My Experience: 11 months post-op, rectocele repair and traditional urethral sling (own tissue)

I'm 40 years old and 11 months post-op: rectocele repair and traditional urethral sing (my surgeon harvested fascia tissue from my abdomen to create my sling and did not use tape/mesh). I'm writing to share my experience and what worked well for me. This forum was helpful for me when I started this journey. I hope my post might help others.

My immediate recovery was excruciating. That first morning in the hospital, I honestly doubted I'd make it to the bathroom. I followed my post-op instructions for the first six weeks: lifting no more than 5-10 lbs (including no vacuuming; get a roomba!), abstaining from intercourse, taking stool softeners, and multiple short walks daily (as tolerated). I found that during this initial period the pain increased with my own tiredness. The first week was rough, especially due to my traumatized abdomen. By week two I ditched my prescription pain meds and switched to OTC (ibuprofen).

My internal stitches healed beautifully in 6 weeks, at which point I stopped taking any pain meds (no Rx and no OTC), resumed intercourse, and went on a a week-long camping trip (not backpacking). The external stitches (where the fascia tissue had been harvested) took the longest to heal.

Anatomically, I felt I had reached my 'new normal' by month three, at which point I resumed my weekly yoga classes. I started jogging again by month six (though I'm sure I could have done so sooner, I'm just lazy 😉 For me, the most painful part of the of surgery and the longest recovery time involved my external stitches and also the UTIs. I began to develop chronic UTIs after resuming intercourse; I had 6 courses of antibiotics in as many months. (FYI - I had only had one UTI prior in my entire life.)

I'm very glad I opted for the traditional sling surgery (no tape/no mesh). However, that type of surgery involves longer catheterization (nearly 24 hours, in my case). My surgeons narrowed my urethra, which reduced my urine stream (it's relatively weak now), and also narrowed my vagina significantly. (It's back to the size it was in my early twenties.) All of which increases my chances of developing UTIs. The extended catheterization, in conjunction with these permanent anatomical changes have required some lifestyle adjustments on my end.

As for the UTIs, the most helpful tips I have are to practice good hygiene (for both partners), use lubrication for intercourse, drink copious amounts of water (a gallon plus daily), good sleep and nutrition, and (of course) wash up before and after sex and urinate afterwards. Also, I've found that the following supplements have helped. (Speak with your own health care provider about what is safe for you.) As a daily/preventative measure I take D-Mannose and probiotics. (D-Mannose is incredible with good double blind studies to back its efficacy for UTIs. They actually prescribe it at the academic research hospital where my surgeon practices.) Before intercourse or before receiving oral sex, I take Uva-Ursi (in tincture form) and Oregano. (Uva-Ursi and Oregano are effective antimicrobials but they are not recommended for large large amounts for extended periods.) Then, if I feel a UTI coming on at any other time, I increase my intake of water, Uva-Ursi, and Oregano (for 1-2 weeks).

Now, I'm 11 months post-op and I barely think of it anymore, except when I'm taking my supplements and extra precautions around sex. It just took some time to get to know my new anatomy. I've very glad that I opted to do this surgery. I can now cough, sneeze, laugh, lift and run w/o leakage. I'm also thankful I opted to do the traditional sling; I have no worries about mesh/tape disintegrating. My surgeon had initially planned to use the tape. Two days before my surgery, I realized that tape was another form of mesh. At that point, I voiced my concern and my surgeon was very happy to change the surgical plan and reschedule. (He actually thanked me afterwards for speaking up.) For me, the extra recovery involved with the traditional sling procedure (own tissue harvest), delaying the surgery, and confronting my own anxiety about speaking up to my surgeon was worth it, if only to eliminate that long-term worry.

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