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Emergency surgery for Ectopic Cornual Pregnancy

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nina5351
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 4:20 am

Emergency surgery for Ectopic Cornual Pregnancy

Post by nina5351 »

My worst nightmare came true.....

After months and months of us trying to conceive with no luck, we were sent to get testing done to make sure my husbands sperm count was good along with my egg count, ovaries, fallopian tubes and ovaries were okay. Everything checked out good so we didn't think we would have anything to worry about.

We noticed I was late for my menstrual cycle and ended up taking two home pregnancy tests, both showed positive. We were overjoyed! On Wednesday 9/9/20 I asked my OBGYN for blood tests to confirm pregnancy based off of the 2 positive pregnancy tests we did at home. So I went to her office after work to get the blood tests done after work.

On Thursday 9/10/20 I was able to see the results online that confirmed we were pregnant, and I was overcome with joy and excitement. I was so happy after reading the results, I told a few of the nurses that were in my locker room and a few of my co-workers in the break room.

My husband knew about the two home pregnancy tests being positive and he knew we were waiting on the blood tests to confirm pregnancy, but I wanted to surprise him with a baby onesie that said "Hi Daddy" that I ordered the day before.

That same day while working in surgery myself (I'm an Operating Room Nurse), I was training a new nurse and felt a gush of fluid run down my leg. It felt like as if I had urinated on myself, but I had no pain....so I didn't think anything of it and kept working. On my lunch break when I went to the restroom, I noticed what was running down my leg was blood, and there was so much blood I needed a maxi pad....I was so confused....I reached out to my OBGYN and she asked if I was in pain and I said no, because I honestly didn't feel any pain. She scheduled me for a viability ultrasound for the next day, so I went back to work assuming everything was okay.

On Friday 9/11/20, me and my husband went in for the viability ultrasound.....and were told my husband would have to wait outside of the building due to stupid COVID-19. So we facetimed while they were doing the viability ultrasound. We were told "were so sorry, but it looks like you are miscarrying", "oh no wait, there's a gestational sac", "but we still don't understand the bleeding, this is very abnormal. So we are sending you to the ER now to make sure you are safe."

Anytime I stood up, or walked a little, I could feel gushes of blood coming down. There was so much blood I had to have my hospital gown changed a few times. I felt dizzy, weak and didn't understand what was happening and didn't know if I was still pregnant or not.

After being in the ER for hours and hours and having several tests done including blood tests and ultrasounds to repeated ultrasounds with an attending radiologist present during the vaginal ultrasound I was more confused than ever. From 9 am to about 6 pm we were told "We believe you are miscarrying", "Oh no wait, you are pregnant" to "Maybe they can follow you as a high risk pregnancy to keep the baby" to "No, this will not be a viable pregnancy and you cannot keep it." To "You are not having a miscarriage, you have an ectopic pregnancy that is causing all this bleeding and it is life threatening so we need to get you into surgery now."

This emotional rollercoaster felt like torture. I had to demand that the ER nurse call the doctors to explain to me what the plan was because my personal belongings were being placed in a bag, my blood was being drawn and I had an IV placed and no one was telling me I was officially being admitted for surgery and what kind of surgery exactly.

I actually work in the same hospital in the surgery department so I knew the drill. Thankfully, I was able to reach out to my manager to request the best anesthesiologist and my friend was my nurse and my close friend was the surgical tech in the surgery. Next thing I know they are doing a Diagnostic Laparoscopic Ectopic Cornual Pregnancy removal with my right fallopian tube removal. I didn't have time to process anything. I just asked that they please try to keep my uterus because I wanted to be able to have babies after.

After the surgery I was in the recovery unit and my husband met me there. I was then discharged around 2 am and we went to the pharmacy close by to make sure I had my pain medication.

I am home now and I understand it was life threatening, and I am thankful to be alive. But I don't understand why it had to be that bad, that traumatic, that much blood and so much confusion. I am not in anyway minimizing miscarriages at all. But I keep having people say they had a miscarriage as well......But I didn't have a miscarriage. I had an emergency surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy that was causing me to bleed heavily, and now I'm missing my right fallopian tube and have pain from the incisions due to the surgery. I'm also scared with trying to get pregnant again because after reading up on it, statistics show ectopic pregnancies tend to happen again in women who have had one before.

I know that I am supposed to rest and I know all the stages of grief, but I just don't know what to do to move forward. I cannot understand why this happened and why it happened in such a horrible way. This was my worst nightmare that actually came true...........I'm tired, angry, frustrated and upset all at the same time.

Has anyone else experienced this?

nina5351
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 4:20 am

Re: Emergency surgery for Ectopic Cornual Pregnancy

Post by nina5351 »

My worst nightmare came true.....

On Friday 9/11/20, me and my husband went in for the viability ultrasound.....and were told my husband would have to wait outside of the building due to stupid COVID-19. So we facetimed while they were doing the viability ultrasound. We were told "were so sorry, but it looks like you are miscarrying", "oh no wait, there's a gestational sac", "but we still don't understand the bleeding, this is very abnormal. So we are sending you to the ER now to make sure you are safe.

After being in the ER for hours and hours and having several tests done including blood tests and ultrasounds to repeated ultrasounds with an attending radiologist present during the vaginal ultrasound I was more confused than ever. From 9 am to about 6 pm we were told "We believe you are miscarrying", "Oh no wait, you are pregnant" to "Maybe they can follow you as a high risk pregnancy to keep the baby" to "No, this will not be a viable pregnancy and you cannot keep it." To "You are not having a miscarriage, you have an ectopic pregnancy that is causing all this bleeding and it is life threatening so we need to get you into surgery now."

This emotional rollercoaster felt like torture. I had to demand that the ER nurse call the doctors to explain to me what the plan was because my personal belongings were being placed in a bag, my blood was being drawn and I had an IV placed and no one was telling me I was officially being admitted for surgery and what kind of surgery exactly.

Next thing I know they are doing a Diagnostic Laparoscopic Ectopic Cornual Pregnancy removal with my right fallopian tube removal. I didn't have time to process anything. I just asked that they please try to keep my uterus because I wanted to be able to have babies after.

I am home now and I understand it was life threatening, and I am thankful to be alive. But I don't understand why it had to be that bad, that traumatic, that much blood and so much confusion. I am not in anyway minimizing miscarriages at all. But I keep having people say they had a miscarriage as well......But I didn't have a miscarriage. I had an emergency surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy that was causing me to bleed heavily, and now I'm missing my right fallopian tube and have pain from the incisions due to the surgery. I'm also scared with trying to get pregnant again because after reading up on it, statistics show ectopic pregnancies tend to happen again in women who have had one before.

I know that I am supposed to rest and I know all the stages of grief, but I just don't know what to do to move forward. I cannot understand why this happened and why it happened in such a horrible way. This was my worst nightmare that actually came true...........I'm tired, angry, frustrated and upset all at the same time.

Has anyone else experienced this? Help please

EPT Host 20
Posts: 3142
Joined: Thu May 31, 2012 10:58 pm

Re: Emergency surgery for Ectopic Cornual Pregnancy

Post by EPT Host 20 »

Dear nina5351,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss, unfortunately ectopic pregnancies can be difficult to diagnose and this would have been made more tricky as cornual ectopic pregnancies are quite rare. I am so sorry to hear of the confusion and traumatic time you endured.

When we experience ectopic pregnancy we are suddenly faced with a life threatening emergency and it's treatment, reduction in fertility, concerns about the future and the loss of our babies. Experiencing any one of these is an ordeal, putting them together is immense and your feelings are completely normal.

An ectopic pregnancy is a huge ordeal and you are in the early stages of recovery. Your body needs time to heal from your surgery which is in itself a gruelling task.
You should take it very easily for about six weeks after surgery. Your body will be using its energies to heal internally. It is normal to feel physically and emotionally exhausted during this time and please do be kind to yourself. Recovery can take time and some days will be better than others, one day you maybe ok and the next you maybe in discomfort or more emotional. This is perfectly usual and the healing process will go back and forth in this way for however long you need. It is important to listen to your body's signals and pain and feeling tired are your body's signs to tell you to rest. We suggest keeping a healthy balanced diet, drinking lots of water and resting. Once your wounds have healed, very gentle exercise such as a short walk can help, but please do take this slowly.

It is normal to feel anxious about the future. We generally feel a mix of emotions from wanting to try again to being petrified of what may lie ahead. We never forget, but we learn to accept what happened. It is a slow process that might be weeks or months ahead.
In time, we can get to a place where we feel comfortable trying again. When this is, is individual for each person. There is no timeframe for recovery, take each day as it comes.
Importantly early scans avail. As soon as you know you are pregnant, contact your local EPU to inform them and book in for an early scan at around six weeks. Remind them of your previous ectopic pregnancy. This self refer route is the best route in our view. Hopefully you will have some comfort to know you are under the radar of medical professionals right away.

The chances of a further ectopic after a first in UK is 10%. So that's 90% chance of the embryo being in right place next time.
While generally it is possible to conceive after an ectopic pregnancy, the amount of time it takes varies from couple to couple. Factors include age, general health, reproductive health and how often you have sex, among other things. It may be comforting to know that 65% of women are successfully pregnant within 18 months of experiencing an ectopic pregnancy and some studies suggest this rises to around 85% after two years.
Generally, when a person has only one fallopian tube and both ovaries, they are still able to get pregnant from an egg at the opposite ovary as an egg from one ovary can travel down the tube on the other side. The fallopian tubes are not attached to the ovaries and, at the point of ovulation, some very delicate structures called the fimbriae begin to move gently creating a slight vacuum to suck the egg toward the end of the tube it is nearest to (like lots of little fingers waving and drawing the egg towards it). So, if you have only one tube then there is only one set of receptors working and one set of fimbriae creating a vacuum and so the egg is much more likely to find its way to that tube, whichever ovary it is produced from. Conservative estimates suggest that an egg produced on the tubeless side manages to descend the remaining tube around 15 to 20% of the time.

We are here too. TTC is an emotional rollercoaster compounded by our sad loss. You are not alone. We here emotional support whenever you need us. There is also a specific Preparing for your next pregnancy board for you to look at, when you feel ready.

Above all be kind to yourself and allow time to grieve, to heal both physically and emotionally. We will be here for you for as long as you need.
Sending much love
Karen x

The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1071811
Ectopic pregnancy patient information suite: Highly Commended in the 2019 BMA Patient Information Awards
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Laura explor
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2020 5:09 pm

Re: Emergency surgery for Ectopic Cornual Pregnancy

Post by Laura explor »

Hi Nina,

Your post caught my eye as I’m also going through a cornual ectopic and it’s rare. I’m sorry this is happening to you.

About a month ago I found out I was pregnant and 5 days later discovered it’s cornual, my treatment is a bit different to yours.

I’ve learned a lot in this process mostly thanks to this forum and a few Facebook groups I joined. It’s a whirlwind, the conflicting info you received is possibly because many years ago some viable pregnancies were misdiagnosed as ectopics so Drs want to be very certain before they operate.

The mental health aspect is tough and compounded by Covid unfortunately. If you’re like me you’ll be reading lots of information and trying to process it all. It’s unfair for sure but as you said you’re lucky to have had your life saved and I’m happy to hear your colleagues/ friends were around you during the surgery.

If I can say something positive it’s that cornuals are so very rare that it’s not so likely you’ll have a second. I joined a Facebook group about TTC after ectopic, searched for “cornual” and “interstitial” and found lots of women who went on to have their rainbow baby after surgery. Just be aware that it could be a trigger for you because it’s a group dedicated to successful pregnancies so photos etc will be posted. It gave me hope!

Grief comes in a few different stages and the hormone changes will be a rollercoaster too. Be kind to yourself and I’m here for you if you need to ask questions.

Laura explor
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2020 5:09 pm

Re: Emergency surgery for Ectopic Cornual Pregnancy

Post by Laura explor »

I’ve just realised we’ve spoken on a different thread and I pretty much said exactly the same thing to you twice! Sorry for the repetition x

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