Newbie- So happy to have found SoulCysters - Experiences with Ovarian Diathermy

FunkyChicken · 04-22-2009, 01:24 PM

Hi All

I have been reading your posts with so much interest and happiness!! I have learnt more in the last few hours than in 18months. None of my doctors have focused on the particularities of thin PCOS. To be honest, I dont think they know. I am dying to schedule a new appointment and discuss everything I have found.

I have so much to share but I need to contain myself or my post will be so long noone will read it!

In short, I am 30, TTC for 18months, diagnosed with PCO for about 12 months. Its been a rollar coaster that is for sure.

I am not based in the states and I think I have a slightly different experience from everyone else.

Apart from the cysts and the completely irregular and sometimes even absent menstruation, I am very healthy. Though from reading here I realise that even though I am not IR insulin can play a big part!

I live in Norway and the interesting thing here is that I am simply diagnosed with PCO. In other words my doctor told me to forget about PCOS. She told me that I don’t have it but I do have cysts on my ovaries.
My gynaecologist put me on Provera & Clomid while DH and I were waiting to be referred to the fertility clinic at the hospital. During our very first appointment with the fertility clinic they took me off Clomid and Provera immediately. According to the hospital a Laparoscopic Ovarian Diathermy is the first treatment before putting me on medication.

I would recommend that everyone you all read the post on treatment for non-obese women posted by Kat on this site.

It was HUGELY helpful to me. I learnt more from this one article in 20 mins than in an entire 18 months. I think often doctors and gynacologists have no idea about the particularities of dealing with lean PCO. Without this article I would not have even understood that the surgery that they will perform on me is completely different to Ovarian Drilling, which it seems is no longer recommended.

It seems that in the USA the doctors like to try all the medication options before a Ovarian Diathermy, whereas here in Norway it is the other way round! I would be really interested to hear if anyone has any opinions on why this is and whether that is a good approach??

Finally, it has been very comforting to read your posts and know that other people are in the same boat as me.

I reall look forward to sharing experiences here and hearing your opinions.

Lou

FunkyChicken · 04-30-2009, 12:17 PM

I would love to hear about any expereinces with this operation

Nik25 · 05-05-2009, 11:08 AM

Hello! I live here in Texas USA

I went to my gyno about 4 yrs ago when my husband and I started trying. Well after 3 rounds of Clomid, I had ovarian drilling. Very Painful recovery and no success. I would love to know how the other surgery goes!

ndoit · 06-15-2009, 05:55 PM

funkychicken, I just found your post and am eager to know about your ovarian diathermy procedure. I read an article from the Jarrett fertility group that also recommends ovarian diathermy over ovarian drilling. I am also a thin cyster TTC for the past 3 months. Please let us know how your procedure goes. All the best to you.

wtng4amiracle · 07-04-2009, 06:32 PM

I just happened to come across this post, and I just had to share my experience.

I am actually a patient of the Jarrett Fertility Center--Dr. Jarrett is my doc--I had the ovarian diathermy surgery in January of this year. Dr. Jarrett was the first doctor (been to 4 others) that diagnosed me correctly--with thin PCOS. All other docs dismissed the idea because I am thin. DH and I have been TTC #1 for 7 1/2 years. After the surgery, I became pregnant naturally in April, but unfortunately, miscarried. We are trying again next month with injectables, and then onto IVF.

If you have tried other things, I would definately do the surgery. It took about 10 days to feel completely back to normal. It was not that bad. I have two scars right above my pubic hairline, and a small scar in my belly button.

Let me know what you decide. Good luck!

irisvb · 08-27-2009, 10:35 AM

Hi Lou,

I live in Copenhagen (but i am Dutch) and i think your doctors did consider the fact that you are thin... I am of course not sure....but i do know that especially in Norway there has been done a lot of research in the past to treating PCO(S) by Laparoscopic Ovarian Diathermy, especially by HALVARD GJØNNAESS (in 1994... you can look this article up on Pubmed if you would like). And what they found is that this procedure appears to be more succesful in women who are slim and have high LH levels (the mechanism for its effect is unknown). This might be the reason why in Norway they have a different approach. I have to say that the, diagnosis, cause and thus also the treatment of PCOS are point of discussion in the whole world (nobody really has the answers) and that is also the reason why you see these differences in treatment. But the nice thing is that if you search for information you can always discuss with your doctors about the treatment.

Kind regards,

Iris