I'm so sorry you are in so much pain everyday! I had a surgery 3 months after another one. My doctor just drained my cyst in the first surgery, but it just refilled. I was so upset he didn't remove the whole cyst the first time. And he acted like going back in was no big deal, but who wants to go through more surgeries? I've been in your situation before, trying to decide to live with the pain or have surgery. I always base it on my pain levels. If its unbearable and I can hardly function and get through my day, I have a surgery. If the pain level is 10 out of 10. But like right now, my pain is more bearable (5 or 6 out of 10) and I manage it with ibuprofen and vicodin. But just make sure you go to a skilled doctor or you will just have to keep having surgeries like I did. The last surgery I had with a different doctor made a huge difference in my pain levels. It was a hard decision but Im glad I had the surgery. I can at least function. Good luck in your decision! Hugs!

Hi there! Here's my personal take on this situation. I too am facing another surgery, but my doctor is advising me to wait as long as I can. Although it's been over three years, she said the longer you wait, the better. Multiple surgeries build scar tissue. Scar tissue can become a big deal for some people.

Sometimes you have no other option other than surgery, that's just the way it is. Have you had an ultrasound? Sometimes that can shed some light on what's going on which can help determine if you should have surgery now, or wait. Other times it's not that helpful, but at least an ultrasound is a safe test.

Right now, personally, I am dealing with a lot of pain on my left side. It has gotten much worse in the last year, and continues to worsen gradually. My doctor has suggested removing the left ovary, since it's bad off, but advised me to wait as long as I can. She said that while having surgery to remove the ovary and endo can help temporarily, there is no guarantee that it will help long-term. Plus, the risks associated with the surgery.

A laproscopy is pretty minimally invasive, but you have to consider there are still lots of risks. Bowel perforation is a big one, especially if endo is found on or near your bowel. Of course, infection is another one. Plus, the scar tissue I mentioned.

I feel like some doctors take surgery too lightly, since they do it so often, they don't really think about the individual going under the knife. It wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion if you're really undecided.

Good luck and best wishes!

That's really soon! I had a lot more pain within a year after surgery that has since calmed down. I guess unless it is horrible, I would hold off and possibly get more opinions. I guess if the first surgery didn't work, I'd wonder why another surgery with the same doctor would be helpful.

That seems really soon. My Dr wouldn't do one that soon after one of mine...I think one year was the earliest I went back for another. I had my 4th in November and I had my right ovary removed. I've had lots of severe periodic pain in that spot since....I believe it to be scar tissue causing my pain.

I had the my second laparoscopy only 6 months after my first, and I almost did it a month earlier than that. Much like your situation my first lap was largely diagnostic, my doctor cauterized some endo and drained a cyst but he couldn't remove the cyst wall and couldn't touch the endo on my bowel, ureters, etc. I got no relief from it at all.

So I sought out a specialist and had a second laparoscopy almost exactly 6 months later. It might not have been ideal but I did get some relief from the second surgery. That said almost exactly a year after my second I'm back to my old issues, and not signing up for a third any time soon.

I had my second surgery 8 months after the first. I finally got relief for like 3 months after the second surgery. My first was with a very unskilled, arrogant doctor who said she saw no endo, but my second one with a much more skilled doctor found quite a bit and she unfortunately couldn't remove it all. I don't regret going in for the surgery again, but am upset that I had to do so. Pain and answers were a huge factor for me, though. I'm facing the possibility of a 3rd surgery almost 2 years after the 2nd and am putting it off because my body doesn't feel well enough to go through it again.

My second surgery was five months and two days after my first, for what it's worth.

The ladies have made some key points while sharing their experience. We all know that unfortunately...this is not a one size/treatment fits all. I absolutely agree with HC...In 1993 I foolishly demanded that my "first" surgeon "go back in" and fix it. I thought he had failed the first surgery and was responsible for "fixing" it. WOW...how ignorant could I have been? Of course HE caused even more damage with the second surgery. I used such poor judgment because I knew so little about the endo and I BELIEVED in surgeons WAY BACK THEN.

Scar tissue is almost as evil as the lesions of endometriosis. It forms aggressively as our bodies "work" to repair themselves. The scar tissue can be the culprit of binding organs just like the disease. I understand your frustration of PAIN and failed expectations. Is it possible for you to consult another specialist before you make such a big decision?

HARD choices have to be made as we battle this disease to maintain a semblance of quality of life. Sometimes the answer is pain management through a specialist. I've been enrolled since late January, but this doctor too is a jerk. The stress of PM has contributed now to Shingles of my eye/face (in my 6th week). I thought "how can this get any worse?" Our HVAC central unit went out last night. My house is like an oven in this southern summer heat, as I swelter, itch like a pup with the mange...clawing my eyelids like I'm insane. I digress. I'm sorry I can't help anyone, as I can no longer seem to help even me=(

~~Pup

My suggestion would be to see a specialist 1st and not just your gyno before jumping into a second surgery. Either an actual endo specialist or even a fertility specialist since they seem to be a bit more skilled with surgery and preserving fertility (since you are so young). Good luck!

Thank you all for taking the time out to give me your thoughts. I met with my gyno yesterday and went over some ultrasound results and talked about the next steps. Good news is no new growths or cysts showed in the ultrasound, woohooo! I explained to her my reservations about having another surgery so soon. We decided that we are going to try some other ways to manage the pain first and we will try to wait until it has been at least a year to go in for surgery again. She gave me numbers to a GI just to maybe get a new diet plan and make sure everything else is in check, an acupuncturist to help with the pain (anyone found that this helps?), and a physical therapist to also help with the pain. You ladies are the best, thank you for listening and helping!

I do acupuncture for infertility but I've found that it helps me on days when I'm not feeling great. It doesn't do squat for very acute severe pain, but for a generally achy pelvis it's pretty helpful.