Rectocele & enterocele repair 3.5 weeks ago - severe sharp pain in buttock now
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi I have searched the forums but can't seem to find anyone else mentioning this. I had rectocele repair 3.5 weeks ago. My surgeon also found that I needed enterocoele repair so she did this at the same time. Anyway, I left hospital the next day and by that evening was in excruciating pain in right buttock down into the top of my thigh. I actually thought it was a trapped nerve due to the sharp burning pain. I spoke to my consultant the next day and she gave me stronger painkillers (Oxycodone) for one week. They did the trick and it made the pain more tolerable. She said it was not a trapped nerve but normal recovery pain. By weeks 2 and 3 I no longer had the sharp pain and just a dull discomfort all across my pelvic floor. Not painful as such and not requiring painkillers.
Anyway, I am now in week 4 and for the last four days I have had this excruciating pain back in my right buttock. It really is unbearable and even the strongest OTC painkillers are barely touching it. My consultant says it’s normal healing process but I just feel that it is odd to go from two weeks of lessening pain back to my original post-op severe pain. It actually feels like I have a sharp blade lodged in my buttock!
I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced similar pain. I am aware it is a slow healing process and I have not done anything that would have aggravated it, that I’m aware of. I was constipated for four days at the end of week 2 and it took me over 24 hours to finally get a bm. I’m wondering if that could have damaged me (this was about 3 days before my pain came back). Or possibly would an infection cause this pain?
Any advice or comments is appreciated.
0 likes, 15 replies
Laura3333 rayjay25
Posted
Hi Rachel, it could be the constipation if you had to strain. When you have this type of repair, you are put in the the lithotomy position, legs spread and stretched upwards which isn't great for your back and sciatic nerves. I had a rectocele repair and had awful pain afterwards. I was told to take lactulose, but it didn't help. Movicol or laxido, plus magnesium citrate will help you go more easily, and remember you had two surgeries, look up enterocele repair and rectocele repair if you haven't already, they are both major operations and can take a year to recover from. Take it easy, don't do anything to put your recovery at risk
.
rayjay25 Laura3333
Posted
Thank you for replying. My consultant did stress to me that she had to remove a lot of damaged tissue. It almost feels like it is too tight now! I have a course of antibiotics they gave me when I left hospital so I am taking that in case i have an infection. It seems so hard (excuse the pun!) to deal with the constipation though.
Laura3333 rayjay25
Posted
Movicol and Magnesium citrate 500mg tablets from Amazon will really help. You have to remember that three and a half weeks is really soon, and you still have a lot of swelling inside. You probably will be tighter afterwards as well, but see what you're like when you've healed more. The strong sutures are there for months to hold things together, the outer ones will soon be breaking up and you may see bits of them. Its a long slog and cant believe you were out after one day. Are you in the Uk?
rayjay25 Laura3333
Posted
Yes I'm in the UK. I had it done privately and they seem keen to get everyone home the next day and to be fair i was happy to be discharged at the time. I think my main concern is that I seemed to be getting better and now getting worse again
Laura3333 rayjay25
Posted
Try not to worry, I know its hard, but it's a really hard recovery from the rectocele surgery alone, you can't rush it, it's very slow and painful. Just saw your comment about going on holiday. Honestly I don't think you're going to be well enough, depending on the type of holiday.
rayjay25 Laura3333
Posted
Just a resort holiday to the Canary Islands. I have two kids aged 3 and 2 though so it is virtually impossible for me to completely rest whether I am at home or on holiday.
Laura3333 rayjay25
Posted
Not going to lie, it won't be easy.
emma1967 rayjay25
Posted
hi i had rectocele surgery 5 weeks ago ,i am having some buttock pain and inside pain at the moment too , i actually felt better a few weeks ago ,i have an emergency gynae appt today so i can let you know what they say ,i definately think the recovery is alot harder than we expect ,i am back on strong pain medication again ,i think what we are feeling is normal
rayjay25 emma1967
Posted
Thank you Emma. Sorry to hear you are in pain too. Let me know how you get on. I am supposed to be going on holiday in 4 weeks as i expected to be well on the road to recovery by then. Now i'm not so sure.
emma1967 rayjay25
Posted
hi yes will let you know what they say it might be something we have to expect
rayjay25
Posted
My consultant thinks I may have an infection so has prescribed a course of antibiotics and told me to take Ibuprofen 400 3x a day.
emma1967 rayjay25
Posted
i have just found out i have another uti ,and all the other pain is normal healing hope this helps x
rayjay25 emma1967
Posted
oh no Emma, sorry to hear that. At least your op healing is going to plan x
emma1967 rayjay25
Posted
thanks rachel ,it is a rather slow recovery ,but if it works its worth it ,hopefully you will be pain free soon x
rayjay25
Posted
So it is looking likely i had a post-op infection. I am on my 3rd day of antibiotics and today is the first day the sharp burning pain has become more tolerable. I have felt extremely tired and needed to sleep on and off through the day for the last few days - not easy with two small kids! They have been very good, bless them. I do feel a bit like i have reverted to week 1 and not at the stage i should be at in week 4 so i hope my recovery catches up, this has really set me back physically and mentally. I have an early follow up with my consultant in 3 days so I'll update then.