Question:
Can anyone describe the laproscopic surgery?
I know that instead of one large incision they cut 5 or 6 inch long ones and perform your surgery with cameras and scopes. What I am concerned about is the pain. Are you able to bend after and get out of bed easily the night of surgery? On a scale of 1 to 10 (1=worst) how bad is the pain? Do the little incisions hurt at all? Are there really bad gas pains after surgery? Any information will help me greatly. — [Anonymous] (posted on September 25, 2001)
September 24, 2001
You pretty much have it - the lap is done with numerous small incisions
and cameras.
It is really better NOT to have the lap - especially if you are having the
RNY.
This is major abdominal surgery. All of your organs are all interwoven
there in your belly. Add the layers of fat we all have... the surgeon is
basically working blind when you have lap. It is safer to have the open and
then have them deal with the scar when you get the eventual tummy tuck!
— [Anonymous]
September 24, 2001
The lap incisions are VERY small. between one to two inches in length and
no thicker than a scratch you could make with a thumbnail; at least this
is true for me. The drain site is small also, but will probably look like
a dimple once it's healed.
I don't know if you have ever had a cesarean or abdominal surgery. I found
that to be much more painful than lap surgery. This surgery is done above
the navel, not below as in a c/s. However, this is still painful,
especially at the sites where the stomach and intestines have been
reanastemosed. I had to sleep on three pillows and suffered a feeling of
my insides ripping when trying to raise up from that position. However, at
three weeks, I was down to two pillows and able to sleep on my right side.
The left side remains tender, and I cannot sleep on that side, but becoming
less an issue. ALso, having lost 29 lbs, i am able to lift off up and off
the bed with greater agility. I am now 4 weeks post op.
Good Luck.
— michelle R.
September 24, 2001
I am 9 months post-op and I had it done lap. It hurt...I hurt for at least
a month. It wasn't so much my incisions hurt, it was more like my insides
hurt. After 2-3 weeks recovery time, it wasn't a constant pain, either. It
hurt usually only when I went to get out of bed, roll over in bed (forget
about sleeping on your side or your tummy for a month) or bending down to
tie my shoe. I can't even imagine how people do it using the open method.
Of course, it's true, I'm a big baby!
— Heidi S.
September 24, 2001
— Jen S.
September 24, 2001
Everyone is so different in their experience of pain, but here is my story.
I have 2 puncture wound size scars, two 1/2-inch long scars, and one 1-inch
long scar. I also had an umbilical hernia fixed, but I don't see any scar
there at all. The incisions were painless, but I did have pain internally.
I would say it was about a 5 for me. I used pain killers for just one day
after I got home. I never had gas pains. Getting up was the most painful
thing. I too slept propped up with pillows under my head and shoulders, and
under my upper arms. I also propped up my knees. This kept my abdomin in a
tuck, which helped a great deal. The overall effect was like sleeping in a
recliner, which isn't a bad idea if you have one. The most pain I felt was
at week three, when I had about a seven in pain where my ribs had been
pushed apart above my new stomach. This is really common, mine lasted about
three days. It came as such a surprise, because I was feeling so good.
After about a month, I could sleep on my sides again. I feel super now at
4+ months out, and 68 pounds down. For me, it really was not what I would
consider a painful experience, but I know from past experience that I have
a higher than average tolerance for pain. Good luck to you!
— blank first name B.
September 24, 2001
I forgot to add that it is not true that the surgeon is "working
blind". Please don't let an uninformed person scare you away from lap.
Just make sure you have a surgeon who knows what he or she is doing. I also
had a HUGE hiatal hernia fixed, along with the umbilical hernia and the RNY
itself. I was in surgery for 1 1/4 hours. It is less invasive surgery and
recovery is easier. There is less chance of hernias later. That said, if
open was my only choice, I would have done it happily. Just go with a well
qualified surgeon, that is what is most important.
— blank first name B.
September 25, 2001
I am one week out tomorrow. The first night was not too bad for pain, just
keep asking for the meds. Sleeping was the worst. I was supposed to have a
private room and ended up in a room that did not have enough room for two
beds much less room for my daughter also. I was a 104 lbs over so maybe my
case is different for the scars. I have about 5 incisions I think, besides
the ones for the two drainages(my doctor does 2 I don't know if this is
common)a couple incisions that are only 1/2" or so. If I have a one
inch spot it not noticeable. Just remember if you are tense about this to
ask for a sedative while you are being pre-opted for surgery. It will make
the experience less stressfull to you.
— Rachel F.
September 25, 2001
I had a lap rny on 5/10/2001. I went back to work after 10 days. I probably
should have stayed out a whole 2 weeks. I was uncomfortable for the first
couple of days because I was stiff from sitting too long in one position. I
think the pain was comparable to my c-section, but I did have less trouble
getting up and down due to the fact that the muscles were not cut like they
were in the c-section. I also found it helpful that I did strength training
for my arms and legs before surgery and I could use them to hoist myself up
without relying on my abs. After about 2 weeks I had to remember that I'd
had major surgery as I was ready to get back into my routine. Even though
the scars on the outside are smaller, the surgery is the same inside and it
still takes 8 weeks to be able to lift more than 15 pounds. In my
consultation, my surgeon told me that he would try the lap, but that if he
couldn't see he would switch to open. Don't worry about that, they are
going to do what is safest. The scars are a little itchy from time to time,
but are now fading from purple to pink to light pink. In time I hope I
won't be able to notice them. Be sure, though, to have them remove your
staples in a week to 10 days. The hospital forgot to tell me that and when
I went back at 2 weeks they were a little GREEN :(
— ctyst
September 25, 2001
I had lap surgery 5 months ago and have six 1/2 to 3/4 inch scars, plus a
two inch long scar on the outside of my left thigh (my doctor takes some
muscle out of the side of the thigh to make a new sphincter while some
doctors use a plastic tubing like a MacDonald's straw instead).
Some people have little or no pain from a lap surgery, but some have a
great deal. One of the primary differences is whether or not your surgeon
elects to suture the musculature back together after the laparoscopic tubes
are removed. In the short term, these muscle sutures at the incision sites
hurt like a son of a bitch for weeks. However, in the long term, those
sutures drastically decrease the possibility of those incision sites
herniating and requiring a repair. So, I'm glad I had the pain rather than
a complication (it happens more often than you'd think without the
sutures).
I had it done lap on a Wednesday, left the hospital Thursday afternoon and
was back to work in my chiropractic practice on the following Monday.
There are no paid sick days when you're self employed. My surgeon's staff
thought I was a nutcase but it wasn't bad.
I didn't have so much trouble bending over as sitting up in bed - a slice
of hell on earth, and thus it was for weeks. Now, I can't even tell I had
the surgery done.
If you want a shorter recovery and don't want to be in the hospital for the
better part of a week, and aren't fond of a zipper on your tummy, go for
the lap if it's an option. Some surgeon's don't do it laparoscopically, so
you might not have to ponder the question.
— Dr. Vance R.
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