer to assist them. Mine has a doctor from Atlanta come and assist. He says that this doctor has the most experience and he feels like his patients are safer that way.

I too am having a Gyn/Oncologist assist with my surgery this Wed 8/10! My DR. said yes he has done this many times on his own, but feels good about having the Gyn/Oncologist assist on my case! I'm scared too, but let's be happy that in our cases 2 are better than 1! Hugs to you and Soon we will be through the waiting time and at the healing time!!!

HUGS!!!

Thank y'all so much for your support and for answering my post. My Dr. said he wanted one there to assist and even has one in mind that can do the robotic surgery. My Dr has done a ton of lavh but in my case won't allow for that. It's nice that he wants a back up it just makes me nervous that it's an oncologist. When I asked him if he thought I had cancer he said "I don't know." that scared me bigtime. My surgery is set for sept 12 and I'm not sure of the procedure just yet. I'm so blessed that I do have a great Dr. And that I found this site. I also sometimes wonder if I can take the pain and bleeding longer that maybe I'm just over reacting and not strong enough and that's why I'm rushing into this. I'm so confused about all of it but he told me he would never do this surgery if I didn't have all the indications necessary that he saw with his own eyes when I had my tubal ligation after my last miscarriage. I'm 38 and this is the scariest thing I've done in my life.