Hyst planned - had abdominoplasty years ago

Hi, I don't know if this is the right forum or not, but my hyst is planned for three weeks from now.

Because I've had two c-sections, a tubal ligation, and an abdominoplasty, PLUS I have several ovarian cysts, some inflamed, and growing, and one reaching from one side of my body to the other, I've been told by doctors that this will be a very complicated surgery.

Has anyone else here ever had a hysterectomy after an abdominoplasty? I'm really worried about it.

Thanks for anyone who can share their experience or any information!

Allie -

I haven't had the procedure you describe. I'm hoping that another member has and that they stop by to give you some information.

You might try using the Search option at the top of the screen and see if there are other threads from previous years about it.

Sending you

G.

Thank you! I've tried the search option, but the only result I've found so far is that some people plan to have an abdominoplasty at the same time as the hysterectomy.

But thanks for replying!

Hi!

I had a panniculectomy (which is somewhat like, though not identical to a tummy tuck) along with my hysterectomy. I had three previous abdominal surgeries, so there was some concern when I had my surgery, too.

My surgery did end up being about an hour longer than planned because I had a great deal of scar tissue inside me. In fact, my bladder and uterus were pretty significantly adhered to each other.

Because of my previous c-sections, they had told me I would end up with a "t-shaped" incision -- a horizontal, hip-to-hip incision for the panniculectomy, and a vertical incision for the hysterectomy. When I awoke, I was happy to discover that the vertical incision had not been necessary.

Obviously, you're no stranger to surgery. And when there's more work done (as there will be in your case with the cysts, etc.), your healing may be slower. I did not "bounce back" nearly as well as I thought I would from my hysterectomy, and that was somewhat of a shock for me. On the other hand, you may feel so much better with your symptoms relieved that you will find your healing to be easier than you imagined.

It's only natural to be anxious before major surgery. I hope this surgery will be your last one, and that you will be pain-free afterward. Many and best wishes to you.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me! As you said, I'm no stranger to surgery, but, like you, I've been told that I probably have a lot of scarring. It's very possible that there are adhesions, because what is going on with my ovaries, etc., has affected my gastroenterological tract and I have increased symptoms in that area.

I am glad that you were able to have your surgery without the vertical scar!

Sorry that you didn't bounce back as quickly as you had hoped. That will probably be the case with me because I have been sick for about four months, and everytime I think that I'm feeling better and start to do things, I hit a wall and my symptoms are worse again for several days. Definitely not my normal self.

Thanks, again, so much, for your reply and your encouragement!