What uterus size is too big for a LAVH or TVH?

Well now I feel like I'm NOT alone on an island!!!

I'm 4 months preggy in size.... DH gets a big laugh outta watching me do the preggy waddle on purpose.

I bled (or should I say flooded/with nasty huge clots, and enemia) for 52 days. That's when I finally broke down and saw my gyno.

She said I have HUGE fibroids and she did a biopsy of the uterine lining, results come Friday. She said my uterus is way too big to have any vaginal procedure. I asked about Endometrial Ablation to stop the bleeding, but she said I have bigger issues than that. And it wouldn't take care of the Fibroids.

Ugh... at this point I just want it all to go away.

I was too big for a vaginal procedure as well.

However, I found a surgeon who gave me Lupron, and it managed to shrink things enough so that I could have a TLH (total laparoscopic hysterectomy). If you can find a surgeon that can do this, it certainly beats a TAH (total abdominal hysterectomy). 4 tiny incisions, and a really fast recovery!

I can tell you, I DON'T miss that huge uterus, nor the bleeding.

Thanks so much for all your replies you all are invaluable...... I am in process now of getting my hyst set up.... we are trying for a gyn/onc that my gyn knows who specializes w/ the DaVinci lap hyst and has lots of experience with this device. I'll find out if this doc is willing to do me based on my situation, but I know they've done uteruses much larger than mine (~10 weeks gestational) laproscopically.

Thank you all so much!!! I can't tell you how valuable your comments have been while I am on this journey. I have an appt. on Aug. 26th to see a gyn that specializes with fib tumors. Like someone stated, I just want to get this over with. Yesterday after dinner my stomach was poking out so far that it made me look like I was about 4 months pregnant. My son even made a joke about it. And I usually find myself pressing on the pelvic area to relieve some of the pressure and achy feeling.

I am hopeful that my next month I will be starting some kind of procedure, whatever that may be.

Will keep you posted.

My uterus was a 19-week pregnancy size before the Lupron.

After surgery, it weighed in at 675 grams - and it was over 10 times normal size! I was told it was the size of a small watermelon.

It's quite amazing that they managed to get that lot out through 4 small holes. It's really worth it to find a good surgeon who can do this for you completely laparoscopically!

For: Rhododendron,

Your hyst experience sounds similar to my younger sister's. She had a LSH this last May and she too did lupron shots before her hyst and her fibroids weighed in at 660 grams total after surgery. (My other sister had a TVH last year).

I so agree with you!! Seek out all possibilities and there may be a chance a laparoscopic surgery is an option.

Mary

I have a 15 week size...with multiple fibroids. Largest is 8cm. I don't have any symptoms but I'm ready to take the thing out.

I'd like to keep the cervix and ovaries. The doctor I talked with 2 years ago specializes in the laprascope. I have another appointment with him next week. I thought though he said mine was too big to do with the laprascope so I will have to ask if that is still a problem.

How long do you have to be on Lupron? And are there any side affects to the Lupron other than shrinking the fibroids?

I'm also post menopausal...no estrogen already (3.5 years) so...Lupron wouldn't do me any good would it? I mean my fibroids haven't shrunk because of menopause.

However, you still might check if this might work for you - my surgeon told me that the fibroids could only be expected to shrink 10% after menopause, but my fibroids shrunk by about a third using Lupron.

The side effects are not fun - but it was worth it to me!

For: Funnyesq

I agree with Rhododendron. My 1st Dr. wanted to only do an abdominal hyst due to the size of my fibroids, measuring 15 cm total. With my 2nd Dr., I did (3) months of lupron shots and my fiborids shrunk to 9.1 cm total - a manageable size for my Dr. to do a laparoscopic hyst (LSH).

I also agree with Rhododendron that the side effects of lupron are not fun since it does cause temporary chemical menopause. However, that being said...lupron was also worth it for me too!!!!

Mary