So anxious surgery or no surgery

Posted , 3 users are following.

I'm 57 years old and last October had my ovaries and Fallopian tubes removed (hysterectomy in 1997). I had never had any symptoms of prolapse-no heavy feeling, incontinence or bulging until one day in February this year when all of a sudden I had a large bulge. The surgeon from October told me I had a lot of scar tissue that she had to removeth and  mesh in to keep organs apart. I think this was the start of my current condition-stage 3 prolapse of mostly bladder. I'm not a person who is afraid of surgery or a complainer but I am terrified of having surgery because of not knowing if I will feel worse or better after surgery. I realize many women have put up with this condition for years and I can't imagine. It is uncomfortable to sit, abdomen hurts and I don't want to do anything. One doctor said mesh is the best. I'm getting a second opinion on Thursday. I even took a friend to the first visit so she could take notes and ask questions I didn't think about. Has anyone had a good experience with surgery or even a pessary? I can't use estrogen cream because of a BRCA 2 gene mutation. 

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6 Replies

  • Posted

    First of all, hats off for getting a second opinion!  We just have to be proactive in our own health care to determine the best approach.  I think you will see by all the posts that while recovery from this can be very difficult, the results are usually very good.  It appears that our docs do not tell us enough about recovery being as hard as it is and for as long as it actually takes.  Pain afterward can be managed but I think the hardest part is patience in the amount of time it takes to heal, which is much longer than what the docs say.  No bending, lifting, vacuuming, twisting for a long time after surgery which means you will need a lot of help at least for the first month, and a lot longer than that to be very careful. I am now exactly 5 weeks post bladder prolapse repair and I can tell it will take another 5 weeks at least for my strength and energies to return.  This is major surgery requiring major time healing.  Be kind to yourself and heal well.  I wish you all the best...🙏
    • Posted

      Thank you...the first doc said one night hospital then I may be back at work in 3-4 weeks. By reading posts it appears he is overly optimistic and now I can better plan my time off work. May I ask if your doctor used mesh? 
    • Posted

      No mesh!  There are thousands of law suits here in Canada and the US against the manufacturers for poor results with the use of mesh so my doc just used incisions and stitching...which of course equals pain!  Perhaps the use of mesh in the UK is different and could be ok but you are very wise to get that second opinion.  Are you scheduled?
  • Posted

    Hi Carol, I had a hysterectomy and bladder repair 4 months ago, due to prolapsed uterus. My surgeon did not recommend mesh. She repaired using existing tissue. I am still tired every day but have none of the prolapse symptoms I had pre surgery. I think you'll cope fine. I don't know  your age but I'm 64 and apart from tiredness and no heavy lifting, feel absolutely fine! I've resumed my normal life  and exercise routine. 
  • Posted

    Yes, lots of commercials on class action lawsuit however the first doc said the mesh was the "gold standard" of surgery and then went on to tell me I could have incontinence afterward (I don't now), mesh could break through vaginal wall but not an issue he could just snip it off. Right now I am seeing a PT (who knew there were professionals that deal with this issue) for the next 7 weeks to see if it will improve. I saw her today and trust her and she was surprised at the doc's suggestion of surgery and she told me she would let me know if she thought surgery was necessary. She's not a doc but I trust her more. I don't want mesh and the thought of going through the surgery and being worse off than I am now is too scary for me. I cancelled my second opinion doc until I have completed PT the first part of May. I think mesh must be easier for doc's and perhaps it takes more skill to use our own tissue. I'm new to this condition and one would think that mesh (in US FDA discourages it) Could no longer be used in these types of repairs. My PT has only met one woman that had issues and the mesh tore through her urethra and she was then incontinent; how sad. I am so grateful for everyone's replies. It helps confirm that my feelings toward mesh are correct. For each one of you that has had surgery and has recovered or is still recovering I wish you the best. Thank goodness for these types of forums. What did we do before the Internet...I guess we were a lot less informed.

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