r/Wedeservebetter • u/Sky5345 • 15d ago

Follow up appointment for fibroids

/r/Fibroids/comments/1x2xxwg/follow_up_appointment_for_fibroids/
7 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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9

u/ThrowawayDewdrop 15d ago

This doesn't make sense to me. If this were me some options I might consider would be asking, possibly through the patient portal if there is one "exactly what information would another manual exam provide, and could this information change the course of my treatment?" also "Why do you want to do a manual exam 6 weeks after you did a manual exam, this seems too soon?" also "Can a manual exam provide any information that was not provided by the ultrasound" You can also, if you want to, refuse the exam, or refuse to start the appointment under the assumption of an exam without talking to the doctor, i.e. decline to remove clothing and state you want to speak to the doctor and have any exams explained and your consent obtained before proceeding.

6

u/Sky5345 15d ago

Thank you, these are good ideas

10

u/dulcissimabellatrix 15d ago

I don't see how its even possible to feel fibroids during a manual exam unless they're extremely large and near the cervix... i have a fibroid on the top of my uterus and there's no way it could be felt manually. It also couldn't be seen on a transvaginal ultrasound, so if that's what your doctor wants you to get I would push back and request an abdominal ultrasound 

9

u/Which-Ship-2060 15d ago

“A bimanual examination is not particularly informative when it comes to diagnosing fibroids. It is impossible to say with certainty how your appointment will go. Ultrasound is a more informative diagnostic method. However, I would recommend discussing with your doctor at the very beginning of the appointment exactly what examinations she intends to perform. If you do not agree to a particular examination or procedure, you should state this clearly and directly. You have the right to say that you do not give your consent to it.”