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Infertility
? for the endo bumpies....
Have any of you been cleaned out or had your endo removed completely? What was your experience with it? When I had my lap done by my OB, she found the endo and didn't try to remove any. She just stitched me back up and reffered me to a specialist for more surgery. The specialist refuses to do any surgeries except for the hysterectomy when I'm ready.
I've read about women getting "cleaned out" and upping their chances of conceiving those first few months following surgery. And not to mention helps with pain.
So I was wondering if I should insist on getting some removed or find another doctor for a second opinion who might be willing to do surgery or is surgery even worth it?
I'm just feeling like I haven't been given my best chance at trying to conceive on my own. Or maybe IVF is my best chance?
TIA!
Me-28, DX-Stage IV Endometriosis and Ovarian Cysts (Lap, Hysteroscopy, & D&C on 12/9/2011).
One blocked tube and one "abnormal" tube (HSG on 12/5/2012).
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
DH-30, Perfect little swimmers.
I Love My Soldier since 4/11/2009.
On the road to IVF.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: ? for the endo bumpies....
When you say a specialist, do you a reproductive endocrinologist or a surgeon specializing in removing endo?
I've had three laps to remove stage IV endo. If I had to do it all over again I would try one IVF before having anyone do anything agressive to remove the endo.
If the IVF doesn't work then I'd move to an endo specialist. My first two surgeries (4 months apart) was done by a regular RE, which I personally feel is no better at removing endo then an Ob/gyn. Hindsight it is clear that he only removed the endo on it's surface. If it was done properly (excised) it should never had returned that quickly. I was dead set against IVF so I chose to do surgery to improve my odds, however I now realize that may have been a mistake.
My last surgery with a endo specialist was this March and I'm still pain and symptom free. They claim that surgery can destroy your egg production but then endo can be toxic to an implanting embryo. It's a tough decision.
You may also consider getting your natural killer cells tested. If it's elevated then it might be worth removing the endo first.
Dx MFI, AMA, Endo, AMH .16
Lap 10/09 Removed endometrioma, stage IV endo and adhesions
Lap 2/10 Endometrioma cysts & adhesions returned.
Ivf #1 4/10 Antagonist, ET Cancelled.
IVF #2 2/11 A/ACP+E2V C/P
IVF #3 6/11 Letrozole/Antagonist BFN
IVF #4 11/11 Low stim Antagonist BFN
Lap 3/12 Lap & Selective HSG
Many cycles of Letrozole and LP HCG w/TI and LDN
IVF #5 8/12 Low stim BFN
IUI #1 10/12 BFN br> S&PAIFW
For real! What was the point of the lap then? My dr wasn't able to get all of the endo but he cleaned out as much as possible to give me a better chance of conceiving.
***signature & ticker warning***
Me: 30 ~ Stage IV Endo ~ AMH .38 ~ AFC 8
AMH .97 as of 4/2012! ~ AMH 1.63 as of 4/2013!?!
Him: 29 ~ perfect swimmers
Laparotomy w/partial oophorectomy 8/2009 to remove cysts/endo.
Stopped BCP 4/2010.
Multiple clomid rounds from 11/2010 to 6/2011. ~ All BFN
IUI w/clomid 7/2011. IUI w/clomid & injectables 11/2011 & 1/2012. ~ All BFN
IVF:EPP 5/2012 ~ (4R, 3M, 2F w/ICSI). Both embryos txfrd. ~ BFN
BCP to manage endo from 10/2012 to 12/2012.
FET w/donor embryos #1: 10/2013 Cancelled
FET w/donor embryos #1.2: 11/2013 ~ ET of 2 beautiful blasts on 11/27.
Beta 1: 503(12dp5dt) Beta 2: 1035(14dpt) Beta 3: 3001(16dpt) Beta 4: 8503(19dpt)
Twins with an EDD of 8/15/14! Team Purple
G&B born 6/30/14 at 33w3d via emergency c/s.
If you're wondering about my avatar...it's a fried pickle chip shaped like a fetus!
Dx MFI, AMA, Endo, AMH .16
Lap 10/09 Removed endometrioma, stage IV endo and adhesions
Lap 2/10 Endometrioma cysts & adhesions returned.
Ivf #1 4/10 Antagonist, ET Cancelled.
IVF #2 2/11 A/ACP+E2V C/P
IVF #3 6/11 Letrozole/Antagonist BFN
IVF #4 11/11 Low stim Antagonist BFN
Lap 3/12 Lap & Selective HSG
Many cycles of Letrozole and LP HCG w/TI and LDN
IVF #5 8/12 Low stim BFN
IUI #1 10/12 BFN br> S&PAIFW
I have a very similar story to yours. My first lap was with an OB. The lap was solely for diagnosing the endo, since that's the only way to definitively diagnose it. He wasn't qualified to remove the endo, and didn't have access to the equipment anyway, so it was diagnosed, staged, and then I was closed up. He also did an HSG while I was under, which was very nice of him
I was then put on 6 months of Lupron, which sent me into a pseudo-menopause and was supposed to "quiet" the endo lesions down. After that, we were told to try on our own again. It would be ideal to get pregnant within the first 4 months. Well...that didn't happen.
So we went to an RE, who did another lap on me to remove the endo. I was only stage I-II, but I had most of it on my colon and bladder
He also removed a fibroid that we found on ultrasound.
Plan after the endo removal was instead of us trying on our own, to move straight to IUI to increase our odds. We did 3 back to back IUIs with no luck. I was on Clomid, and my cycles were not monitored, so...whether that made a difference or not, I don't really know.
After we ran out of money, we tried on our own really hard b/c I knew our greatest chances of getting prego after the endo removal surgery was a year, but...no luck
We are moving on to IVF next month, and I am hoping the endo will not complicate that. I asked my RE (different from the one who did the endo surgery) whether or not that decreases our odds of success, and he said no. My endo symptoms are very, very mild compared to some of the stories I've heard, so at least I have that going for me...
So it's hard to say whether you should go straight to IVF or get "cleaned out" first. I think removing the endo is a good idea, but you may want to consider IUI or IVF right afterwards to increase your odds.
Good luck in your decision!!
**TTC #1 Sep 2009-Feb 2013** Me: 33 DH: 32 (healthy, SA = normal)
DX (May 2010) = Lap #1 showed Stage I-II endometriosis. HSG normal. Tx with 6 mo Lupron (which did nothing...) Lap #2 June 2011 to remove endo, uterine fibroid, and polyp
IUI #1-#3 (July-Sep 2011): All Clomid 50 mg + unmonitored IUI = All BFN
October 2011 - April 2012: Outta $$$ (no insurance coverage) = back to tryin' on our own
May 2012 - August 2012: Mental break from trying
October 2012: New OB. Bloodwork normal aside from slightly low progesterone
November 2012: IUI #4: Letrozole 2.5 mg + Novarel trigger + monitored IUI + progesterone = BFN
IVF #1: Long Lupron Protocol,Menopur,Follistim, ER = 2/12/13 27R/26M/23F
2/17/13 Transferred 1 perfect Grade 1 blast. 17 frostbabies.
HPT 7dp5dt: BFP!!! Beta #1 9dp5dt: 108 Beta #2 11dp5dt: 368
U/S #1 3/21: Heartbeat and one perfect bean!! DS born 11/6/13 via c-section
TTC #2 March - August 2015 = all BFNs
Prep for FET #1: Aug 2015: found "mass" in uterus on saline sonogram; scheduled a hysteroscopy to remove.
Sept 2015: Hysteroscopy: mass turned out to be scar tissue(?), all removed. Recheck saline sonogram 2 weeks later showed "stuff" still in uterus (more scar tissue? remnants from surgery? Will see if clears with a period). Recheck saline sonogram 1 week later: all clear! Start Lupron and Estrace. Follow up u/s 2 weeks later: uterine lining only 5mm, add in patches. Follow up u/s 1 week later: uterine lining = 4.3mm (argh!), stop estrace and patches and start estradiol injections twice/week. Follow up u/s 2 weeks later: uterine lining = 5mm
Instructed to keep on estradiol injections and recheck in 5 days = lining still at 5mm. Need to make a decision - go for it? Or toss in the towel w/ this cycle and start all over again next year with a new protocol. Decided to go for it as we had 17 frosties; what have we got to lose??
12/2/15 = transferred 1 perfect Grade B blast
12/9/15 = HPT - BFP!!!!
Beta #1 12/11/15: 236 Beta #2 12/14/15: 503 Please stick little one!!!!
U/S scheduled for week of 1/4/16
My OB reffered me to a pelvic pain and urogynocologist in chapel hill. She reffered me to my RE in chapel hill when she found out I do indeed want to keep mmy reproductive organs.
I had no clue about the natural killer cells I definately bring that up!
My HSG was done by the radiologist. One tube didn't spill at all and the other did but its still abnormal which my re says puts me at greater risk for eptopic pg. Endo is definately on my ovaries and there are cysts too. No one has even mentioned my fimbriaes...Im learning more from you guys then I am from my doc. :-(
I had a laporotomy last May to have stage 4 endo diagnosed and removed by my RE. I had a 5cm cyst on the left ovary, my right ovary and my colon were held together with endo tissue, and the entire backside of my bladder was covered.
We were not financially ready to move forward with IVF at that time (we also have sever MFI issues), so my RE put me on BCP until ready to move forward to keep the endo suppressed as much as possible. I went off BCP at the end of Nov to get ready for IVF in Feb. We are in process right now (on Lupron) and I go in for my baseline ultrasound a week from today. Some days I think I feel my endo coming back, but it could just all be in my mind. I'm hoping it doesn't cause any problems with our upcoming cycle, but it's too early to tell.
I wish you the best of luck and feel free to message me with any questions.
In 2004 I had a lap surgery and all endo found was cauterized. None was found in my tubes. Told to start TTC after that. Pregnant about 3 months later. Son was born in 2005.
In 2007 I got pregnant on my own. Surprise pregnancy, but the baby passed before viability.
In 2007, Hubby also became ill and had multiple surgeries including prostate resection.
Couldn't get PG, nothing was working for years...multiple failed IUIs.
HSG showed bilaterally obstructed tubes in 2012 . Likely Endo.
Opted for IVF with ICSI.
Pregnant now, due in May.
So, that's my lengthy yes and no answer!