Review of hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis

Review of hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis

• Age group - Mid-40s

• Diagnosis - Multiple myomas, adenomyosis

• Surgical Method - 3-Port Laparoscopic

• Hospital/Surgeon - Bucheon St. Mary's / Lee * Woo

 

The process leading up to the surgery

Before I had a hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis, I had already undergone open surgery for multiple fibroids five years ago.

At that time, there were a few large ones and some small ones clustered together like a bunch of grapes, so I had surgery to remove only the fibroids.

 

However, about 9 months after the surgery, the fibroids began to recur, and eventually, I reached a point where I was considering a hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis.

 

At first, I had Mirena inserted.

I had hoped my menstrual flow would decrease, but it continued at menstrual levels almost every day, and my anemia worsened. Eventually, the Mirena was displaced and removed, and I endured by taking Claira until the surgery. However, the pain persisted. I think it was from that point that I began to seriously consider a hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis.

 

Actually, even five years ago, I was being monitored for fibroids every year, and the local OB/GYN told me there was only one. So I didn't pay much attention to it, but one day I started feeling a round lump next to my pubic bone.

Because of that, I had a CT scan, and unexpectedly, kidney cancer was discovered.

 

It was truly a stroke of luck that I discovered kidney cancer while trying to check for a uterine fibroid.

So, I first underwent surgery to remove my left kidney, and six months later, I visited the hospital again to address my uterine issues. Eventually, I was in a situation where I had to consider a hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis.

 

I also consulted about robotic surgery at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. However, the MRI results showed that the fibroids almost completely fill the uterus, so they told me the surgery could take nearly 24 hours. They also mentioned that if all the fibroids are removed, there might be nothing left of the uterus.

So, in the end, I decided to have a hysterectomy performed by Professor Lee * Woo at Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis.

 

Even during the open surgery, they couldn't remove all the fibroids, but they did take out over 20. Since then, the small fibroids continued to grow, and my quality of life deteriorated significantly over the past five years.

 

Since I am unmarried, I think the professor was worried that I might be planning to have children. However, during the last check-up, he said this to me.

If you do not plan to have children, it would be a good idea to consider a hystectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis. Wouldn't it be too difficult to continue living with such a degraded quality of life?

I also asked if it would get better after menopause, but they said that isn't necessarily the case. They said that fibroids can still grow even after menopause.

After hearing that, I eventually decided to have a hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis.

 

Come to think of it, I’ve lived with menstrual cramps and pain for over 30 years since I was young.

I suddenly felt a sense of injustice.

So, I made a quick decision.

Move the medical appointment forward to October and report it.

Admitted on November 17

On November 18, I underwent a hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis.

 

Day of surgery

I was admitted to the 5th floor of Seongsim Hall, and it was a four-person room.

It was right next to the desk, so honestly, it was too noisy.

I received IV fluids, underwent an antibiotic test, and had dinner, after which I was fasting from 10 PM.

I was scheduled for surgery at 1:30 PM on Friday the 18th, but I was suddenly taken to the operating room right after 12:00 PM, so I was unable to see my family before the surgery.

It is said that the hysterectomy took a little longer due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis caused by severe adhesions to the intestines from the open surgery.

I heard that the uterus itself was small, but the fibroid was the size of a bowl of cold noodles.

It is said that there were several that were the size of plums, and countless small ones.

The professor said that I wouldn't feel any pain anymore, and that those things had been bothering me all this time.

They said the surgery went well.

 

After surgery

I experienced severe side effects from epidurals, so I did not receive one for this hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis. Instead, I received pain medication in my buttocks.

 

I had to fast continuously after the surgery and couldn't eat anything until the afternoon of the next day.

My gas was really bad; whenever I felt even the slightest bit of gas coming out, it felt like my stomach was tearing apart. So, I forced myself to walk little by little.

 

The urinary catheter was removed the next morning, and urine flowed normally.

However, there was a slight burning sensation, and the urine was orange.

I had an injection mark and a bruise on the left side of my neck, and it was stiff for about two weeks.

 

recovery process

In the evening, we had gruel → the next day, porridge → and from then on, we moved on to rice.

The portions at Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital are really huge.

I didn't have an appetite, so I ate about 1/3 of it.

After the surgery, I eventually moved to a double room due to the same room issue, and from then on, it was truly heaven.

 

I was discharged on Monday and returned to work after a week's vacation.

However, after a hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis, I found that recovery took longer than expected.

 

In the end, I used more annual leave and rested for a few more days.

It has gotten much better after about a month, but it is still difficult to sit for a long time.

 

Current status

Exactly one month after having a hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis, I have been living cautiously, avoiding lifting heavy objects, and I no longer experience the severe pain I used to.

Above all, not having my period and being free from pain—these two things are truly significant changes.

Now I feel that I made the right decision to have a hysterectomy due to multiple fibroids and adenomyosis, and I would like to live with a little more peace of mind from now on.

 

I am currently living comfortably without pain.