choices

I have just been diagnosed with endometrial cancer and am trying to investigate surgery options. Choices are TAH vs LAVH. Have been on the internet for what seems like days and am more confused than ever. My son in law is at mt sinai in nyc and wants the latter. He strongly recommends a gynocologic oncologist who is one of the best. My own gyn is saying TAH because of no longitudinal studies on recurrance with the other procedure. HELP>...did anyone have similar experience or knowledge and what did you do. Need to make a decision quickly. Am 59 and in shock....healthier than a horse and very active. HELP

I did not have endo, but I wanted you to know that you will be in my thoughts! I am aware that the laser assisted surgery has a lot quicker recovery, but as for what is best for endo, I am sure that the other ladies would be of more help to you! I do want to welcome you to the site and let you all know that we are here for support!!! Take care and I hope that you soon find the answers that you are in search of!!

I do think that a second opinion and having a gyn-oncologist is a really good idea. However, my doctor, listed as one of the best 100 doctors from any specialty in the larger Chicagoland area and the head of gyne oncology at the University of Chicago medical center, said that TAH was the way to go with cancer. Vaginal surgery means a lot of smaller cuts and each cut can release cancer cells into the surrounding tissue. Maybe there's a difference between endometrial and ovarian cancer, but that was his rationale.

It has been our suspicion here that the recovery time isn't that much better overall between vaginal and abdominal surgery--it still takes 6 months to a year to feel really healed (and there's a suspicion here that bladder problems may be more common after a vaginal surgery). What seems to make a bigger difference is the skill of your surgeon. I had a TAH but I was up and about as fast as the vaginal hysts report. I was ready to leave the hospital the next day, though they made me wait an extra day. I'm 47 and way overweight but it made no difference. I was walking a mile by week 5 (I wasn't walking that much more before surgery ), working a couple of hours a day at week 4 (at home) and back to work at week 6. I never needed any pain killer more than motrin after the morphine pump was removed. So, I'd probably go to Mt. Sinai for the expertise, but I don't know that I'd take the risk of the LAVH myself with cancer without a lot of explanation as to why it's the right choice.

Hope this helps! I had the same reaction as you did. I kept telling my nice doctor--but I feel great! Maybe it's a sign you'll end up in as good a shape as I'm in. I feel better than I have in years.

I was diagnosed with Stage IIIa endometrial adenocarcinoma a year ago - August 25th! - and had a TAH/BSO with omentectomy. When my doc said the word cancer, I said "open me up and take anything that looks suspicious - and be sure to get a good look around while you're at it." With the TAH they can really check things out and do biopsies of lymph nodes, if necessary. I imagined my surgeon in my belly with a paper punch - he did 16 biopsies - all came back negative, thank God...Recovery from the surgery wasn't bad - some owwees and erks, but for the most part, far easier than I imagined it would be. Follow-up treatment for me included radiation and an oral tumor inhibitor called Megace. Feel free to email me directly with specific questions if you like.
Molly