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My Anteria and Posteria Repair

Posted , 126 users are following.

HappyLady
HappyLady

Hi Ladies,

Prior to having my Anteria and Posteria Repair, mainly due to problems going for a poo, when to be frank it felt like I was trying to push the poo sideways out of my bottom, resulting in lots of pain and blood - making me very unhappy. After reading this and other forums, which I found very helpful (which is why I'm contributing now in the hopes that this helps others) I decided that although some people had not had a good experience it was worth the risk rather than putting up with the pain for the rest of my life (47 at the time).

On examining me the Dr found that I had significant bladder weakness too and he suggested that he could improve both - he did seem to focus on the bladder a little when I kept telling him it was my bum that was more of an issue - I digress a little as you know how dismissive doctors can be and how hard it is to stick up for yourself, especially in this area which not only affects you physically but psycologically as it impacts your sexuallity and self confidence too.

So I had the op in May 2013 and I recognise a lot of the other post-op entries on this forum but the main instructions were - 3 Golden Rules, number 1 - don't lift more than half a kettle for 6 weeks. Number 2 do pelvic floor exercises or it will all come back and need doing again. Number 3 make sure you stick to rule one and two.

I took 8 weeks off work (I have a desk job and a supportive employer) and followed the rules I, 2 and 3. Yes it was difficult and very frustrating also for the family to remember when you look fit and able but you can't bend to pick stuff up as it would pressure where you shouldn't have it.

It wasn't all plain sailing with pain and concern about stitches not disolving as quick as I hoped but I wanted to let you know that now (9 months on) I feel more confident, sexy and in control of my bodily functions. The Rectocele hasn't made things perfect but things are still improving even after so long so perhaps it will get even better but if not, its much much better than before.

Regarding the sex, thats better too and one thing I wanted to share - I noticed significant dryness for around 6 months, around the scar tissue but I', happy to say that this is also is improving.

Basically well worth having done and I would advise anyone to go for it. Prolaps issues should be taken much more seriously by GPs as it is embarassing to discuss and we deserve to feel 'Right' and everything that entails!!

27 likes, 278 replies

278 Replies

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  • miaUSA
    miaUSA HappyLady

    Posted

    Hi Everyone:

    I thought I'd give you an update after finally having my 6 week post op appointment. Did not see my surgeon as she is still out of town but saw her awkward male practicing partner. I have not been to a male gynecologist in 30 years. Now I remember why! At any rate, I had been having a lot of vaginal discomfort the past 2 weeks. I didn't know what was going on or if perhaps the surgery hadn't worked, but my vagina felt very dry and scratchy and I was stll having a slight brownish yellow discharge. Upon examination, I stll have quite a few internal stitches that have not yet dissolved. My regular surgeon had mentioned pre-op if that happened, she would swab them out at my 6 wk post op. This doctor did not do that and said that was th source of my discomfort and said I was still healing inside. He also said I had a spot that was still bleeding and he used a nitrate or something on it which was supposed to heal it and stop the bleeding. It was very painful and for three hours afterwards I could barely walk. It was a burning, stabbing pain. He said to go back to using the premarin cream and to avoid inter course for several more weeks. Good luck all.

  • fragglerocker
    fragglerocker HappyLady

    Posted

    Hi

    I am 34 & had the op on Monday. I felt good until tuesday morning when they took catherer out & told me to go for a shower & walk. afterwards i was in so much pain. It felt like two much pressure below.

    My bum area is extremely tender & I dont seem to have any relief from pain medication. i am sitting on bags of ice. Catherer had to be inserted again but felt the pressure in my tummy like I needed to pee & i think i bagan to panic. I normally have a high pain threshold but was very emotional yesterday & was vomiting from the high amount of medication i was given.

    I am very down &;dreading the first wee & poo. I am hoping i wont be sorry i got this done. Anyone have any recommendation to ease pain in bum area?

    • miaUSA
      miaUSA fragglerocker

      Posted

      Hi Fragglerocker:

      Try soaking your bum in a shallow tepid bath a couple of times a day for at least a week. If you had a pubic catheter and not a vaginal one, make sure you don't submerge the catheter incision. Don't add anything to the water. Good luck! Recovery can be slow, and emotions can run from high to low. Hang in there. We're all in this together!

    • fragglerocker
      fragglerocker miaUSA

      Posted

      Thanks Mia unfortunately no bath in hospital but had one today with salt as recommended by consultant. It is the only time I am not in pain.

      I was kept in hospital for 6 days & left myself. I have to wear a catherer for two weeks to let me bladder relax. I haven't had a bowel movement in a week & the combination of laxatives, supposritories & fibre diet is causing excruciating stomach pains & I feel like I have a balloon in my bum. I was given Busopan for stomach craps & am taking peppermint tablets. Can anyone please recommend anything else?

      I was shocked that my consultant said I can't drive for 6wks.

    • sue76555
      sue76555 fragglerocker

      Posted

      Hi Fragerocker, I hope by now you have opened your bowels. If not some suggestions. You can get some small enemas over the counter in the UK. If you can get them it may be time to administer. Lubricate the inside & edge of your bottom with some vaseline(petroleum jelly),as if you are impacted it could stretch & tear the skin a little. This will help ithe skin stretch and help it slide out. Always worked for my daughter when she was little & me. Look up physio videos on line . Opening bowels after urogynae surgery. Excellent! Get your knees up high, breath as advised rather than pushing from your repair an perineum. Advice on massaging your belly to gently move things along helps too. Take a pain killer, keep warm & keep the loo warm so you are more relaxed & support perineum with gentle pressure. I was given Movicol to take & I thought it was pretty good. Also used a warmed wheat germ pad across my bum when pressure built up, & lent over bed. I had perinorrhaphy, perineal repair & hysterectomy, not bladder, so no advice there. Good luck . I am about 11 weeks post op , back at work & doing fine. Good luck
  • jax84054
    jax84054 HappyLady

    Posted

    Dear HappyLady. This thread really helped me both before and after my op. I had a posterior and anterior repair, vaginally 5 days ago. I was supposed to have a hysterectomy too but the surgeon decided he didn't need to do this. Not sure why. I was in hospital three days and two nights. I have had almost no pain, except for when they removed the vaginal pack, but a kind nurse held my hand ! The most useful advice was from my mothers nursing home who recommended movicol before surgery, and after, three times daily to start with, for keeping the stools loose and one of the comments on this stream which said to lift knees higher than hips when trying to go. Wish I'd known that during the prolapse era! It worked a treat. No pain, no pushing, just dropped out! Helps with getting the urine flowing better too. My only problem was the threat of a week of catheter, but I managed just to avoid this, and the tickly cough I have been left with after surgery, which comes on me every now and then and puts pressure on the pelvic floor. I rang the hospital and they said just take cough linctus and hold myself. So I a bit worried I could be doing damage,but every day it is slightly less. Otherwise I feel great and almost back to normal. Just frustrated because I feel tempted to drive, lift and do exercises, but know I shouldnt. I am not some fit young thing. I am 64. One thing probably has helped tho; listing weight. I was 13 stone 9lb last year and by the op I had reached 10 stone 10lb. I think this might be helping as less post op pressure to carry. Anyway, thanks for everyone's advuce, I was scared as hell before the op, but actually surprised by the success so far. Course, I haven't started to think about sex yet and I have an understanding husband, but that's another story....yet to come,if I am brave enough.
  • jax84054
    jax84054 HappyLady

    Posted

    Dear HappyLady. This thread really helped me both before and after my op. I had a posterior and anterior repair, vaginally 5 days ago. I was supposed to have a hysterectomy too but the surgeon decided he didn't need to do this. Not sure why. I was in hospital three days and two nights. I have had almost no pain, except for when they removed the vaginal pack, but a kind nurse held my hand ! The most useful advice was from my mothers nursing home who recommended movicol before surgery, and after, three times daily to start with, for keeping the stools loose and one of the comments on this stream which said to lift knees higher than hips when trying to go. Wish I'd known that during the prolapse era! It worked a treat. No pain, no pushing, just dropped out! Helps with getting the urine flowing better too. My only problem was the threat of a week of catheter, but I managed just to avoid this, and the tickly cough I have been left with after surgery, which comes on me every now and then and puts pressure on the pelvic floor. I rang the hospital and they said just take cough linctus and hold myself. So I a bit worried I could be doing damage,but every day it is slightly less. Otherwise I feel great and almost back to normal. Just frustrated because I feel tempted to drive, lift and do exercises, but know I shouldnt. I am not some fit young thing. I am 64. One thing probably has helped tho; listing weight. I was 13 stone 9lb last year and by the op I had reached 10 stone 10lb. I think this might be helping as less post op pressure to carry. Anyway, thanks for everyone's advuce, I was scared as hell before the op, but actually surprised by the success so far. Course, I haven't started to think about sex yet and I have an understanding husband, but that's another story....yet to come,if I am brave enough.
  • Alice55330
    Alice55330 HappyLady

    Posted

    Really useful to read this and everyone's contributions.  Just had posterior repair on Monday and it is daunting to see how long the road to recovery will be.  Was not expecting pain like period pain, but hey.

    guess my plan to be back in an office job in two weeks may not work out... 

  • sharon380
    sharon380 HappyLady

    Posted

    Hi All,

    I have only just found this forum and although I've never been on anything like this I just had to join as I'm desperate for some support, I've recently found out that I have a pelvic prolapse at a routine smear test before Christmas, I'm waiting for my first hospital appointment in April, it seems like such a long wait and I feel so lost and worried while I wait. I have a lot of problems which now all make sense now I know I have a prolapse albeit I don't know how bad it is or what type! I suffer with stress incontinence a lot, it makes me miserable, I get pain during sex, I also suffer with very bad back pain and acheyness down from my pelvis in to the top of legs when I've been on my feet all day. I have a feet first delivery with my daughter 3.5 years ago and things haven't been shiv since despite ridiculous amount of pelvic floor exercise. I've always put the back pains down to a back injury and now I'm beginning to wonder... They are dragging pains worse when I've been on my feet and when got my period, is this the prolapse? Is it OK to have sex? Any advice I'd be so grateful, I just don't know where I stand or what to expect from the hospital!

    • fragglerocker
      fragglerocker sharon380

      Posted

      Hi

      I had the same as you. My post is a few replies up. When I got my period I had a constant dragging heavy feeling like my womb could drop out. Also found if I carried anything heavy I was in pain & my back ached.

      I went to a consultant for tvt surgery as I pee when walking briskly and wanted to be able to run & jump on the trampoline with my kids. I was told there was no point in tvt until my prolapse of my uterus was fixed to my front & back. I am now 4wks post op & its been tough as I had to wear a catherer for 3 wks & got a bladder infection.

    • sharon380
      sharon380 fragglerocker

      Posted

      Just read through your posts fragglerocker, sorry to hear you are having such a tough time, thanks for your reply, unfortunately I'm not up on all the terms and what it's all about yet, what is a tvt? What op gave you just had, was that for the prolapse uterus? I have had unrelated abdo surgery in the past and also suffered with excruciating constipation, I know exactly how you feel, a simple but helpful thing is to drink loads of fluid, orange juice is fantastic! 
    • fragglerocker
      fragglerocker sharon380

      Posted

      Tvt surgery is normally what is offered for stress incontinence. It involves them putting a sling in to prevent leaking. In my case after consultation I had a prolapse uterus that also caused my bowel to have dropped outside of my body which I had mistaken as a pile. So I ended up having prolapse repair surgery to anterior, posterior & peranium which placed my bowel and bladder back to the correct position. I was also told they tightened my vagina as I told them I was still sexually active.
    • sharon380
      sharon380 fragglerocker

      Posted

      Oh god, I've got piles....or maybe not???!! No use speculating, just have to wait see what hospital say!
  • cherie52481
    cherie52481 HappyLady

    Posted

    Hi

    Glad all is ok with you. I am 6 days post op I've had Anteria & posteria repair plus TVT to bladder, I am shocked as to how long it takes to recover I was sent home after 2 days in hospital but have pain, aching in my groin and pains in legs and back, is this normal? I still have blood loss which makes me feel unclean so I have a shower all the time. I was told the stiches outside will take two weeks to disolve and the stiches inside will take 8 weeks to disolve and I am already fedup. Underneath looks awfull it looks like I have a single stich each side of my groin which I didnt kn

  • cherie52481
    cherie52481 HappyLady

    Posted

    Hi

    Glad all is ok with you. I am 6 days post op I've had Anteria & posteria repair plus TVT to bladder, I am shocked as to how long it takes to recover I was sent home after 2 days in hospital but have pain, aching in my groin and pains in legs and back, is this normal? I still have blood loss which makes me feel unclean so I have a shower all the time. I was told the stiches outside will take two weeks to disolve and the stiches inside will take 8 weeks to disolve and I am already fedup. Underneath looks awfull it looks like I have a single stich each side of my groin which I didnt no about and cut from front to back. The Hospital have given me a sick note for 8 weeks but have said I don't need a follow up appointment, is this correct? Thought I would need to go back for check up. Any way just basically down in the dumps at the moment just want it to heal quick. I just hope it's all worth it in the end.

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