After my ovarian cancer surgery, with a large midline scar, my gynaecologist now wants to take me back to theatre to check for any further spread and to help stage the cancer as he didn’t do the original surgery. Although a small patch of wall of the distal ileum was removed as the tumour capsule was firmly adherent to it. Whilst the surgeon said it was very minimal and remover only so that the tumour could be removed intact without having to cut into it etc, I have been advised by some nurses that this would mean it’s not stage 1 as, however minimal, it can’t be said that the tumour was confined to just the ovary etc.
My CNS has said that I will be asked on the morning of the surgery when he sees me, if I would prefer the surgeon to reopen the original scar or to make a separate incision.
Are there any benefits or greater risks for either option? I know that I already have a lot of adhesions. I’m therefore wondering if it’s perhaps best to leave the one scar to continue to heal and ask for a new incision if possible?
If it helps, it will be 14 weeks from the original surgery.
Thanks!
I was opened up for a radical hysterectomy and my incision was from my belly button right down vertically past my pubic bone-25 staples to close it up although nothing was removed. I went back in to hospital 9 weeks later to have a total pelvic exenteration with everything removed, and the incision was done in exactly the same place.
For my situation I expect that was the only way to do it given that I was having two stomas formed, one on either side of my belly button, so not a lot of room or options! I had the same amount of staples as the first time. I also have quite a lot of adhesions inside, mainly because of radiotherapy but now also because of surgery. My scar has healed so well that I struggle to see it, so I’m glad I didn’t have 2.
I don’t know about risks or benefits surgically, but I had my second surgery in a shorter time than you are having yours and it seemed not to be any concern. Have you got a date for surgery yet?
Sarah xx
Hi again
I definitely agree about the mri not picking up microscopic cells-that’s what happened to me and led to my recurrence. But then what was there grew large enough to be seen on the next scan-after my consultant had seen something tiny which he thought might have been scar tissue I did the mri and then a biopsy.
I hope there are no issues for you and you find out soon if anything else is needed. I manage fine with 2 stomas thanks-I’ve had more than 4 years to get used to them so I’m well practised with them these days! Best wishes going forward.
Sarah xx
Hi natt1 and welcome to the group.
I’m sorry to hear you need to have exenteration surgery. There is some information in the community about this but not a great deal-I had my total pelvic exenteration surgery more than 4 years ago and it was difficult to find out much information about it as it’s not very common. I am happy to answer any questions here if I can, but I will also send you a friend request so we can message off the forum. I set up a private and secret group for ladies who are facing or have had this surgery on social media but I am not allowed to link to it here.
We have a very supportive group full of lots of advice and experience there and you would be welcome to join us if you wanted. It is an international group and we have ladies from Australia there, including at least one who had her surgery in Brisbane.
Sarah xx
My first line of treatment was chemoradiation-surgery is normally only possible for earlier stage cancers with cervical cancer, so surgery wasn’t an option for me at my diagnosis.
I had an mri at 3 months post treatment which showed no disease. An examination visually by my consultant at 9 months post treatment showed something tiny which might have been scar tissue, so I had an mri then which showed a tiny tumour and a biopsy confirmed the cancer was back.
Sarah xx
My stage of 2b was classed as “locally advanced” but would not be called advanced cancer. Surgery for cervical cancer is normally only possible up to stage 2a, so it’s different to some other gynaecological cancers, but cancer can recur at any stage, so I was just unlucky. But yes, it was devastating to have a recurrence.
Sarah xx
