Daughter having uterine ablation

Double Whammy
Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
My daughter, age 39, has almost constant bleeding or spotting throughout the month, bleeding after intercourse, and heavy bleeding and cramping when she has her period. She also has cramping throughout the month. She was going to have a hysterectomy, but was advised and agreed to an ablation instead. Lots of things factored in - mostly the time off work (loss of income) and recovery from hysterctomy. All valid. The gyn knows about my history.

I don't know much about ablation. I do know I would feel a heck of a lot better if I knew whether the tissue removed is sent to pathology or not. Does anyone know? She's had some kind of a biopsy but she doesn't know what.

I do intend to help her prepare a list of questions. The surgery hasn't been scheduled and won't be until after the first of the year.

Suzanne

Comments

  • kkstef
    kkstef Member Posts: 688 Member
    #2
    Pathology
    Suzanne, It is my understanding that ALL tissue removed during surgery is examined. She definitely needs to know about the results of the biopsy.

    Is robot surgery an option for her re: a hysterectomy? That would greatly reduce her recovery period I would think.

    She is lucky to have you advising her on questions to ask.

    Best to you and your daughter!

    Karen
  • soromer
    soromer Member Posts: 130
    #3
    kkstef said:

    Pathology
    Suzanne, It is my understanding that ALL tissue removed during surgery is examined. She definitely needs to know about the results of the biopsy.

    Is robot surgery an option for her re: a hysterectomy? That would greatly reduce her recovery period I would think.

    She is lucky to have you advising her on questions to ask.

    Best to you and your daughter!

    Karen

    Hugs to you and your daughter, Suzanne
    I hope that she comes through the procedure easily, and that there is no malignancy found.

    However--given the possibility that there might be, and the difficulty of undoing certain choices, I hope that your daughter is also able to insist upon some tissue assay process, in case of a cancer finding, to test her own tumor cells for responsiveness to certain treatments. That's the one major regret I have about my treatment choices to date.

    I send you my fervent hopes that she will not need to pursue anything like that.

    soromer
  • artist49
    artist49 Member Posts: 87
    #4
    uterine ablation
    Warning about uterine ablation! Read what happened to me! July 09-had abnormal bleeding,
    D&C performed in hospital-no abnormal cells found. August 09- had uterine ablation to end
    bleeding problems. Was told by ob-gyn that since I no longer had an endometrium,I could
    not get endometrial cancer.Fast forward to August 10-diagnosed with stage 4B grade 3
    uterine papillary serous carcinoma! I should have had a hysterectomy which would have spared me all this misery. My surgeon at Sloan says that they missed something.
  • laura25
    laura25 Member Posts: 181 Member
    #5
    My Story
    I had fibroids that were getting bigger... my periods were becoming very heavy and I also had bleeding after intercourse. I spoke to my Dr and he suggested a thermal abalation bc the recovery would be better and less invasive than a hysterectomy. Sounded great to me! I was 44, have children, no family history of cancer, very thin and fit (ran 2 miles every day). He did an endometrial biopsy which came back clean. (the dr takes a pipette and punches a small hole in the uterus to collect a tissue sample) Had the procedure and 6 months later I started bleeding again. Went to another doctor to have the partial hysterectomy done and since I had the abalation, there was no way to test me again for endometrial cancer. After the operation, the lab called my doctor with the shocking news endometrial adenocarincoma, grade 3! Went back into the operating room and my doctor discovered the cancer had spread to a pelvic lymph node. Stage 3C.... I asked how this could happen after I was tested before the ablation! I never got a direct anwser, maybe he grabbed a sample from a part of the uterus not infected, maybe he didn't grab enough tissue, maybe I should have gotten a D&C.. maybe maybe maybe... if I had to do it over again I would have had the hysterectomy.
  • Chickadee1955
    Chickadee1955 Member Posts: 356 Member
    #6
    laura25 said:

    My Story
    I had fibroids that were getting bigger... my periods were becoming very heavy and I also had bleeding after intercourse. I spoke to my Dr and he suggested a thermal abalation bc the recovery would be better and less invasive than a hysterectomy. Sounded great to me! I was 44, have children, no family history of cancer, very thin and fit (ran 2 miles every day). He did an endometrial biopsy which came back clean. (the dr takes a pipette and punches a small hole in the uterus to collect a tissue sample) Had the procedure and 6 months later I started bleeding again. Went to another doctor to have the partial hysterectomy done and since I had the abalation, there was no way to test me again for endometrial cancer. After the operation, the lab called my doctor with the shocking news endometrial adenocarincoma, grade 3! Went back into the operating room and my doctor discovered the cancer had spread to a pelvic lymph node. Stage 3C.... I asked how this could happen after I was tested before the ablation! I never got a direct anwser, maybe he grabbed a sample from a part of the uterus not infected, maybe he didn't grab enough tissue, maybe I should have gotten a D&C.. maybe maybe maybe... if I had to do it over again I would have had the hysterectomy.

    Suzanne,
    I'm sure the tissue
    Suzanne,

    I'm sure the tissue will be tested. You can't get a wart removed without a lab report!
    My best to you and your daughter. I know how worrisome it is when one of your babies is facing something and, particularly, when you can't help but think about your history.

    Take care, thinking of you.

    Chickadee

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