Laproscopy Incisions -Where are they?

I’ve commented in several places that I believe my recovery was a lot easier this time, not only due to the experience of the surgeon, but also because of WHERE he made the incisions. This was my third laproscopic surgery (the first was in 2008 to remove my gallbladder), and it was by far my easiest.

Laproscopy incision locations

The incisions from my gallbladder surgery are pretty much invisible now, with the exception of the one he did above my bellybutton (slightly above where this image cuts off). In all three surgeries the Drs went in at my belly button. I’m just waiting for that poor thing to reach a point of no return. I remember that moving after that surgery was painful, especially when it came to the act of sitting or going from sitting to lying down. I actually slept in a recliner for a week after that surgery.

Recovery from the surgery in Dec was about the same (except it took way longer). I still had a really hard time moving from standing to sitting, or sitting to laying, or standing up. After this last surgery, I now fully believe that had everything to do with where the incisions were made. In both the gallbladder surgery and the first Endo sugery, there were incisions made ABOVE my belly button. If you look in the pictures above, my upper fingers on where the incisions were made in the Dec surgery. She also made an incision above my belly button (right about where the image cuts off).

While recovering from this last surgery I had little to no issue sitting, leaning, or lying down. And, I realized that ALL of the incisions he made were below the belly button (except for the one IN the belly button). The two side incisions were where my lower fingers are in the image above, although it’s very difficult to see the side incisions (they are healing quite nicely), and then he did the one incision at my pelvic area, that you can see in the image above. Really, the only issue I’ve had this time around is that some of my underwear hits right at where the side incisions are located.

I don’t know if the location choice is made by the doctor at random or what, but it does make me wonder if you can ask a doctor to go in lower. Whatever the case, I can suggest enough that if you are having laproscopy of any kind that you find a surgeon that is very experienced and highly skilled. Don’t just take the first opinion. And, if you are anywhere close enough to Birmingham, AL, go see Dr. Childs at Ob/Gyn South. I can’t recommend him enough.