dVH/RALH: Newbie Introduction - worried organs might get burned or damaged in the process due to DaVinci hysterectomy (endo)

I'm new to this site and wanted to introduce myself. I'm 36 years old. My symptoms prior to diagnosis were: unexplained infertility, lower back pain, bloating, constipation, abdominal cramps, heavy periods and clotting.

I had an MRI done in late May for the lower back pain and the MRI of my pelvis showed I had 2 large cysts that needed to be removed (one on each ovary). My Ob/Gyn did a laparoscopy on me in July and told me that I have a frozen pelvis due to endometriosis and that my right ovary is lodged behind my uterus and rectum and he was not able to remove the endometrioma on my right ovary. He was only able to remove the left cysts so he referred me to an excellent Gyn/Oncologist at this point as he thought it would be best if I got a hysterectomy.

I met with the Gyn/Onc last week and I'm now scheduled to have a dVH next Wednesday (9-3-14) and I'm really nervous. I've been reading a lot about the complications that can arise from the DaVinci robotic hysterectomy and I'm afraid that my other organs might get burned or damaged in the process due to the "monopolar" energy used for cauterizing. My Ob/Gyn had told me that my endometrioma was pressed against my rectum and he could damage it. What if it gets damaged with this surgery? I'm already having trouble with my bowels as it is and I'm really concerned. I feel that the more I research my upcoming procedure online, the more scared I'm becoming. I'm going to stop now before I chicken out.

Please wish me luck next week! Thanks a bunch!

Hi Mari,
I don't know anything about the procedure you are having, so hopefully someone who has had experience with it will come along to offer encouragement. I can say that I will be thinking of you next Wednesday, that the waiting is truly the hardest part, and that I'm wishing you a speedy, uneventful recovery.

Hugs!

Thank you Debbie for your response and your warm wishes!

Hi mgarza78 to HysterSisters!

I am sure you know that a hysterectomy is not a cure for endo, and that you need to have the disease removed by an expert.

I do not know about your concerns regarding your other organs being damaged. But, just be careful about the internet. People tend to post the negatives, and not the positives, so you can get a skewed view of things sometimes.

Hopefully, someone with similar experience will see this post and respond.

I'm a newbie too. Welcome. I am having my daVinci September 5th, and I had a lot of the same questions. It is, in my opinion, wise to de-mystify the process if you have that many concerns about the procedure. PLEASE do not read all the horror stories. If you choose to research, do so wisely. It's difficult to stay 100% rational but it is possible to allay some of those fears. Ask questions. Ask your doc about statistical incidences of injury. If you have the stomach for it, many docs are now posting surgical videos on YouTube. I found them highly informative and you can search out specific types of surgeries. (I also have a case of morbid curiosity lol!) It helped me to read descriptions of the surgeries on medical websites, genuine sites. Mayo clinic is informative. Be cautious of information overload. It makes you crazy, I know from experience. Inform and educate yourself, just do so with caution. I've seen numerous sites that people will make false statements just to scare people. Stick to the facts. Sorry this is a bit long, but I've been going through the same things and wanted to give a few suggestions based on what I found to work for me. Sending good mojo your way on your big day!
<3 C
PS there are also a lot of sites out there that are antihysterectomy as well as pro. They're fairly easy to spot when they focus more on hysterectomy or more on alternatives. Stay neutral and get accurate info.

Hi mgarza78. I had a dvTH/BSO plus anterior/posterior repairs on July 7th. I understand about doing so much research - I do it to the nth degree. I had a list of questions and my surgeon explained everything and in the amount of detail I wanted.

All that being said , I second (and 3rd) what marestail and others have said. Please, please, please be careful about what you read. I went to reputable well known websites. I watched a video several times and then realized it was my gyn - that was encouraging. You will find "horror stories" but remember those that do post them are looking for answers. If they don 't need answers, they aren't out there looking and they don't post.

HysterSisters -- what an amazing website. I didn't find it until about 1 week before surgery but what an encouragement it has been. You will read about many, many, many success stories. You will be introduced to a group of ladies who have had surgery the same week as you. That part is truly encouraging.

Now . . . Breath in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. The land of Hyster is filled thousands of sisters and we are here for you.

Best wishes on your surgery and recovery. Let us know how you are.

Make sure the doctor has lots of experience with the diVinci. I read that a minimum of 50 surgeries to be experienced. You have alot going on. Is the doctor an endo expert too?

I had the DiVinci with lots of scar tissue and colon attached to the uterus. My doctor explained that after setting up the robot the take a break, check my ID, read my op records to make sure the right patient including any allergies. Then halfway through they stop, step back and check it all again. I also like that he put dye in my urinary track so it all showed up. I liked all the double checking and as much precaution as he could.

Remember that people who have problems tend to post. And complications can happen no matter what method is used. I had a hysterectomy with an abdominal incision and had a complication. The surgeon who repaired the problem used the Da Vinci and the operation was successful with no problems.

I posted about my complication because I was looking for someone to talk to who had the same problem. No one that I knew in real life who had a hysterectomy had my complication- it was rare.

As some have said, the biggest thing is to make sure that your surgeon is skilled with surgery and with the particular method he is using.

Hi, I had DaVinc on 6/10. No complications what so ever. They even took my appendix. Most of the pain I had was from the gas they fill you up with and it was gone by day 3. After that I had some tenderness. Was driving by day 9. As with all surgeries there are risks. It's been nearly 3 months and I sometimes can't believe I had surgery.
I had adenomyosis, endometriosis and several small fibroids. Even a cyst on a Fallopian tube. Doc took everything but my ovaries.
Good luck and think positive!!

Thank you ladies for your advice and for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me. I will remain positive and from now on, I will steer away from scary websites and communicate with my surgeon with my questions and concerns. I think what frightened me the most was that while I was browsing for info initially, several attorney websites popped up with information about lawsuits against the company who created the daVinci robotic device (Intuitive Surgical, Inc.) and I began reading.

I have read many positives about this procedure as well and those are the stories keep me hopeful that I will have the same success with my surgery. I'm sure after next week, I will realize that I was nervous for no reason, but until then, I will continue to pray that all goes well.

I'm grateful for the support I have received thus far and wish you all the best too!