1. Community
  2. Women's health
  3. Genitourinary Prolapse

Repeat Rectocele Surgery?

Posted , 6 users are following.

Gnomebottom
Gnomebottom

Hi All....back again 11 months after anterior/posterior general re-modelling of my genital regions.

And....its back!....The rectocele situation has returned and I feel like I'm sitting on a time bomb..again.

I've been on laxatives...4-6 a day ...ever since surgery to try and help keep things moving but even they seem to have given up the ghost...thanks guys!

Big question...how might it all pan out 'second time around'?

I can see that the 'tissue' forming the rectocele is thinner than the first time....more pink than red ....so I guess there's going to be less to manouevre a repair with?

At the moment I'm resorting to enemas to avoid any further straining and will see my Dr on Friday.

Any advice/recommendations etc. would be very gratefully received.

Many thanks, Gwen

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Laura3333
    Laura3333 Gnomebottom

    Edited

    Hi Gwen, sorry to see you back. My rectocele returned also, and the colo rectal surgeon I was seeing for another reason told me to take laxido every day without missing a day. Like you I was taking laxatives, softeners etc. Found dulcolax liquid was the best, but gave me the runs.

    Laxido/movicol/magrogal ---all the same in sachets, taken every day and finally got on top of the problem. If I miss just one day, I struggle. But regular every morning, and once a day, also it's easy, no straining at all. 

    The rectocele is lower doen than the last one, plus since surgery I have a small cystocele, but for me anyway, surgery again is a no go. It took so long to get over and I have severe burning, seems as though nerve has been damaged.

    If you haven't tried the sachets, it's worth a go, though you need to give it three or four days to get into your syatem and keep it up. I've not taken laxatives since, brilliant.

     

    • Gnomebottom
      Gnomebottom Laura3333

      Posted

      Hi Laura....so sorry to hear your rectocele put in a reappearance too,I've been taking 4-6 docusate capsules a day but think I'll need to go onto something else like laxido etc.

      I agree...the repeat surgery option doesn't seem like a great prospect...I had all manner of stuff going on after the first round.

      Thanks for the advice and stay well

    • Bock
      Bock Laura3333

      Posted

      your doctor is ok with you taking laxido daily?

  • Gnomebottom
    Gnomebottom

    Posted

    Hi All....again!

    I've let the dust settle with this one and saw my Dr on Friday.

    Looking at a referral to the Gynae surgeon who did the original repair...time frame - 6 to 8 weeks.

    If she recommends another op the time frame on that is a further 18 - 20weeks.

    Dr didn't think other laxatives would make matters any better -

     ( they would 'bulk up and soften' any stool - as the current ones are doing )

     - to help get rid of them by whatever means possible...

    (i.e. daily glycerine suppositories at best/Microlax enemas at worst.)

    I've not gone down the 'splinting route'...and can't say I'd especially like to start

    Is anyone else out there in a similar situation with any help/advice to offer?

     

    • Imnotadoctor
      Imnotadoctor Gnomebottom

      Posted

      Hello Gnomebottom!

      I know we have spoken before so ignore me if we've had this conversation!

      We are all different but Laxido made things much worse for me, I had terrible control issues with it to the point where I could barely leave the house. Fybogel was suggested by my consultant as it's a "bulk forming laxative" which sounds disgusting but the idea is it gets more out in one go. As for splinting I find making a little pad out of loo roll & pushing against my perineum usually helps. It depends where your prolapse is I suppose, mine is quite low. Sorry if all that is a bit graphic!

      I'm looking at repeat surgery later this year. I've tried to manage but have got to the end of my tether with it all so am taking the plunge. Seeing the urogynaecologist in August to make arrangements.

      Sorry you are not feeling better. X

    • Gnomebottom
      Gnomebottom Imnotadoctor

      Posted

      Hi ImNotaDoctor....I do remember you and thanks for replying.

      Since I posted earlier...and after much research etc. I was lucky to get an appointment with my Dr and have requested a Colorectal referral to discuss a colostomy.

      Like yourself....I'm now at the end of my tether.

      I have no real faith in repeating the repair op having looked into all the options available...and living on laxatives/suppositories/enemas really is no way to live - all these things have side effects as well.

      I can't tolerate fibre as I have a long term history of IBS and have a low residue diet which is not nutricious.

      A colostomy was suggested years back when the IBS was very severe so coming to this decision has been on the back burner for a while as the problems with the rectocele have progressed.

      I'm only 63 - and I want to get on with my life and enjoy retirement with my husband and family.

      A colostomy isn't an easy choice...but I think it will be for the best in the long term as far as day-to-day living is concerned.

      I wish you a successful result with your surgery this time around...keep well...Gwen x

    • Imnotadoctor
      Imnotadoctor Gnomebottom

      Posted

      Thank you Gwen, you too.

      Stay positive, many people live well with a colostomy.

      Keep in touch. X

  • tannerbird
    tannerbird Gnomebottom

    Posted

    Morning Gnomebottom.

    sorry your having such problems. Im 49 and had posterior and anterior repair surgery in October last year along with pelvic floor repair. My rectocele has made another appearance, seemed to start off as a little pouch now it's full on babies head! My last surgeon was a ureologist and I've now been referred to a gynaecologist. I've also got an incisional hernia from the last op so feel there's more of me on the outside than the inside! I take lactase every day and splint most times at the end of a bowel movement to fully evacuate my bowels. I do this by literally taking a pad of loo roll and pressing the 'babies head' back into my posterior vaginal wall. I had a terrible time after my last surgery with surgical emphacema, sepsis and now the hernia. 

    A friend of of mine who takes a lot of codeine suggested these little nuggets from health food shops. They are basically fig and prune pastils and worked a treat until I discovered lactase.

    good luck with your op.

    • Gnomebottom
      Gnomebottom tannerbird

      Posted

      Hi tannerbird and thanks for your reply....sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

      I see a gynaecologist on the 4th of September so I'll see what the outcome is from that.

      Like yourself...another repair doesn't fill me with much confidence after a long recovery and relying on laxatives from Day 1 for the past year.

       

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.