Thursday, July 17, 2008

Let's Talk About Laparoscopy

I don't know if any of you are as curious as I am about medical procedures. If you are and you don't know what a laparoscopy is, keep reading. If you aren't interested, then you can just stop here.

I love watching surgery and medical procedures on TV. I don't have a weak stomach so it doesn't bother me at all to see blood and people innards. Well, that's not entirely true. I hate it when they use the tiny circular saw to cut through bone and I can't stand watching rhinoplasty. It makes me shudder just thinking about it. So, I searched laparoscopy on youtube and came up with a ton of videos. Some of them were just people talking about it, but there were a few of them that were the actual procedure on video. Talk about super cool! I couldn't tell what everything was, but I was able to recognize the ovaries. The other stuff, not so much.

So, what is a laparoscopy, you ask? What I might have done is a diagnostic laparoscopy. This is an outpatient procedure. Obi-Wan is going to make one incision in my belly button and one incision just above my pubic bone. They can use general anesthetic or local, but from what I've read, general anesthetic is used more often. Obi-Wan will then fill my belly with carbon dioxide to make it easier to see my organs and innards. He will then insert a laparoscope (a lighted camera instrument) and proceed to see what he finds.

Here are some open questions we have about my situation:

1. What is really up with my uterus? Is it unicornuate? We don't think so, but it will be nice to say for sure.
2. What is up with my left tube? Is it blocked? Did it just spasm during the HSG? Is it there at all?
3. Do I have endometriosis?
4. Do I have any cysts, polyps, or fibroids that didn't show up on the HSG or during ultrasounds?

If I have this surgery, Obi-Wan will hopefully not find endometriosis or any masses. If he does find some, doctors usually will clean it up during the procedure. If there's something else that requires a bigger surgery, that will have to wait.

I hope I don't have to get this far. Who knows what will happen, though?

Stay Cool Blogger Buddies!

5 comments:

Chelley N said...

Hopefully you won't have to have it done, but it's not too bad if you do. My scar from the lap part of my surgery are small and fading everyday. If it gives your doc the answers he needs, then it is worth it!

My big break is almost over... July 30th is when we get to start all over... AGAIN!

Nikki said...

Now I have to go check out the lap videos. My Doc had given me pictures and DVD from my lap surgery, and I brought them home very proudly for DH. He said when he is happy to know me through and through, but not necessarily to the extent of knowing what my innards look like! LOL

Lisa said...

Chelley, I was wondering when you start again. I knew it was at the end of July. Just think: maybe we'll be preggers together!!!

Lisa said...

Nikki, I hope I get to take home pictures and DVD for my hubby. He would hate that and I would love it!!!

elephantscanremember said...

I didn't have a bad experience with it either. The worst part was the bowel prep the night before. That was horrid. :P

I hope you don't have to have one, but if you do I hope there's nothing major that can't be fixed.