# Cesaerean vs Laparotomy



## california_mom (Sep 30, 2007)

My friend had a csxn, and I asked her if she had to use a pillow to push against her stomach in order to get up so that it didn't feel like her guts were gonna fall out. She said the pain wasn't that bad.

I thought her csxn was much like my laparotomy (which I had 10+ years ago). They took out a dermoid cyst from one of my ovaries, so now I carry my 5 inch long "badge of honor" on my bikini line. I was in so much pain the first couple days, I just stayed in bed. When I tried to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, I got stuck with one leg on the floor and one leg on the bed, unable to move from the pain (I should have been hopped up on Vicodin, but the nurses forgot to give me the meds before they switched shifts - Kaiser!







).

How do the operations differ? Am I just a wimp?


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## Amylcd (Jun 16, 2005)

Was this her first surgery? If not, that explains why she doesn't feel too much pain.

I've had both. It's only been two weeks since my laparotomy and one year since the last csection. There really is no difference, that I've noticed. However, I've noticed that after every surgery (this is my 5th, cut through the same incision site) the pain and recovery time is much less. I only felt the pain you describe after my first surgery, which was a laparotomy. I feel totally back to normal now (two weeks after getting a 7 inch incision!).


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

I think they've made some improvements in abdominal surgery recoveries. I know my mom was laid out for a few weeks with me (~27years ago) and relations have been up and about in a few days with their LOs (<3 years ago). Although they all had the "guts falling out feeling" so I think your friend was just lucky.

So no, not a wimp, just had your surgery longer ago as well as any differences that happen between the surgeries.


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## gaidinsgirl (Aug 15, 2006)

I think it is just different for each person. My cousin and my sil both had c-sections and both said that when I stood up for the first time it would feel like my insides were falling out but it wasn't bad for me and I had to be up 6 hours after he was born. I just think people are different so no, I don't think you are a wimp!


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## ~Em~ (Oct 4, 2007)

Quote:

My friend had a csxn, and I asked her if she had to use a pillow to push against her stomach in order to get up so that it didn't feel like her guts were gonna fall out.
I've had 3 c-s and I've never felt anything like that. Pain, yes, but guts falling out? No. That sounds icky! I'm sure everyone is different though, so who knows? Maybe it was more common with the classical incision?


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## Emily's Mama (Apr 22, 2007)

I had a large dermoid ovarian cyst removed under general anaesthetic about 12 years ago and a C-section about 2.5 years ago with an epidural. My recovery from surgery #1 was by far harder than the C section. I wonder if part of it was the type of anaesthetic maybe? Also, for the C section I had to get up and move around in order to look after the baby, but with the cyst I just laid in bed for days and weeks "recovering", with no one telling me to get up and move. I think that did NOT help. I think I was also given more pain meds with the C section too, so I'm sure that contributed to less discomfort. I was a bit loopier in the head though!

Both felt very very awkward when moving at first though. But I think I learned the second time too how to get up out of bed better, how to deal with coughs, sneezes, etc. But it still was easier with the C section.

By the way, they went in through the same incision/scar, so maybe the scar tissue from surgery #1 helped to decrease pain in surgery #2


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## turtlewomyn (Jun 5, 2005)

Actually, a c-section is a laparotomy followed by a hysterotomy (opening in abdomen, then opening in uterus). Those are the technical terms.
I think every person experiences these things in a different manner. It also may depend on pain meds, anesthetic used, etc. I remember trying to go to the bathroom for the first time after my c-section. It sucked, and yes, I thought my guts were going to fall out. I did use pillows a lot to get up as well. However, I still had a relatively easy recovery (so much so that my mom expected me to drive her to the store one week post-op). I think that with the c-sections the current view is that it is just another way to give birth, not major surgery and we are supposed to just take care of our babies and be happy, don't complain. While after other surgery you are allowed to take it easy and take care of yourself.


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## felix23 (Nov 7, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *~Em~* 
I've had 3 c-s and I've never felt anything like that. Pain, yes, but guts falling out? No. That sounds icky! I'm sure everyone is different though, so who knows? Maybe it was more common with the classical incision?


I felt pain, but no guts falling out feeling. That would be scary!


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## kitkat5505 (Feb 22, 2005)

After my c/s any movement made me feel like my stomach would split open and I had trouble getting in and out of bed/chairs/etc for a week or two. I think it just varies so much from person to person.


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## intorainbowz (Aug 16, 2006)

Seriously, my foot surgery was MUCH harder to recover from than my cs.

I've had a lap and a cs as well. I think because the lap was "bandaid" surgery I over did it more, and it was tough. Although, with my CS I had the pressure of DD in the NICU to keep me going.

I never had the sensation of my insides falling out. My mom was shocked. I also recovered fairly quickly. I was on narcs for almost 2 weeks for my food and a week for my lap, and was off narcs after 4 days for my cs. Advil worked for me.

Every surgery is different for each person.


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## pumpkin (Apr 8, 2003)

I haven't had a c-section, but have had a laparotomy.

I did the surgery without pain meds because they make me extremely ill. Violent nausea plus stomach incision is not a good combination.

The lap was hard. In fact, I'm still recovering. I was walking about an hour after the surgery but was in considerable pain. But it wasn't the pain so much as the fact that my muscles simply didn't work. I had to come up with really inventive ways to sit up, to get out of the bed etc. But I still did it about once an hour.

I talked to some other people who had a laparotomy for the same reasons as mine (fibroid embedded in uterine wall) and who had also had a c-section. They said the lap was much worse. The c-sec was a breeze in comparison. I think part of this has to do with the type of laparotomy. Mine involved considerable reconstruction of the uterus. They spent a very long time plying the tumor out of the wall, trying to keep as much of the muscle intact as possible. I don't think a typical c-section is quite as invasive to the uterus or even as long of a surgery. There is normally a single incision and the things removed are naturally going to come out.


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