Posted , 6 users are following.
Hi, I am 8 days post surgery for anterior cystocele repair. I had hysterectomy and removal of ovaries aged 36, I am now 69. I can still feel a bulge there but smaller. Spoke to surgeon and she said stop Ovestin cream which she said I would be on for life and start doing 60 pelvic floor exercises a day. Anyone else in same position??
2 likes, 31 replies
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may73695
Posted
Thank you so much ladies for your replies. Advice we seem to be given is so contradictory! Some people told no pelvic floor exercises for 6 weeks and others after 3, and then I have read of some being told start morning after op. So confusing when you just want to get it right and have a good result. Regarding the Ovestin cream I was told to use a small amount on my finger there after a shower and have been doing this daily leading up to surgery as she said I have atrophic vaginitis and it would help the skin heal quicker. Now I'm told to stop using it but that has left me feeling more sore. She is a urogynae surgeon award winning so she must know what is best but think I will continue with Ovestin because I am so sore without it. Many thanks again for your replies.
robyn94818 may73695
Posted
It's not contradictory. It's just everybodies prolapses can be so different from one to the next. Entirely depends on whether the Surgeon has had to cut and/or stitch certain muscles during repair. That's why you can't just go by somebody else's advice & assume it's same for you. Heed your own Surgeons advice as he knows what he did inside you. If you weren't told, then contact your own Surgeons office & find out specifically to you.
donna45631 robyn94818
Posted
cybelle91107 may73695
Posted
I went for my 6 week follow up today, surgeon said everything looks great! Yippy!!!! I guess the feeling that my insides are falling out is normal and that bulge I see is supposed to be there. He seems to think the pain I'm feeling is because I'm not getting my bowels completely empty even though I'm going every day, wants me to increase the fiber and laxatives so that I am completely cleaned out all the time. Also may have a bladder infection, waiting on lab results, didn't show up on urine test but there was blood in my urine so sending to lab to be sure. Best of all, everything is ok.
may73695
Posted
robyn94818 may73695
Posted
Yes, but not until all is given the all clear as to being healed inside. Imagine shoving applicator straight through fresh incision before it's fully healed. When the ok is given to resume sex, then applicator use will be fine. Before 6wks, the more frigging around down there is just very likely to introduce infection. Re. pelvic floor excercises - that has to come direct from the Surgeon who did your particular repair. Everybody is different and the extent of repair inside depends on how badly prolapsed you were & what had prolapsed to where etc. etc. Only the Surgeon knows what had to be cut inside as to whether excercises can be beneficial or detrimental. Mine was advised to begin following all clear at 6wk check.
sheila89754 robyn94818
Posted
Absolutely, we are all very different and until I found this forum I had no idea about all the different prolapses and possible surgeries! I've had to google loads of the procedures that women have had.
I too was told to wait six weeks until I started pelvic floor exercise, by my surgeon, she also said the priority is healing, working on those muscles can wait.
I really didn't appreciate how long the healing would take, it was always my concern, I wasn't too concerned about surgery, I knew I'd know nothing about it!
I've found this forum hugely reassuring and informative, I had no idea how common prolapses were, had I known I would have sought help so much earlier. 😟
robyn94818 sheila89754
Posted
You are so right on everything. It was a huge moment when Kate Winslet admitted on live TV when questioned, that "of course I don't jump on my kids trampoline, I have given birth you know"! Then that got more girls talking more openly about it. I reckon that's why so many Resthomes stink of urine!! Let's hope the ones we go to won't as more and more will get repaired! I think episiotomies and more commonly now, tears that need suturing, should be done by a plastic surgeon! I realise that not all prolapses are a consequence of vaginal births, but a lot are. I also still can't believe how many girls on here refuse to accept the big limitations on excercises after repairs & are desperate to resume lots of things they used to do that contributed to the severity of their prolapses! Running (pounding the pavement) being one of them. My Urogynaecologist said NO MORE RUNNING FOREVER! But they don't know much at all about our anatomy and what the jolting is doing on already weakened tissues.
sheila89754 robyn94818
Posted
Robyn, I'm sure I've 'spoken' to you before! Can you remind me what surgery you had and when, and the reason you opted for surgery.
donna45631 robyn94818
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robyn94818 sheila89754
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Probably Sheila. I've been on here 21mths following my surgery 22mths ago. I'm in New Zealand. I had anterior repair using mesh sling. It was mostly to cure my stress incontinence. I also have a posterior prolapse but Surgeon decided to do anterior only at 1st surgery. I'm also a Registered Nurse.
robyn94818 donna45631
Posted
The plastic surgeon would be brilliant for perineum repair. Not sure they should be doing pelvic prolapse operation though. Urogynae' shave had an extra 3yrs training in doing these after they were already a Gynaecologist.
donna45631 robyn94818
Posted
I don't have a prolapse but a tear that needs repair from my perineum to episiotomy area.
robyn94818 donna45631
Posted
Isn't an episiotomy a surgical cut done during vaginally delivery of a baby, through the perineal area
donna45631 robyn94818
Posted
Funkelady robyn94818
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My doctor told me no heavy lifting for 6 weeks...but didn't explain how easy it is to re-bulge after repairs. I really wish he had said no jumping, high impact workouts or repeated heavy lifting EVER again! Now my repairs need to be redone dang it! After repair, it is important to know about lifestyle changes. I'll be having my 3rd vaginal surgery and each time it weakens the pelvis & PT is needed. UGH:-(