I'm Having Open Myomectomy & I'm So Scared :(

Women's health
1

Hello Everyone!

So......... I'm booked to have open myomectomy in a few weeks and I'm soooo scared. I've be informed that I have about 8-9 fibroids however they could turn out to be more. The largest fibroid is bigger than a large grapefruit, not sure the exact size. My main symptoms are pressure in the abdomen/ pelvis, frequent urination and constipation. I used to have heavy bleeding but that subsided on its own somehow. 

I asked my surgeon if I can have keyhole surgery as I really don't want a massive scar on my stomach, however I was informed that I need to have open myomectomy because of the positioning of the fibroids. Also I've got intramural, subserosal and submucosal fibroids. I'm not sure if I'll be having a vertical or horizontal incision, although I'd prefer an horizontal bikini line scar that I can easily. My surgeon said that he'll try not to make the scar too big.

Now with regards to the pain, I have no idea what to expect. I've been informed that I'll be in hospital for 3-5 days following the surgery. I'm just so afraid that something could go wrong and I could end up bleeding excessively during surgery and they could end up removing the uterus but I've heard that this is rare. Or after the surgery I'm worried that I'll have heavier periods than I do now. I've read that some women had this following there surgery. 

I'm having the surgery done at a very reputable hospital with an highly experienced surgeon. He's informed me that it's a straight forward surgery for him and his team but acknowledged that its major surgery for me.

I'm 34 yrs old never had children yet, so I'm doing the surgery now as I'd like to start trying to get pregnant by next year or at most within the next 2 years. I was informed that I can leave it and try to conceive and see how it goes or take the fibroids out now. I've avoided surgery for about three to four years now. I chose to go for it this year following laparoscopy/ hysteroscopy investigation they found that the largest fibroid was blocking my left ovary.

I'm simply freaking me out and I'm wondering if anyone out there is currently in my shoes or if you've recently been in a similar situation as me. I could really do with some words of encouragement. Sometimes I feel like cancelling the surgery altogether as I get so scared when I think about it. sad

Hope to get some advice back.

Have a lovely day all! smile

2

I meant I'd prefer a bikin line scar that I can easily hide rather than a vertical scar which would show when I wear a bikini.

Apologies for the spelling errors in the initial post, I didn't read it through properly before submitting smile

3

Hi Kay,

I am 7 days post op now and also had an open mymectomy. I'm also 34 and have no children, would like to have some too. I had a 10cm fibroid, which the surgeon removed successfully, with minimum blood loss. My incision is just above the bikini line and very low down so only your partner or husband can see it. 

I was also terriefed about the surgery and had the same thoughts like you, thinking of cancelling it. Having gone through it now, I can say that it's actually not as bad as I made it out in my head. The hospital consultants are experts at what they do and have lots of these ops a day. When I got into hospital on the day, I was prepped so quick and put to sleep I bearly got chance to think about it. Trust me you'll be fine, my biggest advice would be to try not to over think things in your head. Try to put it at the back of your mind, you're making it worse for yourself. I know it's hard but plz try. 

4

Hello!

Thanks very much for your response Sofie67343! This is very reassuring and I'm going to try my hardest to follow your advise. Some days when I think about the surgery I try to distract myself. I just hope that it'll be worth it when I finally get it done. I'm not married yet but I'm quite worried that I'd have to explain the scar to future partner if it looks obvious..... men can be curious smile I suppose I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there.

I'm glad to hear that you're doing well following your surgery. How was the pain level when you had it done and how long were you in hospital for? Also how's your scar healing?

5

Hello,

I am 26, single, no children and had an open myomectomy 5 months ago. I had 5 fibroids removed via a bikini line incision. The scar is healing really well and quickly. It isn't as bad as what I had imagined. The recovery process also wasn't as painful as I imagined.... I in fact didn't experience terrible pain... more of a tightness.

I did suffer some heavy periods following my myomectomy but was found to be suffering a hormonal imbalance due to meds and as soon as my medication was sorted the heavy bleeding stopped.

It was a daunting operation and I know from experience it's easier said than done but try not to worry to much. I personally don't regret the surgery at all.... follow the physio s orders and you will be back on your feet soon... feeling so much more better and healthier. 

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Hello Ki2290,

Thank you for your response it is very reassuring. May I ask how big your scar is and is it very visible? I was also wondering what medication it was  that caused the hormonal imbalance, was it one of the pain killers that you were prescribed? I am  concerned about getting heavy periods following the surgery particularly as I'm not currently experiencing that now. Also did you notice much swelling in your abdomen after surgery, or was your tummy a little flatter? When were you able to return to work? It's really reassuring to read that you didn't experience too much pain, hopefully this would be the case for me too. Did you loose much blood and were your fibroids very big? Apparently some people ask their surgeon for a picture of their fibroids to see how big they were, I'm thinking of doing that but I'm not sure how appropriate it would be.

Thanks again for taking time to respond to my post and apologies for all the above questions. I feel that it is so helpful and less stressful to know what to expect beforehand.

Wish you continued recovery.

7

My scar is probably 10-12cm long, it did stay red for a while but now is starting to turn white so is far less apparent. My womb wall was cut also as one fibroid had pushed another one through it. 

Following my surgery my stomach did swell due bruising but it wasn't noticeable. The bruising did take a number of months to fully disappear.

I was on a high dose of norethisterone for a long time before my surgery which is what caused my hormonal imbalance... I now take cerelle to counteract the imbalance. 

I think my fibroids were between 3-6 ish cm. because I am quite skinny my stomach did start to protrude but now since they have been removed and swelling has gone down my stomach is flatter.

I was off work for 8 weeks, my physio recommended not going back before then due to the nature of my job (standing on my feet all day etc). 

Hope this helps 

8

Hey Ki2290,

Thank you so much for your response. This was very helpful. Your scar isn't too big, I've heard of people having scars 8-10 inches long depending on the size of their fibroids. My surgeon never prescribed medication to reduce the size of my fibroids before the surgery, I thought he would have but I'm not too sure why he didn't. I'm thinking of going back to ask to see him to ask if it would be a good idea to take something to decrease the size before surgery. Although this would probably delay my surgery which is scheduled for 5 weeks from now . Just like you I'm also quite slim and I have a little protruding lower belly due to the largest fibroid. I would rather just have them out, it is just the thought of my uterus being fiddled with whilst I'm asleep that scares me. Hopefully I'll also be referred for physio following surgery.

Thank you again for your comments. I will probably post back on here to write about my experience following the surgery. All the best in your recovery.

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Hi Kay la funk, did you finally go through with operation and how did it go. Am also scheduled to undergo the same and freaking out.

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Hi everyone, I was searching for forums to read about myomectomy experiences and I landed here. I don’t really write on boards because my English is not good.. but reading you guys’ posts kind of ease my fear. I have an abdominal myomectomy next week, and I am so scared, so nervous that I feel like I’m having panic attacks sometimes. I don’t have family in the US but my son and I have a boyfriend. I’m anemic and I have hypertension too..  I wondering if any of you experienced having anxieties/panic attacks?  

11

Hello Kay

I was scheduled for a hysterectomy March 15. Iv done some research ok alot allot of research and I went and talked to a radiologist for the embolization. I have a fibroid 9 c and ita pretty big is some other ones growing smaller. I am still terrified and it's not an easy choice but I am willing to try this before forced to have a surgery. Good luck to I and my thoughts t with you. I see from this site all of the fears are there and wishing best to u.

12

Hi Kay La-Funk.

I have come across your post and just wanted to see how your surgery went. I have my open myo in 7 days and I am absolutely scared out of my mind.

The pain afterwards, the constipation afterwards and just the overall recovery is whats really worrying me. Can you give me your experience and how you found It please smile

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Hello jazmin42797!

First and for most I would like to start off by stating that you have absolutely nothing to worry about! As you would have figured from my post, I was scared beyond words, I was worried and anxious about the procedure, the scarring, the recovery....... basically everything that I could think of worried me.

I won’t go into my full experience as I might end up writing a novel. However my procedure took about two and half hours. I had 9 fibroids removed and only lost about 60-80mls of blood. Following surgery I was on Fentanyl for a few hours post surgery.  You may be given Morphine instead, however I refused Morphine as it made me really sick the last time that I used it, following a previous procedure. Your anaesthetist will make the safest recommendation for you. The doctors will try to stop the Morphin or Fentanyl as early as possible in order to prevent dependency.

I wasn’t in much pain following the surgery due to the Fentanyl however the pain began to kick in on day 2 and 3.

The best way to describe the pain that I felt was like something sharp cutting into my stomach during every movement that I made. I couldn’t sneeze, cough, or laugh without feeling severe pain. On top of the pain I was constipated for 5-6 days non of the laxatives and suppositories or even enima worked for me. I felt awful. Nonetheless by the eighth day, I managed to have a proper bowel movement (sorry TMI) and I had had my stitches removed so I felt much better. It was still painful to walk for about three to four weeks post surgery.  I was quite bloated for the first 6-8 weeks, however I drank a lot of peppermint tea with peppermint oil from the second day following the surgery and this really helped with gas/ trapped wind.

My scar is visible to me but the surgeon did a fairly good job of keeping the incision relatively small. I hope it’ll fade over the next few months or so. I’ve been using Bio Oil and silicone gel on the scar. I expect that my scar could take a little longer to fade on my skin due to hyper-pigmentation.

Overall I’m really happy that I had the surgery done. Almost four months later I feel fit enough to start exercising again. I’ll be having a scan soon (6 months post surgery scan) just to check that the fibroids haven’t grown back and to check my ovaries (as my left ovary was not visible in scans prior to my surgery).

My overall advise is please don’t worry! You’ll be fine, you are in safe hands; this is a relatively easy surgery for gynaecologists who carry out this surgery  on a regular basis. Following your surgery do take it easy and do NOT overdo things. Allow your body to heal. Be prepared for short-term pain and  have a plan for pain  management. Also if you normally suffer with constipation, you should also have a plan in place to manage this pot surgery. Plus try to have someone at home with you at least for the first week or two following discharge.

Please also remember that we all heal and recover differently and your experience is likely to be different to mine.

I wish you all the very best with your surgery. I hope my brief account of my experience has helped. Please let me know if you have anymore questions. Also do try and feedback so we know how you got on post surgery.

All the best and remember do not worry about a thing! The human body is more robust than we think! smile xx

14

Hi,

Thank you so much for your reply! it has helped a lot!! My operation is tomorrow and Im so glad I picked this up before I went in as its helped!

Im just going to take each day as it comes, as I am never going to know how im going to feel until im in that situation I suppose, but Im just that little bit excited for this horrible journey to nearly be over!!

I will keep you updated once I have had my surgery! and thank you again x

15

Hi, 

I like others on this thread have been diagnosed with fibroids and will need to get it out.   Its large about the size of a cantaloupe.  

My question for you is how many doctors did you see before you decided on the one that was best.  

I am so scared about surgery and it is near the time I need to move out of my apt so its also equally as frustrating.  

I wanted to get it done by minimally invasive surgery, but was told by ob gyn that they have banned morcillators  for fibroid removal, in fear that it may spread cancer if used.  

I dont know what to do, but i do know that i need to get it out.  Did you ever get Lupron to shrink it before removal?  I am 37 no kids, would like to have some someday but not in relationship.  This is scaring me.  

Thanks for your advice!  

16

Hey Jazmine42797

I had mines March 20th The process went avrually fast. Well first they had me wait before and after people go for surgeries. I think that wating is the one that haves your mind thinking of all the thungs that could go wrong. So i think i was their maybe an hour my family got to go back their and talk to me before surgery. Wait they did give me something for my nerves. And i believe they put something in your IV because once they took me to the surgery room a min or no less than 2 minutes i was knocked out. I thought it was going to be like you see on tv where they're talking to you and puting the breathing mask kn asking you to count but nope. Everything went by fast. Wheb u woke up i was in a room with a bunch of other people. I was wasn't hurting at all or scared. After about an hour could have been less I'm bad with timing my family was able to come. And they took the catheter out which didn't hurt because i was still under anesthesia i believe. After that they took me to my room. So glad i gad my own room🤗🤗🤗🤗😊🙌🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 probably because my new insurance🤔. Anyways the getting up to go pee is the worst😨😖😞!!! It was very hard fir me to pee. It was easier to pee kinda standing up and i had to push HARD!!! Before that the put a quick catheter it just helps you pee and when your done the take it out. Now that hurts. Than they did it agin because i couldn't pee by myself. Which hurt again but not as much as the first one probably because she keept moving it😒😠😠😤😬😧. So they told me if i didn't pee they eould have to do it a third time si they gave me 3 hours to do it myself and i finally was able to go. Now the pain i felt like twice . But those two times it was horrible. And passing gas only hurt once. People always say that its hard passing gas but for me it wasn't thank god🙏🏾. On the 3rd day they want you waking around fir atleast 10min. Which wasn't hard i did walk slowly abd with my back hunched. but the second time i went to walk i was walking faster. I felt great🙏🏾🙌🏾 and i was able to go home. They wanted me to stay another day but i was ready to go. I didn't like most of the nurses anyways. Plus they didn't won't to give me something stronger for the pain. when the pain comes it comes STRONGwith full force! I had a melt down because the doctors and nurses refused to give me stronger meds. So i was ready to go! But good luck to you. Hopefully your doctors listen to you! And the nurses help you. Also the thing in your throat that hangs. Mine got crushed got discolred and burned when i ate certain foods. It hurt like hell when i got home couldn't barley eat most food. Eventually it fell out i guess u swallowed it. So maybe ask your doctor about that🙄

17

Hey kay-la-funk. 

I had my surgery and I survived! I’m now 11 days post op and I’ve never felt better. 

Although it was very tough the first few days and could not see an ending because the pain was pretty unbearable, I am so glad I did it and so glad I am now fibroid free. I did have to have my womb re-constructed however I avoided having a hysterectomy which I was over the moon with!!! 

I just wanted to come back and say thank you for your experience and advice you gave me before my surgery. It really means a lot and it feels so good to be on the other side xx 

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Hey jazmin42797,

Congratulations!! I’m so happy for you and I’m delighted to hear that your surgery went well. How’s the pain level and scar at the moment? I’m sorry to hear that your womb had to be reconstructed; it sounds like you might have had several fibroids removed? Either way the future is bright from now onwards! smile Have you noticed any changes in your stomach e.g. less bloated/ flatter? Also how long will you be taking g off work? Just remember to take it easy!

Take Care  xx

19

The pain level now is fine, I still get sharp pains and like a stinging sensation sometimes when I move but I have to keep remembering that I’ve had major surgery. I ache a lot most days, back mostly but I think that’s because I’m more cautious of my stomach and incision so I tend to bend over sometimes. The scar is amazing I am so happy with it, the left hand side is turning a faded pink colour and I’ve still got a few bits on the right hand side that are healing but overall very pleased. 

They only removed one fibroid which eventually measured in at around 20cms but it was attached to my womb wall, rather than via a stalk that some fibroids are. So they had to reconstruct that part of my womb but my surgeon said it shouldn’t have any effect on me.  

Oh my stomach is much flatter, I feel like I’ve lost a whole human from my body. It’s crazy! 

I’ve been off for nearly 2 weeeks now, and I’m thinking of having another week off and then seeing how I am after that. I’m getting very bored so if I can go back to work soon it’ll be great x 

20

Hey jazmin42797,

Well done for staying strong! Glad to hear that your scar is healing well smile

Yes it does get quite boring after a few weeks off work but make the most of it whilst you can!  Wishing you all the best for the future. Feel free to contact me should you have any questions later down the line. 

Take Care!! xx smile