2nd surgery for lymph node removal???

Hello!

Please help me with information as to whether or not I will have to have a second surgery to go back in and get lymph nodes. I had a TAH 06/23/04 and
no lymph nodes were taken. My pathology report showed that I had a 4.5 cm stage11, grade 1 cancer, uterine into the cervical canal. I am waiting, anxiously, for my appointment Aug. 2nd with an oncologist to determine radiation therapy.

Has anyone out there had a second surgery to remove lymph nodes and should this be done?

I am so in the dark about all of this.

Thanks for all the help from everyone on this wonderful site!!

Margaret

Hiya Margaret

Sorry to hear that your pathology report showed a malignancy. I can only speak from my own experience with ovarian cancer. My lymph nodes were not sampled by the gyn/ob who did all my operations. When i finally realised, from this site, that there were such specialists as gyn/onc he was rather surprised (to put it mildly!!) that my lymph nodes were not sampled. He gave me a choice either i could have another operation (that would be 3 in total) or have a PET scan. He said he was 99% sure that there wouldnt be any lymph node involvement so i opted for the PET scan and the results were negative. I hope this helps and im sure someone will be along who has the same diagnosis as yourself. Lots of luck to you



sheila

I also had a second surgery to remove lymph nodes. In my case I was given the choice of this surgery, or a PET scan, or radiation. I chose the surgery, but as you can see there were other options for me, as well. See what your gyn/onc. has to say about it.

Margaret
Sorry you have to go thru this. I, too had to have a second surgery to remove the lymph note's, because they were not removed during my TAH. My gyn/onc gave my two options, second surgery or radiation. I choose the surgery. It was scary to go thru it again, but I don't regret it. Listen to your gyn/onc and ask question's for the pro's and cont's.
Will be thinking of you.
Andrea

Hi there! So sorry to hear what you are going through.

My personal advice would be to push for surgery to sample your lymph nodes. My cancer was not expected to have spread but as a precaution, they took 6 lymph nodes and found two to be positive for cancer. Shocking. I was told that a PET would NOT have picked up on the cancer because of how microscopic it was.

Please be sure that you are in the care of a gynecologist oncologist.

Good luck to you....

Thanks for responding, I really appreciate the information.

Andrea and Connie can you please tell me what it was like to go through a second surgery for this? I am 5-6 weeks in recovery fro the TAH and wonder what it would be like to do this again...do they cut the whole incision again?

Thanks....I think from what know that I would opt for the surgery over radiation.

Hope all of you are well. Thanks Shelia!!

Margaret

Margaret--

When I had my second surgery--and it was done 3 months after the first-- it was done laproscopically. I was out of the hospital the same day, and the recovery was much shorter than for the TAH. In fact, one of the laproscopic incisions (there were four, kinda like compass points) was right on my TAH incision. I found the lap. surgery more painful in recovery than I thought it would be, but within a month I was feeling fine.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Valarie

Hello Margaret,
for the 2nd surgery I had to wait 6 weeks, before the Gyn/Onc performed the op. When I had the TAH I had a horizontal incision, also known as "Bicini cut", for the 2nd surgery I had a vertical incision, just below the belly button just about 1 inch past the other incision/scar. It healed well, just were the two cut's met, the healing took longer. I stayed the same amount of time in the hospital for either surgery, 3 days. The recovery was slower the second time around, but was back to work after 7 weeks, took a total of 13 weeks off. Oh, I almost forgot, I needed 2 units of blood, so if you have time to "bank" your blood I would recommend it, or if someone in your family has the same bloodtyp maybe they can donate toward you. My Gyn/Onc did not tell me there was a high possibility I needed blood. So please ask this question. They took 12 lymph nodes, all came back negative. The worst part was finding out I had to have surgery again, the mental stress was what upset me the most, because I thought after the TAH I was done and just had to recover and follow up.
Good Luck, let us know how it went.
Andrea

Yesterday I finally met with my Oncologist
gyncologist (what a long wait....4pm appt. and I didn't see him until 6pm, made me realise how many of us are being treated for cancer).

I was given the options of lymph node removal by surgery or external radiation therapy along with the internal. I chose the surgery, which should be done laproscopically, he said 90% sure it will be done this way, a chance that he may have to cut once he is there. I will still have to have the internal radiation after all of this. My Doctor said that we will become very good friends in the next few years!!! Ug...I'd prefer not to ever see him again. Many more visits coming.

Thanks to all of you who responded to my inquiry, the very valuable information helped me make an informed decision and everything that my Doctor told me yesterday came as no surprise. I wasn't anxious or nervous, during the long wait I just kept thinking about how I couldn't wait to get home to have a root beer float!! It is hot in L.A..

So now I am waiting to be scheduled, hopefully it will be either next week or the following week. I am worried about my job as I was to return by Mid August, I am a contract worker and don't know if my job will be held for me or not. It looks like I'll be out of work for another month maybe? Ah well life eh?

Thanks to everyone again, wishing you all the best!!

Margaret

TAH BSO 06/23/04 Grade 1, Stage 11a cancer Uterine into the endocervical canal.

Margaret,
wishing you the best, speedy recovery.
Keep us updated.
Andrea