Rectoenterocele anybody?

Posted , 6 users are following.

I saw a urogynaecologist last week for a second opinion on my ongoing pelvic floor problems. I've previously had an anterior repair and hysterectomy and I had been told I had a rectocele. She confirmed this and offered to repair it if that's what I want.

But, when I received her letter she refers to my rectocele as a rectoenterocele! Has anyone else been told this?

I have sent a PM to Matron but just wondered if anyone else could help too? Obviously I've looked it up and it seems there is more going on than I thought ??

I'm really worried now.

0 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

  • Posted

    What is it you're worried about? I find it sad that consultants don't discuss the surgery with their patients. One option is to ask for an appointment to see her to discuss this x

    • Posted

      I only saw her on Thursday, she has a strong accent so I thought she was saying rectocele but she must have been saying rectoenterocele! It was only when I saw it written down I realised.

      I know I'm silly to worry but it sounds more serious if it's large & small bowel that's prolapsed?

    • Posted

      It's not more serious, it's just the position of the prolapse because the large and small bowel are joined and and one point are next to each other. I'm surprised it's not mentioned on this forum more but I think it's because a lot if Urogynaecologists say it's a rectocele. It's the large bowel (rectocele) that's the more serious because that's a large organ and that's the more common.

    • Posted

      Thank you. I will try to stop worrying now! I suppose they see it all the time. She did give me some info but nothing mentioned rectoenterocele.

      I haven't noticed anyone else on here mention it.

      Thanks for your help.

    • Posted

      You're right I've not seen it mentioned on the forum recently but I can vaguely recall it discussed some time ago. Your Urogynaecologist didn't treat you any differently than any other woman on this forum as far as post op care is concerned so that should reassure you that it's nothing to worry about. I still think she was a bit naughty not explaining everything to you fully because that would have stopped any anxiety. I'm going to look for something for Alan to put on the Genitourinary home page about rectoenterocele. Now go on holiday, enjoy yourself, you've earned it ????

    • Posted

      Good idea, any extra info would be great. I will go on my hols (try and enjoy it!) and decide what I should do next. Thanks. X
  • Posted

    I went in for a rectocele repair but, once in theatre,   they found that I also had a severe enterocele. This hadn't shown under normal examination - my symptoms didn't equate totally with a rectocele so hopefully this will resolve  matters. There is considerably less info out there about enteroceles. 

    • Posted

      When did you have your repair? Have your symptoms improved since and what was recovery like for you?

      I'm still deciding if I should have it done but I think I will as it's not going to improve on its own.

    • Posted

      I've been wondering on here for ages about what an enterocoele is and what the difference between it & rectocoele, also symptoms differences. Guess I could have Dr Googled it!! Enterocoele is maybe less common?

  • Posted

    I just had a rectocele repair done last week Wednesday. The insurance wanted the procedure done as an outpatient procedure. My doctor disagreed and arranged for me to stay overnight. Good thing he did as I started feeling chills about three hours post-op. And by 5 hours post op I began running a fever that eventually hit 103. I'm 51. That fever felt awful. I felt nausea, so hot, achey, and all around terrible. They started me on double antibiotics and IV Tylenol and Ibuprofen to bring fever down. It was not making a difference so they stepped things up by packing me with ice. I literally became delirious and by them I also had picked up a UTI from Catheter. Told nurses to remove it or I would. It was burning something fierce. If your a woman who's had a UTI, having one while having a cathey

    • Posted

      catheter in place is a nightmare. Sorry my answer in pieces but this site keeps throwing commercials in my way and surveys! I'm still having a very painful recovery. I'm not sure yet whether the surgery was worth this much pain. I'm on no opioids because they want to ensure you don't get constipated. Either I'm very wet down there from drainage and I'm chaffed. I try using zinc oxide but then things get too dry and you have to soak gauze off or you'll start bleeding again. Regardless you'll be chaffed. You can't sit comfortably. At least so far it's been one week and I can't sit without extreme pain. Walking to barroom is as far as I can make it. I have to force myself to eat and drink because I know I'll get sick and end up back in hospital but dread physically dread using the restroom. Have to talk myself into releasing the muscles to go. I have strong pelvic muscles. So I can hold!!

    • Posted

      Ouch ouch you poor girl. You must have had extensive incisions? What's the gauze on? I thought incision was up inside vagina on posterior wall? Maybe you went down with a virus post-op that you caught a few days before going into hospital. Hope things improve soon for you. Did you have external incision too?

    • Posted

      Test one incision was interior vaginal wal. Other was external because I had excesses of hemarhoids. Fun fun. Plus I have complicate stipend called lupus. That's what set off infections and other issues they believe and the slow healing and pain. It has probabably set me off into a lupus flare. I'm trying hard to get healing back on track. Just not at all what I expected.

    • Posted

      Hello Cabookworm. I'm so sorry to hear of your horrendous experience and I have to say in over 40 years of nursing I've never seen or heard of a woman having such drastic complications. I presume you're not in the UK because you mention your insurance company requesting the surgery is performed under a local anaesthetic, thank goodness your surgeon disagreed. It's a shame you can't take opioids because that would probably help your pain and control it better. In the UK in such cases it would be prescribed but along with bowel medication to counteract the side effects. I always say on this forum pain hinders recovery so I hope you can manage to get the pain under control. This surgery can be painful, I can vouch for that. Please get lots of rest and I hope you have family and friends who can help. Please take care.

    • Posted

      It was done with a spinal and versed. No opiod pain relief after hospital stay. So I did get some relief for 3 days. Not nearly enough. Thank goodness I have family here in states helping. But the pain is awful. I've had surgery I where they give you pain relief and stood softeners such as pills or miralax. I still have to take to go anyway without any pain relief or I just can't unclench those muscles.

    • Posted

      I think it's awful that you are left in pain and as a nurse I think it's unacceptable. 

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