Minimally invasive, vaginal or robotic hysterectomy with endometrial cancer?????

Minimally invasive, vaginal or robotic hysterectomy with endometrial cancer

I just had a uterine biopsy yesterday. My doctor expects early stage uterine cancer or pre-cancer. She said she would only do an abdominal hysterectomy and would not do any minimally invasive type of surgery with this diagnosis. Has anyone had a minimally invasive hysterectomy with a diagnosis of pre-endo cancer of endo cancer?

Needless to say it's going to be a long two weeks until I get my results. My mother died of endometrial cancer.

Thanks in advance.
BG

BG -

There are several of us here who had minimally invasive robotic surgery for early stage cancer. Your doctor may not be giving you this as an option because they are not trained in the procedure.

Sounds like you may want to go looking for a 2nd opinion on this one with a gynecological oncologist that does this procedure. You can go to the daVinci site to find a doctor in your area that does the procedure.

My cancer was found in a mass during a d&c. After my RALH - BSO no cancer was found, although my uterus did have complex hyperplasia w/ atypia.



G.

I had a TLH with a dx of endo cancer. My surgery was done by a gyn/oncologist. He removed everything - did washings and took out lymph nodes by this method. My endo cancer was a stage 1A.
Whatever surgery you chose to have I am sending you my best for a speedy and positive recovery without complications. The waiting is the worse part.

This was a new doctor that I had gone to (just moved here a few months ago). Whatever surgery I need I will go to a gyn/onc. In doing research I have found one here who does the DaVinci method. There is another one in Miami (5 hours away). I will be getting second opinions from both of them.

I had Da Vinci surgery for uterine cancer that turned out to be1b after the post op pathology report. I had abolutely no pain from the surgery. Without the tiny bandaids I would not have known that I had surgery. If you can get this kind of surgery I would definitely consider it.

Best wishes for whatever you decide to do.

I feel so relieved with all your answers to my question. My doctor was adamant about my having a TAH and it's good to know I do have options. I have some very good hospitals within an hour from where I live - Shands Hospital at University of Florida (an excellent teaching hospital) and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. There is also one doctor in my town that does the Davinci procedure and I will be going to him for an opinion, too.

You are a great bunch of ladies!!!

I was diagnosed with Endo cancer after a D&C. I had a DaVinci hysterectomy. The first doctor I went to said he could do the DaVinci surgery at a hospital that wasn't on my insurance plan but would have to do an abdominal surgery in the hospital that was on my plan since they didn't have the robots. The second doctor I saw (who was actually my first choice) was experienced in DaVinci surgery and could do it at a local medical center that had the robots.
I had a total hysterectomy (ovaries and all removed) and had 18 lymph nodes taken with the robot...I was home the next day and my recovery time was pretty easy. It's still no walk in the park, but much easier than recovering from abdominal surgery. I questioned both doctors about the effectiveness and thoroughness of the robotic surgery and both were very reassuring that it was safe and effective.
I think if you do end up facing a cancer diagnosis you owe it to yourself to get a second opinion. The more knowledge you have, the better able you are to make the right decision for you.
Good luck and keep us posted on your biopsy results.

I second all the previous postings. It is quite possible, maybe even preferrable (depending on your particular physiology and diagnosis), to receive a full cancer staging surgery by way of minimally invasive hysterectomy. I'd recommend you at least find out about whether it's right for you.

Good luck and keep in touch with us here. We're rooting for you.

I've decided to call the doctor in my town who does the DaVinci surgery to set up a second opinion visit for after I get my test results in 2 weeks. I will have the results forwarded on to him. Even if the diagnosis is not malignant, but pre-cancerous, with my family history I will still be looking at a hysterectomy. So I am going to be proactive and get the ball rolling.

I'm so glad you will be meeting with the doc who does the DaVinci. My GP told me I wasn't a candidate for it because of hyperplasia w/ atypia and suspected adenocarcinoma. THANK goodness my Gyn told me differently and referred me to one of the Gyn Oncs who does DaVinci here in Seattle. The surgery was 2 weeks ago, and went great--I highly recommend the DaVinci!!

I'm not sure why some docs think people with our dx aren't candidates for it. They are completely mis-informed!