Testimonial

My name is Karen and I had a da Vinci myomectomy 10 months ago and I am currently 7 months pregnant! Here is my story....

About a year before I got pregnant for the first time, my OB doctor told me I had a fibroid. When asked if I needed to do something about it, she said no. A year later I became pregnant. At the 6 week 2 day mark, I felt a pain like I had never felt before. I learned after my miscarriage that my fibroid had grown from approx. 3 cm to at least 10 cm!

Knowing that I wanted to become pregnant again, I started talking to my OB and contacting fibroid specialists online. I wanted to find a procedure that would keep my fertility in tact. After talking to a fibroid specialist online he mentioned the da Vinci myomectomy but I did not know much about it, nor did I know anyone who performed the surgery. I initially went to another fertility specialist and decided on a regular myomectomy. There was a chance that due to the location of my fibroid, the procedure would damage my fallopian tube. They also told me that I would have to wait 3 - 4 months to get pregnant, and I would have to be off work for 8 weeks.

My uncle who is a doctor at a hospital in Indiana had seen the da Vinci in action and suggested to me that instead of doing a regular myomectomy, I should really reconsider the da Vinci. He contacted the da Vinci people since he is not from Indianapolis and they told him about Dr. Bonaventura.

I had my first consultation with Dr. Bonaventura and his nurse practioner and they explained the procedure, length of time for recovery, and answered my questions regarding fertility. The recovery time was a few weeks less than a regular myomectomy, the time period to wait to try to conceive was less, and there was very little risk to my fallopian tube. I was sold.

I had my Surgery on June 15, 2007 at Clarian North. Dr. Bonaventura came in and checked things over with me and then I was wheeled in for surgery. After the surgery, I woke up and, while I felt groggy, I felt okay. I was told later that my fibroid was not a nice, small, 10 cm, but 14 cm!!!!!!! No wonder it caused me so much pain and made my stomach look slightly pregnant.

I spent the night in the hospital, but I was able to go home in the morning. Once home, I found my couch and spent a couple of days there. I only needed pain meds for the first 3 days. It was not the pain from the surgery that bothered me, but more the gas pain in my arm and shoulder. Throughout my entire first weeks after surgery, anytime I had any worries, I was able to call the office and they would comfort me on any concerns I had.

By the end of the first week I was able to go out on short visits to the video store and out to lunch. I was still very tired for the first couple of weeks, but that lessened each week. Due to my job, which requires lifting and pushing more than 20 lbs., I needed to be off work for 6 weeks. My biggest problem with my surgery is that by the 3rd week, I started feeling okay and I would get yelled at for over doing. By my 5th week I was able to fly to Oregon and walk around the city and the beach. I walked 4 miles up and down hills with no pain or fatigue!!!!!

By late July, I was dancing at my friend's wedding, water skiing, gardening, and back to work where I was lifting my patients again. By Mid- August my husband and I were trying to conceive again. By the end of September, I was pregnant!!!!!! I stayed with Dr. B for the first 9 weeks of my pregnancy and got ultra sounds every week. It was great! When I got released to go back to my regular OB it was an exciting, yet very sad moment for me. I had grown attached to the nurses and Dr. B. They kept their promise. I was healthy, fibroid free, and pregnant!

So far, I have not had a single complication with my pregnancy and as for my baby, she is very healthy! I find it ironic that my little girl is due on the same date that I had my fibroid surgery. She won't be born on that day, because I have opted for a c-section at 38 weeks just to be on the safe side. I believe I could have it naturally, but why take a chance.

I would recommend the da Vinci and Dr. Bonaventura to everyone. It gave me my life and dreams back.

---- Karen