Worried about scar tissue doctor said if it's too much for laparoscopic he will have to do it open and that will take longer. Has anyone experienced this?

Hi! I don't have an answer, but I'm following in case someone else does too! My surgery is in 2 and a half weeks and I'm starting to get scared about this issue too.

I had a ton of scar tissue from a butcher surgeon 40 years before my sleeve surgery. The bariatric surgeon noted it and allowed a little more theatre time for me.

My surgeon said it was very stuck inside but he did it all keyhole. It just took him longer.

This week I was due to have my ovaries and a huge ovarian cyst removed by key hole surgery. I was informed that I may have to be opened up if it became a problem. It was and I was. This is day 6 and I am feeling more like myself and the pain is manageable today without meds.

So what are the differences, More pain, your muscles are cut. A big scar and drain holes. And a 12 week ban on house work and lifting, more of a bonus that one really.

I hope it goes well for you. It will be worth it even if its not keyhole. Trust me

I had A LOT of scar tissue (according to the surgeon) that needed to be removed during my conversion from VSG to RNY. It made the surgery longer but not unsafe to perform laparoscopically. It’s likely up to each surgeon and their skill/safety levels. If you can, ask the surgeon what exactly “open” vs laparoscopically would mean in terms of outcomes, recovery etc.

17 hours ago, GreenTealael said:

If you can, ask the surgeon what exactly “open” vs laparoscopically would mean in terms of outcomes, recovery etc.

Thank you, that's helpful!

On 9/19/2024 at 11:25 AM, summerseeker said:

I had a ton of scar tissue from a butcher surgeon 40 years before my sleeve surgery. The bariatric surgeon noted it and allowed a little more theatre time for me.

My surgeon said it was very stuck inside but he did it all keyhole. It just took him longer.

This week I was due to have my ovaries and a huge ovarian cyst removed by key hole surgery. I was informed that I may have to be opened up if it became a problem. It was and I was. This is day 6 and I am feeling more like myself and the pain is manageable today without meds.

So what are the differences, More pain, your muscles are cut. A big scar and drain holes. And a 12 week ban on house work and lifting, more of a bonus that one really.

I hope it goes well for you. It will be worth it even if its not keyhole. Trust me

Aw summerseeker I'm sorry you're going through this. I hope you're over the worst now. Being thinner will of course mean that the surgery would have been more straightforward. Rotten luck that they had to convert to open surgery.

Look after yourself surgery twin.