I will also be posting this on the IAS Message Board.
Helen D.
Re: New to the list; From: Mindy Holt (mindyholt@fewpb.net); Fri Oct 25 12:53:00 2002
I found this list recently and decided to join to ask a few questions. I am interested in finding out info about adhesions related to infertility. I have been trying to conceive for over 3 years. In 1985, at 17 years old, I had Gall Bladder surgery. The Dr. said that it was diseased.
H> I'm not a medical professional; but you developed adhesions as a result of your gall bladder surgery. Adhesions do not always appear soon after surgery. Adhesions are also known to cause problems years later!! Surgery is a trauma to the body; and any blood left within the abdominopelvic cavity will cause adhesions to form. As the body attempts to heal and protect itself it forms adhesions; and adhesions will cause internal organs to stick to one another.
A few years ago I started having some abdominal pain on my right side. After being tortured with different uncomfortable procedures, I found out that the pain was caused by adhesions. My OBGYN did a laparoscopy a year and a half ago. I was excited because the pain went away for about 8 months!!!!! He reported that I had sigmoid mesocolonic adhesions of the left pelvic brim and dense ileocecal adhesions to the right sidewall. He said that part of my bowel was attached to the muscles in my abdomen. This was the same spot that I reported having pain.
H> This is the very first time I've heard of a surgeon using such technical terms!! I wonder why he did this. Have you requested a copy of the operative and pathology reports for this surgery - as well as for the 1985 gall bladder surgery? You do not have to have your surgeon's permission to request copies of these reports at Medical Records at the hospitals where your surgeries were performed.
Unfortunately, the pain is back. I believe that the adhesions grew back and may even be worse then before. I have ruled out other possibilities with a CT scan and an IVP. My OBGYN has mentioned doing another laparoscopy. I don't want to!!!!!
H> If you don't want to, that's okay!! Each surgical procedure for adhesions will only increase the formation of adhesions - as well as increase the pain!! In the United States - Pain Management is the best option at this time!!
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 4 years ago, although I know I've had it all my life. Adhesions are very common after surgery, especially abdominal. Fibromyalgics tend to be more vulnerable to adhesions. Our bodies heal slower allowing more time for adhesions to form.
H> What kind of symptoms do you have - and what kind of tests were done to verify that you have fibromyalgia?
I have also read that adhesions can be caused by other things like inflammation. When organs become adhered they cause pain and poor function. I have a tilted uterus that shifts from time to time. This would make sense if I have adhesions pulling on things.
H> At least you still have your uterus!! So many doctors have told so many women that a hysterectomy will help them become pain-free; and that just is not true - when it comes to adhesions!! It seems to me that I read somewhere that a tilted uterus can cause infertility; but right now, I can't remember where I read this information. Over the past 6 months, I have learned everything I can about adhesions. H> GOOD FOR YOU!! When adhesion related disorder (ARD) is the cause of the pain, all ARD sufferers need to learn as much as they can!! Only then will ARD people be able to interact with their doctor - and thus know if their doctor is telling them the truth. If your doctor tells you adhesions do not cause pain, don't waste your time and money on that doctor! Then it's time to find a doctor, who will listen to you and believe you - a doctor, who will do his/her best to help you - even if all the doctor has to offer is Pain Management.
I found a PT clinic in Florida that specializes in treating pelvic and abdominal adhesions. The patients that were diagnosed as infertile reported that they were pregnant after completing therapy. Some of the same women had blocked tubes and several failed attempts at IVF. The same women got pregnant on their own without reproductive procedures and medications!!!!!! I am trying to get my insurance to approve me to go to them. They are out of network for me. They denied my first request and I appealed. They should have an answer by the end of October.
H> PT/massage may sound like a promising way to help someone, who is infertile; but I do not believe that PT - or massage of any kind - can do what they claim can happen regarding infertility and/or adhesions!! It is impossible for massage to reach the depths of where adhesions occur!! For an ARD sufferer massaging may temporarily "feel good"; however, I visualize massage as leading to inflammation - and inflammation causing "more" adhesions to form!! These are my thoughts
I read something about using barriers during surgery to keep adhesions from forming. I guess they could call it "GUT-NO-STICK"!!!!!!
H> There are 3 adhesion barriers available in the United States: Seprafilm, Interceed and Intergel. The FDA has approved all 3 for open abdominal surgery (laparotomy) only!! None of these barriers are 100% effective!! SprayGel Adhesion Barrier is showing promising results; but is not available in the United States!! Currently, SprayGel is available in Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe.
I also read about a new laparoscopic mapping done while the patient is awake to find the source of their pain. This sounds like torture to me. There has to be an easier way to rid patients of this pain!!!!!!
H> Conscious Pain Mapping is sometimes helpful to determine the cause of pain; but I don't know of anyone, who has had this procedure done. I'm sure there are very few surgeons in the United States, who are able to perform this procedure.
I am looking for more natural ways to heal myself. I think I'm on to something with massage and PT. There are a few techniques they use. I have been reading about visceral manipulation and urogenital manipulation. Some of this requires rubber glove work. The folks at the clinic in Florida do something very similar. If it doesn't work out for me to go to them, I'm hoping I can find something similar in the central Kentucky area. The cost for the place in Florida is $3500. That's $175 per hour for 20 hours of therapy. They have developed a technique to reverse infertility by doing PT and massage. They are the only place I know of that does this, but I'm thinking if someone else does similar work, maybe the outcome would be the same?
H> Not only is this procedure very expensive; but I find it difficult to believe that this would be a pain-less procedure.
I'm 35 years old, TICK TOCK. I have been to a reproductive endocrinologist. I took Clomid for 10 cycles, although I don't believe ovulation is my problem. I believe that it is a mechanical problem indirectly related to fibromyalgia.
H> I do not believe that your infertility is related in any way to fibromyalgia; because I know the following: 1.) If the ovary(s) is attached by adhesions to the pelvic sidewall or any other internal organ, the ovary will not be able to function as it is meant to. 2.) If the fallopian tube(s) is blocked by adhesions, it cannot receive the egg from the ovary - and consequently cannot transport the egg down the fallopian tubes.
I have had 5 intrauterine inseminations. My RE wants me to go to the next level, superstimualtion. The cost is $1500 per cycle. Ultimately, I could go ahead with IVF. The cost then increases to $8000 per cycle!!!!! I can't see spending that kind of money if something like adhesions are keeping me from getting pregnant. I am on the guaifenesin protocol for FMS. I know that guaifenesin can help reproductively because it thins cervical mucus. I'm hoping to kill two birds with one stone!!!!! I 'm also considering going on a gluten free diet. Fibromyagics can have a carbohydrate intolerance. I also read that gluten intolerance can cause infertility.
H> To the best of my knowledge and experience, your best chance for help--with your adhesions and infertility problems--is at Frankfurt, Germany!! Dr. Daniel Kruschinski offers his patients Gasless laparoscopy, SprayGel Adhesion Barrier and a Second Look Laparoscopy (SLL) about 7 days after the initial surgery. NONE of these are offered in the United States!! Dr. Kruschinski uses microsurgical techniques and is a very skilled and experienced laparoscopic surgeon. Take a look at his website at: http://www.EndoGyn.com/ . If you are interested, I can send you information about this. There is NO doctor in the world, who can guarantee success with an adhesiolysis. You may think it's very expensive to go to Germany for surgery; but it isn't!!
Any help about how to rid myself of this pelvic and abdominal pain would be great. If anyone has further information about adhesions related to infertility that would be even greater.
Thanks, Mindy, Ky., FMS, adhesions, infertility
INFERTILITY websites...
1.) Advanced Fertility Center: Site Index
http://www.advancedfertility.com/siteindex.htm
~ ~ ~ ~
2.) IVF.com - Your Infertility Home on the Net: A couple's Guide to......Overcoming Infertility
~ ~ ~ ~
3.) What is Microlaparoscopy?...An article that has pictures of the use of the microlaparoscope in Adhesiolysis and in Pain Mapping.
~ ~ ~ ~