Regretting not taking both ovaries

I'm almost 3 months post op. Hysterectomy it self went really really well & recovery was quick. i decided to leave one of my ovaries as the thought of hormone replacement scared me. But now im regretting that decision. During the op the surgeon found stage 3 endo, which came as a surprise. The whole reason for having a hysterectomy was the extreme pain i used to have. all the doctors said that it was poly cystic ovaries. But now no that wasn't the reason for the pain. Now i have the pain back..... cant help but think if i taken the other ovarian out then this pain may not be happening.... Have seen the doctor but he wasn't all that helpful and said that it was just pain from surgery. Any suggestions on what to do next would really help.... Or is the doctor right it may be just post op pain ( it doesn't feel like post op pain)

Knowing I had a lot of endometriosis and ovarian cysts I had both ovaries removed because I was told that a hysterectomy alone might not stop the endometriosis. Did your surgeon remove all the endometriosis they could find or was that diagnosis made after the operation at pathology? It does seem that if you were feeling better and have new pain after 3 months your doctor should not just be dismissing it as post op pain but instead trying to find out the cause. It could be endo or a cyst or adhesions or probably more options. Can you go back and ask for a review or get a second opinion somewhere else? Your primary care doctor may have some ideas or be able to organise an ultrasound to check for some things though endo would not show up. Good luck finding out what is wrong. Might even be an infection or inflammation some antibiotics could clear up.

I was diagnosed with endo long before my Hyster with other surgeries. My Gyno said that there would be every chance of continued pain unless he took everything, which he did. He also explained that if I go HRT free for six months the hot flashes are starving & killing any endo that remains. My post op pathology contained four separate pathologys. Endo, cysts, enflamed cervix, & something else I can't think of right now but my Gyno was glad he took everything. I think you need to see a Dr that will listen to your concerns & take some action. Big hugs to you. I hope you can get a solution soon.

Unfortunately, if the problem is endometriosis then even removing the ovaries is not a cure. Going without HRT for time isn't either. The problem is that endometriosis can create its own supply of estrogen. Thus, as long as endometriosis exists it has potential to cause problems.

Granted, no ovaries and nor HRT decreases the overall estrogen levels in the body and may help for a time. But, no or low estrogen also opens the door for a long list of new health issues.

Additionally, you have PCOS which though it can affect the ovaries is also not cured with removing the ovaries. It is a disorder of the entire endocrine system.

Is your back pain new pain? If so, it very well could be from surgery and healing. The position during surgery can cause issues for some. Then, while we are recovery, we often use our body differently which can then cause some new pain issues. Keep in mind, if you were already dealing with chronic pain than you could already had some body alignment issues as you unconsciously held yourself in way that was trying to protect your painful areas. Thus, surgery position and recovery just complicated your body structure issues leading to back pain. A chiropractor or physical therapist might be help to help.

Here is what I would suggest. Keep a detailed symptom diary. Then sit down and talk with whichever doctor you are most comfortable. Go over all the possibilities of what could be causing your symptoms and see what options are available.

Birth control pills might be a choice that will minimize cysts, keep remaining endometriosis at bay, and ofter the relief you are looking for.

Is your PCOS under control? If not, you should also be working with a knowledgeable endocrinologist.

Because you do have an endometriosis, do consider seeing an endometriosis specialist if you feel the issue is still endometriosis. And before heading back into OR for any abdominal or gynecological surgery, try to make sure a surgeon who can excise endometriosis is part of your surgical team.

To learn more about Endometriosis, check out our Endometriosis page and support forum: https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/view_endometriosis.htm