Post op smell

It can take between 3 and 16 weeks for the sutures to completely dissolve but most of the time you don't really know because you may not see them. I didn't see mine but some ladies report they see sutures in their underwear or when they've been to the toilet. You haven't said what repair you've had so it's difficult to give you advice about your bladder feeling full after 2 hours.

I had Anterior front wall repair .Posterior back wall repair. and Apical top of vagia repair and perinial repair so really the lot. The smell is starting to subside finally 13 weeks gone .

Your stitches have finally dissolved then lenore which is good news. I had wondered what surgery janice had, probably an anterior repair in view of her having the feeling of a full bladder after 2 hours. Take care lenore x

Hi matron, sorry only showed half my post, new to this, I will be five weeks tomorrow post op, after years of putting up with my cystocele which was getting progressively worse and made my quality of life miserable I went ahead, now having still good and bad days and I am assuming I had anterior repair as you said, surgeon said all went really well and he was very pleased, lovely to have no bulge, but I was worried about the fullness of bladder then sometimes passing only small amounts, is this normal then? Also was concerned about the funny smell, this now seems to be less now, today is not one of my better days got low down vaginal pain which not experienced until today, is this also to be expected I wonder? 

It's quite normal to have the feeling of fullness after an anterior repair, I recall I was the same. It's usually due to the bladder being handled during the operation and it will settle down but you can help. The bladder is muscle so try and put off passing urine for a little longer and when you do go use a method I can "stop and start" so your exercising the muscle wall. Pee a little then stop, then do it a few more times until your bladder is empty. Do that along with your pelvic floor exercises and it should help. Remember you're only 5 weeks post op so it's quite early in your recovery. The smell you describe will improve and you'll experience odd aches and pains whilst your sutures knit together the wound so take pain relief if you need it. Any repair surgery is classed as major surgery so treat it as such. You're doing well and not having that awful "lump" is wonderful x

Big thanks Matron, your reply was lovely and very reassuring, I will certainly do the stop start method, I was wondering what I could do at this early stage to help my bladder and muscle wall, yes it's wonderful to be able to,walk without the bulge 😊 Thank

You are very welcome janice and if I or any of the other ladies can help just ask. This is a lovely forum.