Polyps

I was advised to have a hysterectomy, after my result of endometrial cancer grade 1 stage 1, with a polyp, 18 months ago.

However, as surgery was unsuitable for me (due to co-morbidities), I had a mirena coil filled instead. After 15 months treatment, the cancer and the polyp is now gone. I will be monitored over time though - and the coil is not suitable for everyone.  Many women have a hysterectomy when polyps are found but it's an individual choice which you must arrive at with your team. I wish you well.

Hi MaryAnn

Welcome to the Womb group. 

I am sorry to hear of your polyps and difficulty in removing them. 

Being advised that you need a hysterectomy can feel worrying. 

My hysterectomy was in 2022 and was done via keyhole. It was straightforward, I had little pain and was in hospital for just one night. I recovered well at home. Mine was done for endometrial cancer. 

I suppose in your position having the hysterectomy would mean that the polyps would be gone, along with the bleeding and also there would be no chance of the polyps or endometrium becoming cancerous. How do you feel about having the hysterectomy? For many ladies on here it does seem to be a straightforward surgery. 

If it would help to talk things through you could give the Support Line a call. They are there from 8am-8pm daily.

Jane

Thank you. That's interesting that the polyps has gone, just through having a coil fitted?

Hi I don't really want a hysterectomy mostly because I'm medically fatigued and some!

I had a heart attack in 2021, two laparoscopies in my twenties for endometriosis, two c sections with my children, breast cancer surgery and radiotherapy in 2024.

So for a hysterectomy to be considered when the polyps are benign seems radical. However I can see why it has been offered as monitoring would not show changes in malignancy and they didn't show up on an MRI. A biopsy each time again is medically tiring. I think the main worry is doing something that doesn't need doing and the recovery afterwards when I'm already worn out.  

I hope you are well and thank you for replying.

I understand- deciding whether to have surgery is hard especially in the circumstances and where you have already had so much treatment in the past. I do get it- how tiring it is to face further medical procedures 

Well I only had one small polyp and apparently some polyps can go away without treatment anyway! The coil isn't prescribed for polyp treatment as such - but it can help reduce the symptoms of polyps, such as bleeding. In my case I think that the progesterone treatment helped with thinning the lining and eventually returning the endometrium to normal. All they told me was that the polyp was gone and that there was no sign of cancer - but I will still need monitoring. Maybe you could discuss your options with your Consultant to see what's best for your spefic situation? 

Just a word about biopsies: you can have pain relief by way of local anaestetic and/or gas and air, which may help. I now only have them every 6 months - and if the next one is clear, only annually....