Adhesions

Hi Ladies,

I just had another sugery to remove an ovarian cyst, even though I have no ovaries. I had my right ovary removed in 2000 because of chronic cysts. What concerns me is that the doctor said I have severe adhesions from all the endo and surgeries! I was wondering if anyone else is having trouble from severe adhesions and if so what are you doing about it.

I thought that after having a hysterectomy in 2003 that all my troubles would be over!

hi

i am having surgery on monday for am ovarian mass where i used to have an ovary. i had extensive adhesions when the ovary was removed and endometriosis.

i am also having my right ovary taken along with a 6cm cyst on that side.

i am 31 and feel very old to be going through even more ops, this will b my 4th post hyst.

hope things work out for you

kate

Hi Jen! I've moved your post over here to the Road Less Traveled forum, where the ladies with more experience with Adhesions can see it.

Adhesions are definitely a big risk with pelvic surgery... the more surgeries, the more risk

Did your DR do anything during this latest surgery to reduce the likelihood of further adhesion formation?
s,
-Linda

Oh Jen...first of all, just because you have adhesions, does not mean that it will cause you trouble. People walk around with them forever, no problems.
Then there are those of us, that wish we never heard the word adhesions.
I had adhesions from endo that was found during my TAH/RSO, then 3 weeks later, I had horrible pain and they reopened me and found the adhesions were back, strangulating my remaining ovary, and pulling everything backwards and forwards. So during that surgery, they removed the adhsions again, and the left ovary.
Things went pretty good for a few months and then the pain was back and my doc didn't want to believe it was adhesion related again, sent me to every doc and test under the sun. Finally convinced him to do the surgery this past October. In the op report, it told how extensive and thick and dense these adhesion were, connecting my colon, bladder and vaginal cuff, it was a total mess. Felt great...told mydoc---"told ya so" and then 4 weeks later, the pain was back and worse. it gets worse after each surgery. I wont go into the detail of wht i am doing now, but what i wanted to point out----
Just becaue you have adhesions, does NOT mean you will have problems, and believe me, I pray that you don't.

I've had 2 adhesion surgeries due to (2) C-section deliveries and a tubal. On Feb. 13, 2001, one day after my 45th b-day, I had a TAH hsyt. due to continual bleeding for 47 1/2 days. After "behaving" and returning to work 6 wks. after my hyst., the only major problem that I have had is the bowels won't go w/o help of fiber every night. But I can live with this. Of course, the added pounds and belly are aggravating, but again, I can live with these, too. My hyst. was one of the greatest things that ever happened to me, save my live from ovarian cancer. Well, like many of you, I thought the adhesions were gone. Now, they are back in full force. About a month ago, I woke up one morning and the pain where my right ovary would have been was so bad that I couldn't get out of bed without help. I saw by ob/gyn the end of the week, and he said the pain is adhesions. The pain some days is tolerable, but other days it is almost unbearable. The pain goes all around the area of my stomach from where my left ovary was around the bottom of my stomach to where my right ovary was. Right now, the area where my left ovary was is almost intolerable. The pain shifts after a few days to somewhere else in this general area. My ob/gyn says more surgery, which I am trying to put off until after the 1st of the year.
Sisters, will adhesions ever go away? My dr. will remove them through laproscopic surgery, but I know that they will return. Any sister out there that has found a better way of treating them or a new surgery that keeps them away longer?

Gina:

I am on Zoloft which is an SSRI prescribed for anxiety and depression that is helping greatly to manage the pain I have from adhesions. How is it helping? Keeping my stress down for one. Pain causes stress ...stress aggravates pain ... something had to give. I can mentally manage my aches and pains as they hit and the depression over there not being a good fix is managed as well.

I am not saying I am pain free. Still have some rather horrid days but they are cyclical (still have my ovaries ...stubborn gal that I am) and certainly not daily. But, I have darvocet for those days.

Just an idea to discuss with your doctor.

Best wishes to you on finding a fix that works for you!!!!

In the meantime ... gentle, healing

Thanks for all your replies! As far as I know my doctor did not do anything to prevent any more adhesions. I am feeling better and just trying to stay positive and hopeful that I will never have to have another surgery again! Six surgeries in five years is too many!

Hi jen:

I am starting to have pain that is causing bowel symptoms and my gyn is not quite sure but thinks it could be adhesions, and I have had 5 surgeries already(2 c-sections, 1 endo and cyst removal, 1 tubal and endo removal, and 1 hysterectomy w/both ovaries removed. each surgery the doc said I had alot of adhesions and last year the doc used something to help prevent adhesions, and this year when my doc went in she said my insides were a nightmare w/adhesions(they keep commng back), endo, cysts, fibroids, etc. I have pain some mornings where my right ovary was and cramping, but I am not going to have another surgery unless something is life threatening, it seems more surgery = more adhesions, so I am trying to just cope with the pain and find alternatives. My other doc said I cannot have any more surgeries(too risky). Hope you and all others suffering with adhesions find some relief and feel better soon.