4.17.24 Office Surgery Consult

Now that my surgery is scheduled and things are moving forward, I need to have an in-office visit with my doctor to go over details and make sure I understand exactly what I’m signing up for. Her first question to me when she walked in the room was “You haven’t changed your mind?” I give her an enthusiastic “no” and she cheerfully moves on with the debriefing. She tells me I’ll be in a surgical bed with Allen stirrups which support the whole leg. Her first incision will be into my navel and hopefully won’t leave a visible scar. My stomach will be inflated with carbon dioxide gas, and I will be tilted to a 45 degree angle, head down, so my intestines will slide upward and she can visualize my uterus and tubes. At this point, she can check for and remove adhesions or endometriosis lesions. If all looks good, an instrument is inserted into my vagina so the doctor can use it to move my uterus into a better position for her to cut. Two more incisions will be made toward the side of my lower abdomen, and a harmonic scalpel will be used to cut and cauterize simultaneously. The whole surgery should take about 45 minutes. She warned of occasional swelling around the face and neck from being upside down, no strenuous activity or intercourse for two weeks post-op, and to take it easy for 3-4 days after the surgery. She listed all the general risks of anesthesia and surgery; bleeding, infection, etc. She also said the first 1-3 menstrual cycles after surgery will be “wonky” but that is normal. She then excitedly showed me photos from a recent salpingectomy she performed, and I know I will cherish my photos when the time comes to calm my pregnancy anxiety after surgery. I asked about sending a preauthorization form to my insurance, and she said she would fill out any form I gave her if I got it from my insurance company. If they didn’t have a form, she said she would draft a letter to send to them. With that, I was on my way and excited for my upcoming surgery date.