Waiting on pathology report

[SpringCrane]

I had a MMC in December, and I just found out they ran a pathology/histology test along with the D&C. I'm still waiting to receive the results, but I'm wondering if anyone else has received one and what to expect. It was my first miscarriage, and my second pregnancy. I didn't think they'd do any testing as it isn't (as of yet) a recurring issue, but I guess it's standard procedure in the practice.

Just not sure what to expect. I have Kaiser in the US, if anyone has the same.

Thanks!

 

[Jk565]

I had a D&C for mmc 8 weeks ago. We had a biospy done which showed the baby's gender and that it had trisomy 9, which never results in a live birth.
It was our first pregnancy, and its almost standard practice here in Australia to do this testing after D&C. I can't quite understand why its not standard practice everywhere- the thought of having to go through the pain of 3 miscarriages before getting the opportunity for answers just seems horrid. But I digress...
I am glad that we have an answer to why our otherwise well-looking pregnancy (high betas, strong HB) stopped without warning.
I understand that the biopsy/pathology does not always give conclusive results. My partner and I prepared ourselves that we may not get an answer.

 

[SpringCrane]

I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I greatly appreciate the information. I agree that more information is better than nothing, and no woman should have to undergo three before getting answers.

 

[beneathmywing]

I had a early loss, what they called a blighted ovum. My pathology came back as a chromosomally normal female embryo =( My doctor wants DH and I to have autoimmune blood work done and blood clotting blood work done for myself. It was my first bfp and my first loss, but conceived during my third IVF cycle.

 

[AnnieMac2]

I'm so sorry for all of your losses. And I'm glad you're getting some answers. Insurance companies in the US are so evil. My husband is an attorney who fights insurance companies on behalf of doctors. It's so sad that patients suffer due to greed. Everyone here has been through enough pain already. Jk565, doctors here get accused of fraud if they order a lot of testing/extra treatments. For example, an insurance company accused one of my husband's clients of fraud on a few bills and then halted all payments on ALL bills for 3 months and he nearly lost his practice. It was illegal that they did that, just harassment. SpringCrane: What convinced your doctor to order a biopsy? I was lucky to get testing after just one mc and find out I have a clotting disorder. My heart goes out to you all.

 

[sweetB]

how far along were you springcrane? I found out they did similar testing for me (I found out when I got two bills for it-one to take the tissue and one to test it!!), but it doesn't seem like they found much out. The results on my lab sheet said "The morphologic features are consistent with products of conception" so that didn't tell me much. It would be interesting to know more like some of you were able to (yet still it is sad)

 

[hopie2015]

This was interesting to read. I hope results some of you have found out have given you some measure of peace. I had to have a d and c in Feb, due to a missed m/c.
The past couple of months my mother has been hospitalized and I left my whole life in NYC on hold. I have to get back and meet with the doctor to get my results. I am not sure how I will feel. I know they could be inconclusive, which will always leave me wondering. I also don't want to hear if the baby was a boy or a girl, though I know many do want to know. Perhaps that is not right of me, but feel it will make the loss hit me harder. I hope to get back to the doctor in May and find out the results and will share. This is my second miscarriage (and second pregnancy, successful on first time trying each time, but I am over 40).
Wishing you all much peace and healing~

 

[SpringCrane]

After receiving the wrong pathology report, I finally got the right one last night. Like I had anticipated, it's a little hard to decipher without a medical background, but after a lot of googling and wikipedia-ing, I think I have a basic understanding. It seems they didn't do any DNA testing, so I don't know if there was a chromosomal anomaly or the sex.

If anyone is interested, this is what it said:
FINAL PATHOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS PRODUCTS OF CONCEPTION, SPONTANEOUS/MISSED ABORTION:
- NECROTIC AND FIBROTIC IMMATURE VILLI IDENTIFIED
Received in formalin labeled "POC," is a 28 gram, 6 x 5.5 x 2 cm aggregate of friable, tan, membranous and papillary tissue fragments including chorionic villi. There are no obvious hydropic changes seen grossly. There are no embryonic tissues or fetal parts identified.

Our best guess is that it means there was some cell damage that was attempting to heal itself, but it wasn't successful. The why... I don't know. I'm a bit confused on the lack of embryonic tissue, etc. as we saw a heartbeat, so there was an embryo at some point. I assumed from the start that someone read this report at some point and would have contacted to me if it indicated a potential problem for future pregnancies, but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the lab tech submitted this and it went instantly into a black hole. It's sad, but I don't even want to bother contacting my OB about any of this. She was on leave for the short time during my pregnancy, and an on-call physician did the D&C procedure, so we've never even spoken about the pregnancy or its end.

AnnieMac2: My insurance/provider is Kaiser, and it turns out it's their policy to do testing after every D&C. I wasn't informed before, during, or after. I only found out it was done after reading the fine print of a bill. What a sad waste it is for everyone who doesn't even know this is being conducted.

sweetB: I was about 10 weeks along when I got the MMC diagnosis, and the D&C was done a week later.

I'm sorry for everyone's losses. Hugs to everyone.