What to expect after lap surgery? - Page 2

Renee3600 · 11-16-2008, 05:30 PM

It sounds like you're doing everything right. I'm not an expert, but if it smells bad that's probably not a good sign. If it was me I'de call the after hours number. You can just describe it over the phone to the nurse or doctor. That is what you pay them for after all. Good luck and keep us posted!

OliviaLeigh · 11-16-2008, 06:49 PM

I had one of those "skin bandages" over my incisions. It was like a clear film that covered them so nothing got in them. I'd call your dr and tell them you are concerned and see if they can cover it with something like I had. I had them on for a week, so I couldn't even clean the incision.

I would def call - you don't want an infection.

HakunaMatata · 11-17-2008, 02:42 AM

It has strangely improved over the day so I think I will let it go for right now. If it gets bad again I will call - I promise =]

One more thing that has been bugging me - I have this gigantic purple bruise to the left of my belly button - not at all connected to my belly button in any way. It hurts really bad and keeps getting bigger! Did anyone else experience this?

Also, my husband reminded me about something today that might be linked to my concerns that my doctor didn't really do all that he could to make this work for me. My doctor was a little late getting there (I was supposed to start at 7:30, he didn't show until 7:45 so it didn't start until 8), and he said it was because they called him - he thought my surgery was at noon and that Thursdays were his half-day. Am I going out of my mind or does it all-around seem like this was half-assed? I've decided that after my 2-week follow up with him, after I get all of the details, I am going for a second opinion and possibly a second try at this surgery after the new year. I have a friend whose weight and stature is comparable to mine (she is shorter and weighs less but our build is very similar) and she recommended me to her OB/GYN surgeon. He did the surgery on her about 7 months ago and guess who is about 5 months along after YEARS of TTC? =] So happy for her. She has given me a lot of hope with this stuff. Anyway, I think I will try and see her doctor, depending on the details I get from mine. I am still irked by this "too much fatty tissue" excuse. Isn't laparoscopy the same way they do lap band surgery for morbid obesity also? My boss was extremely overweight when she had her lap band done and she was able to do the surgery (obviously)...so I'm still very, very confused.

OK, I'm going to try and not think about it too much more for right now. Going to bed.

Thanks everyone - especially you, Olivia - for your responses and helpful comments! I appreciate it sooo much!!!

Renee3600 · 11-17-2008, 08:34 AM

I also had that tape that covered the incision sites. I was instructed to leave it on until it fell off on its own. I had bruising on each side of my belly button aftert he surgery with little tiny indentations on each side, the right side was worse. The doc said that they grab your belly and pull it up to insert the thing into your belly button so that what ever goes into your belly button goes in smoothy.

Have you thought about going to an RE for this instead of an OB? They are the experts and in my opinion are more conscientious about perserving your fertility.

OliviaLeigh · 11-17-2008, 10:29 AM

Yes, the bruising is terrible! I had some show up a few days later as well and get darker and bigger. I was bruised for about 3 weeks (I bruise very easily and it takes forever for them to disappear).

Did your friend have Endometriosis? It's very important to have a dr very specialized with Endometriosis (like Renee said - maybe an RE who is sensitive to fertility). If they are not well trained they can either cause more problems (i.e. nicking a bladder), not get all the endo out, or miss it completely. I hope this next dr is better - your dr sounded frazzled and not all together. I think I'd find a new one too!

Please let us know what you find out and good luck

HakunaMatata · 11-20-2008, 02:54 PM

OK, I am going to my regular doctor on Saturday (it's great that she's open on Saturdays!) and I'm going to ask her about my belly button and for her thoughts on the failed surgery. My belly button seems worse...my husband says it looks better but I don't think so. I especially don't like the way it smells - it smells like fish! EWW!!!

My appointment is actually for a cyst that has gotten out of control. I need to have it drained -it hurts so bad! It's on my stomach...I've never had them there before. The pressure pain is unbearable - even my hubby sterilized a needle last night and tried to pop it for me! =[ I couldn't handle the pain, though.

We'll see what happens about the first two things after I talk with my doctor...I'll update on here, of course...

Renee3600 · 11-20-2008, 03:10 PM

The way you describe the smell just doesn't sound good at all. I'm really glad you're going to the doc. Good luck and keep us updated!

OliviaLeigh · 11-20-2008, 03:52 PM

Yes, please get it checked!

HakunaMatata · 11-23-2008, 11:19 PM

OK - I went to my regular doctor. She checked out my belly button and said it looked like I was having an allergic reaction to the stitches - she doesn't think it's anything to be worried about. The stitches will be coming out on Wednesday so things should clear up shortly after that.

She also cut the cyst open and drained it. She wanted to take the sac out but couldn't see it. That might be one of the most painful things I've ever been awake for - it takes 2nd place to the draining of my Bartholin cyst (a cyst in the lubrication gland just outside of the vaginal canal...these are NO fun!).

And I talked to her about the "too much fatty tissue" excuse. She had no idea what my OB/GYN was talking about and said this was not a very good excuse. She was pretty supportive of me trying out a different OB/GYN surgeon to have this surgery after the new year.

I spoke with one of my best friends who a) has had this surgery and b) is a surgical technician, so she is involved in these types of surgeries every day. She was really pissed about my OB/GYN's excuse for not finishing the surgery. She told me to ask him for my op report on Wednesday and fax it to her so she can take a look at it and see what went wrong. So, we'll see what happens there.

I'll update again on Wednesday night...

HakunaMatata · 11-24-2008, 08:12 PM

I got a copy of my op report. The surgery was abandoned due to obesity. The report says I was advised that given my obesity, there was no guarantee that this would work, but they'd try. That conversation, ladies, did not take place. I know there is no guarantee with any surgery...but if this was such a complication, you'd think it would have been obvious enough to mention before I dropped a few hundred dollars, put a claim in on my insurance, and took two days off of work. The report also mentions "morbid obesity." I am above a 40 BMI by 0.8. Seriously. Drop the "morbid."

I tried to find a way to post the entire op report, but couldn't. This pretty much sums it up, though: I'm too fat for the surgery. The same type of surgery that people have for laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. I call bulls**t!!!

OliviaLeigh · 11-25-2008, 11:34 AM

OMG! That is insane!!!!! See another surgeon. Seriously. Wow.

I am so sorry this has happened. Surgery with no answers has got to be the worst.

Renee3600 · 11-25-2008, 01:08 PM

What a quack! If he truely felt that was a good reason not to do the surgery he shouldn't have started it at all. I don't know if it's possible, but this man should not get paid a dime for that surgery.

I'm so sorry you had to go through that! I hope you're able to get into your friend's doc soon. Did you make an appointment yet? If a doc is really good sometimes it takes a while to get an appointment with them.

Good luck!

HakunaMatata · 11-25-2008, 11:08 PM

Hey Olivia and Renee - unfortunately I have to pay for his time and what he DID do (the D&C), the anesthesiologist, the other people there, the time I was in the OR, blah blah blah - everything. I will expect that I get a refund for a portion of what I paid for my patient responsibility because the biggest part of surgery didn't happen.

I haven't made an appointment yet, because I'm not going to try again until after the holidays. I used the last of my time off of work for this and I don't have the money to pay for my responsibility again. We are so broke right now, and it was really hard to pay the money that we did. He knew that paying that $218 was going to put us in a tough spot.

Thanks for the support - out of everyone I've talked to about this (which is a LOT of people), there is only 1 person that can kinda/sorta see my doctor's side on this...and that's one of my good friends who ALWAYS sees both sides to everything.

Update tomorrow! My follow up appointment is in the morning.

OliviaLeigh · 11-26-2008, 10:09 AM

Your friend that sees his side -- here's the deal. Dr's need to have another dr on hand able to handle something they are not capable of themselves. For instance, if you are going into surgery and there is a possibility the bladder needs further investigation, they have a urologist on hand to assist. In your case it sounds like the dr was either not prepared for your surgery or did not follow protocol to have someone available if he felt the surgery was going to be difficult. That is why I would be upset.

I really would look into FMLA next time as it keeps you from taking time off. Did you look into it for this time?

What is the result of your D&C?

HakunaMatata · 11-26-2008, 03:35 PM

He said he didn’t tell anyone he spoke with my husband. I don’t know if that’s him being honest, or if it’s him knowing that I can’t track down the person who told me that in recovery to get to the bottom of it. I told him there was a lot of miscommunication going around and that I was really in the dark for a lot of the time with this.

He said everyone that says there haven’t been any issues (my physician, my friend who is the surgical technician, and the cysters who also have Endo that I’ve talked to and have had this surgery, overweight or not) are just wrong because they aren’t actually doing the surgeries, therefore they don’t have enough to go on. I told him I researched everything very thoroughly before scheduling the surgery and could not find any issues, and still can’t afterward, and he got really defensive. He said that it didn’t work, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

I left things open with him. I will probably not go back to him. I didn’t tell him I was going to seek a 2^nd opinion. I asked him why he didn’t open me up for the traditional surgery and he said he didn’t have permission to do so, even though we discussed it in the preop room with my husband there. No one called him to get permission. He offered to do the traditional surgery and I told him I would think about it.

Then we talked about what we are doing for the holidays and I left. They didn’t ask me for more money when I checked out.

I haven’t looked into FMLA options yet…I think I am just going to take a week vacation and have the traditional surgery in February. I work in a small office and I think it would be really challenging to ask for FMLA for this. Plus, I can’t afford the lower pay for that period of time.