Any surprising pathology reports?

I just had LAVH two days ago. When I asked my Dr what the uterus looked like and if she could tell what the problem had been that plagued me for so long....she said that she wanted to keep it all encapsulated and sent it to pathology whole.

I am very anxous to see the results and want a copy of the path report...am I entitled?

Were any of you or your doctors surprised with the report...malignancy where there was none assumed or suspected?

Betsy

You are definitely entitled to a copy of your pathology report! I called today to see if the report had come in yet and my nurse read it to me over the phone- no surprises, no signs of cancer, thank God! The only "abnormality" was a "chronic irritated cervix" (not sure if that's the correct term)---but that's not surprising since my uterus was so badly prolapsed that I could SEE my cervix right at the vaginal opening!
GOOD LUCK to you. and please keep us posted!

Yes, you can ask for a copy of your path report. I think you just have to sign for it. You could also call the office and just ask them to tell you what the report said. They can speak in lamens terms so that you won't have to decode your report if you are reading yourself.

Mine said that I had superficial adenomyosis, which is beginning stage; Proliferative endometrium, which is a thickening on the inside(could have been normal depending on where I was at in my cycle); Chronic cervicitis, which is an inflammed cervix; and it also said that I had adhesions that covered the outer layer of my uterus and ovaries/tubes.

I also had two adhesive complexes that were in the muscle tissue of the pelvis. I am not sure what that means except that they were some kind of mass.

I'm glad to have all of that outa there.

Hi, Betsy,

Please get a copy of your path report. I got a copy of that, as well as my op report. Both of these helped me understand why I had so much pain before and after surgery. I knew I had fibroids before surgery, as well as endometriosus, most likely, but found out about some other stuff,too. It's good to know. I think alot of times, they send the whole uterus,ovaries,tubes,etc., anything whole to find out what's going on and what pathology will show. I wouldn't worry = it's probably pretty common to do just this anyway. But, you do have the right to get copies of these reports, just ask for them, sign a medical release and read them. If you can't understand them, read them in front of the doctor and ask him/her, or if you have a friend who's a nurse or doctor, ask them to help you decipher the report. Keep us posted on what you found out. God bless, take care.
DebraDeeH

this is my opinion;always get medical advice from a doctor

I was shocked to find out that I had uterine dysplasia of a type my Dr. said has a high rate of becoming cancerous. Good thing I had it out when I did. My Dr. went over my report at my 1 week post op check up which was nice because then I was able to ask him questions and get feedback immediately. Best of luck on a good report!

Yes! I found I'd had adenomyosis, which was suspected but not confirmed. My uterus was fused to my bladder. The path report also showed I'd had cancer in my uterine muscle - the biggest shock of all. Thankfully it would appear I don't need further treatment it was contained in the uterus. I've had emotional ups and downs coming to terms with it all, but generally I'm 'up'.

Since the hyst I've also developed a rectocele - a new development - which just makes life more interesting doesn't it It's only a small one at the moment and not causing me too much trouble - just have to watch my diet now.

All I need now is from my remaining ovary to wake up and I'll be all set for life in the fast lane

I had a very large ovarian mass, I had 2 days to prepare for surgery. I asked the dr how she felt about this being cancer. She said she felt pretty good about it not being cancer but was going to take some extra precautions. As soon as the mass was removed it was to be tested for cancer immediately so that she could check the lymph nodes before closing and i was going to have a pelvic washing regardless of what it looked like. Turns out it did not appear to be cancer at the time so i guess she didn't check the lymph nodes. It took longer than she had said for the report to come back, at my 1 week check up I was told that the mass ended up in Duke and 1 spot was beginning to turn into ovarian cancer. She says I won't need any treatments or anything. I am so glad that she took everything out. I would like to get all my reports also. Good luck to you all.

I haven't seen my op or path reports, but I plan to call and ask for copies. All I know is that there were even more fibroids than originally thought, and my dr left an old cyst on my right ovary.

I would highly recommend getting a copy of your path report. I asked at my 1 week appt to get my staples out if mine was in. She said, "yes, and everything was fine." I asked to see it and saw lots of stuff I didn't understand so I had them make me a copy and brought it home and looked up the terms on the net. I'm so glad I did! Not that there was anything horrible there, just that I was wondering if everything was "fine" why I was having the problems I've been plagued with and why this was such a rush job.

For me, the report justified the decision to have it all out and told me I have headed off some possibly worse future problems. I found out a) that my uterus weighed almost 5 times what a normal one should, b) my left ovary weighed what a normal uterus should weigh and had not only cysts on the outside, but a large one on the inside that was filling with tissue, c) that the muscle layer (myometrium) was about 8 times the normal thickness due to hyperplasia and the uterine cavity was enlarged, and d) that both fallopian tubes were messed up to boot. Doesn't that sound "fine" to you?

I realize for a lot of people, just knowing there was no cancer present would have been good enough but if you want to know the real deal, get that report!
Anita
TAH/BSO 4/9/03

You are definatley entitled to a copy. Be sure to ask your doctor when you go in for your post-op checkup.

I did have a few surprises on mine. I had proliferative endometrium, chronic cervicitis, squamous metaplasia (I'm still confused as to what that really is) and numerous cysts on my right ovary, where there had only been one 3 months prior to my hyst.

I'm glad I got a copy of my report because it confirmed the reasons for all the pain I was in and I'm glad to have it all out. Even though I still don't feel 100%, it's better than it was.

Good luck and happy healing!