TVH: Is it wrong to ask the dr to double check ovaries?

I don't know if anyone will know the answer to this or not, and I know this is not "medial advice" but I'd like ideas on how to handle this for my pre-op appt. on monday.

I have had ovarian cysts most of my life. I have some ovarian cancer on my dad's side of the family.

After a lot of research and at my drs insistince, I want to leave my ovaries.

I'm fairly sure I have endometriosis, (a lot of pelvic pain) low back pain, heavy periods.

Is it rude or even acceptable to ask my gyn to look around and double check for endometriosis and visually check my ovaries with a TVH? Maybe this is part of the protocol with the procedure?

I want to make sure that I only have to go through this once and would hate to get post op and have another surgery looming.

What would you do? or have any of you dealt with this?
or maybe it's just my overly paranoid week before jitters.

I had a SAH and I was "wide-open" and my doctor checked my ovaries good and proper...I'm not sure what tools they use in that surgery...I would ask him/her to take a look see to see how they are.

ccreece,
It's never wrong to discuss with your DR your concerns. Just be respectful of what he can and cannot do. Tell him honestly of all your fears and concerns. It's okay to ask if that is something he can do. It's your body! He will tell you if he can do it. If not... you also have the right to get a second opinion and get a DR that will do what you want done. It's your body. Be comfortable with what the Dr. will be doing to it.

Ask him if he was planning on doing this, which will open a discussion. Many times they also go in with a scope and many will look at the inside of the bladder post op just to make sure there are no leaks.

Just let him know you are concerned that there is something lurking there and the possibility of endo being somewhere is very real.

Be aware also that sometimes these surgeries convert to LAVH or open and you need to prepare for that too.

One thing we need to remember is that the doctor works for us. We have the right to second opinions and to switch docs until we have one we trust and are comfy with.

Make the request, you have very good reason to. If the doctor does not feel its needed or says they can't ask them to explain further. My doc is wonderful and has gone well into checking things simply to humor me. When I freaked out about HPV she not only showed me priors negative test results, but ran another one just to ease my mind. Was it *needed*? No. But it brought me a world of peace.

This is YOUR body. Nobody else will care for it the way you will. Do not make it a question as "could you", but rather "I would like you to".

I absolutely love my gyn. He delivered my last baby and was the best at delivering.. I just hope he's as good at this. During delivery, I asked him to be discreet about some of my medical issues.. and he was.. He even remembered to remove a perinial cyst when sewing my back up.

I just don't want to offend him. I like the idea of bringing it up in the discussion and then going from there.

With my doctor we discussed this and he agreed to look at my ovaries.. if they looked ok, he agreed to leave them.. now one of them they had to remove because the tumor was on it.. but the other I was able to save..
We agreed that if there was any problems they would come out.. but if not.. he would make that decision when he was in there..
hope this helps.. good luck to you

This is a very important discussion to have before going into your surgery. If it is possible that you have endometriosis, you will want to decide how far you want your surgery to go. Even with the retention of your ovaries, a discussion about the removal of any endo is an important one to have. All the best to you!

My doc and I agreed that she would visually evaluate my ovaries and if they looked healthy, and the uterus looked like it was cancer-free, she would leave the ovaries in.

Because we decided this at the pre-op, I had to request a quick meeting with the doc on the morning of surgery to alter my surgical orders from LAVH- BSO to LAVH with possible BSO. Everyone was so nice about it and didn't mind at all.

I think if you ask, your doc shouldn't mind doing as you request, unless there is some medical reason why not.

Luna

He is going to look around and get what he can. He said if I were having a TAH that he goes as far as to feel the liver and diagram for any issues... However with a TVH it's like looking through a telescope. makes sense to me.