It’s crazy unethical to not be told a uterine manipulator is used in laparoscopic salpingectomies
I was not given the informed consent I deserve, even though I asked for it going as far as to make a second appointment, just to get more information. So I guess i’ll tell reddit so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
DISCLAIMER: This contains graphic details about instrumentation used during salpingectomy that you may find upsetting. It may be triggering for SA survivors and everybody who has already had a bisalp but, doesn’t know about this; I’d recommend never learning about it.
For the laparoscopic procedures they often use a device called (don’t look it up trust me) a uterine manipulator, to hold your uterus in place and position it for good surgical visualization. This description seems pretty chill until you see this device and understand how it works. It goes all the way into your cervix through the vagina. At one end it is held steady by either your surgeon or clamped to the table. At the other it is anchored to your cervix by either a balloon filling the entire cavity, a tenaculum which stabs into the cervix with teeth or a screw which is literally screwed into the opening of the cervix (I wish I was kidding). A rigid sounding rod is then used to hold your uterus steady, essentially turning the cervix into a handle for the uterus.
This obviously might cause “discomfort” like uterine perforations, blood clots from trauma, vaginal bruising, cuts on your cervix, RARELY even tears. I don’t want this to scare anyone most surgery stuff sounds really intense when you explain it but, I think it’s important to have this knowledge so you have the proper informed consent to ask your doctor questions. This thing does serve a valuable purpose in steadying the uterus to limit the risk of complications from lack of access & visualization of anatomy but, you can apparently opt-out in some cases like if you have risk of adhesions or very friable cervical tissue.
It’s not the device that is problematic here, it’s that I literally ASKED for a step by step explanation of bisalp and they lied to my face saying it’s all abdominal except the urinary catheter. Then I woke up, was told surgery went perfect, only to find bruising, tiny cuts inside me and obvious trauma to an area I was told wouldn’t be involved in the surgery. This really upset me obviously. I assume people might even panic over evidence like that. I feel very violated having not been given the chance to consent to something so invasive. I found the device on google and felt physically sick, as it was mostly surgeons explaining the device very clinically. Had I known about this in advance I could have mentally prepared for its side effects and I would likely have been fine but, since I didn’t consent it feels like a horror movie device to me now. It feels as if I was assaulted all over again. No one should feel like this.
I hope this post did more good than scare anyone. I assume this information is withheld to avoid scaring people out of a sense of mistrust that women are adults that can handle scary explanations. Ethically every patient deserves to know the details of what freaking body parts will be involved in their surgery if they want to so, here it is.