# enlarged uterus and IBS?



## 18941 (Jul 21, 2006)

I have had IBS C for many years and recently symptoms took a turn for the worst, primarily constipation. My OB/Gyn told me my uterus is enlarged due mainly to fibroid tumors ( the size of a 13 week pregnancy) and is recommending a hysterectomy. I have a colonoscopy coming up in a few weeks and she suspects the doctor will discover that my uterus is in the way and will make the colonoscopy difficult to complete. I feel that I should consider the impact of both conditions on each other, but I hadn't thought about it until lately. I'm wondering if a hysterectomy might improve my IBS symptoms by relieving pressure and making space. Anybody out there had similar situations? Any imput would be appreciated as I hate the thought of surgery, but want to make a good decision. Any thoughts about hysterectomy in general would be helpful!Note: I am almost 50.


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## 15814 (Apr 2, 2005)

I had uterine fibroids & I had a myomectomy instead. I've heard a lot of horror stories about hysterectomies, so I didn't even consider it. A hysterectomy is easy money for a GYN, therefore, that's what they want you to do. A GYN wrote a good book about fibroids, but I don't remember the name of it. He said a hysterectomy is the most profitable thing a GYN can do, so they spend the most time practicing it in their residency. I've learned most GYNs are not skilled surgeons, that's why they want to perform hysterectomies. They want to deliver babies, give annual exams, & give hysterectomies. That's all they want to do. I had the myomectomy because the fibroid was pressing on my bowel. It was making the IBS-C unbearable. The myomectomy helped the C, but the C has gradually become more severe. I hope it works out for you.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Depending on the situations sometimes a hyserectomy is unavoidable.I've heard horror stories but I also know a lot of women who say it was the best thing they ever did. IIt is always worth checking out the various options. My fibroid was on the inside and was one of the easy to remove kinds, but where it was didn't effect my IBS, just made me bleed a lot. The attending doctor (I go to a teaching hospital so the guy I was seeing was a resident) happened to be one that does surgery to help infertile woman, and where my fibroid was happens to be one of the types they often remove to try to help a woman get pregnant.K.


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## 18941 (Jul 21, 2006)

Thanks for your imput!Kathleen (or anyone else in the know),Do you know of any websites or other GOOD sources of information about hysterectomies? I searched the web a little, but the information is pretty basic.Thanks for being there...Lori


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

This one has a fairly good list of the treatments for fibroids including hysterectomys http://www.ucsf.edu/fibroids/bg_treatment.htmlhttp://www.hystersisters.com is a discusssion site I've heard of that seemed to be useful for the peeps that I've heard use it, I got to that link from here http://www.hysterectomyinfo.com/ that had a fair amount of info.K.


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## 15814 (Apr 2, 2005)

I'm well aware that some people don't have choices and they have to have hysterectomies. The point I was trying to make was that there are options, & if a woman has any doubts, (or any questions), she should research all of her options. That way she will never have to look back with regret. I've met too many women who resent doctors for railroading them into hysterectomies. You only get one body in this world, (so to me), it's important which surgery or which procedure I choose for my one body. I've had several surgeries, & I've always thought through whether or not the surgery made sense, & whether or not I chose the most skilled doctor I could find. That's the best I can do. There are no guaranteed outcomes. So far, I'm confident in the decisions I've made. But all of the decisions were mine. No one railroaded me into anything. I'm currently recovering from surgery for tendonitis. My surgeon stressed to me that it was my decision as to whether or not I thought I should have the surgery. Of corse, he provided me with a lot of facts before I made my decision. The point I was trying to make is that I've had the exact opposite experience with GYNs. They aren't interested in options for their patients.


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## 15814 (Apr 2, 2005)

LoriJ,I've been thinking about your situation, & this is what I would do if I were you. If you decide a hysterectomy is the best option for you, I would consider choosing an Infertility Doctor to perform the surgery because they are the most highly skilled at GYN surgery. You don't have to be an Infertility patient to have surgery by an Infertility doctor. I called Infertility Doctors' offices & asked the receptionists how many myomectomies they did each year. I found that regular GYNs do anywhere from 0 to 3 to 6 a year. An Infertility Doctor does somewhere around 60 to 80 myomectomies a year, (maybe more). And that's the good ones. If the receptionist said she didn't know, I asked her to ask the doctor, & call me back. For your situation, if you want a hysterectomy, I would still talk to the Drs who do the most myomectomies because they have the best surgical skills. If they can perform sucessful myomectomies, then they can perform successful hysterectomies. I met with three doctors who perform alot of myomectomies, & chose the one I felt comfortable with. Another piece of advice I learned along the way is to choose a surgeon who's confident. I read that on a surgeon's website. His advice was to always choose a surgeon who comes across as confident, (about the surgery). At the time, I thought, "Duh"! But he's right. When I've discussed surgery with regular GYNs, they weren't confident. I never would have allowed them to perform surgery on me. Most of them don't have the surgical skills an Orthopedist has or a General Surgeon has. I honestly don't think most women realize that. If you choose a GYN who isn't your regular GYN, you can explain to him, or her, that the other GYN performs more surgery. Anyhow, hope this helps. There are several good books at the public library about uterine fibroids. They helped me a lot. The one written by the GYN helped the most. Good luck to you.


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## 18941 (Jul 21, 2006)

Thanks PW02 for all your ideas and suggestions. I will definitely look at all my options before I agree to anything! You've been very helpful...Blessings,Lori J.


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