TVT and Posterior Repair at the same time?
Posted , 7 users are following.
Hello, I'm 51 years old, live in the UK and had a vaginal hysterectomy (leaving my ovaries) and an anterior repair exactly 1 year ago. I knew within a few weeks after the op that I should also have had the posterior repair done but my uro gynae specialist, for one reason or another decided that it was best done separately.
So now I'm scheduled for a posterior repair in the autumn.
I've also got some bladder stress incontinence (not terrible but when I cough or run) and after proving this with a uro dynamics test, my surgeon has agreed to do the TVT and the posterior repair at the same time. The logic being they are separate walls of the vagina I guess. One op - one period of recovery instead of two.
As I said I'm using a uro gynae consultant who knows their stuff but I'm very scared of potential side effects of the TVT.
Has anyone had both these ops together? Would you advise it?
Has anyone had lasting problems after a TVT?
Thank you
1 like, 15 replies
Jan999 claire63612
Posted
On the Genitourinary Prolapse home page there's a section Useful Resources that you may find helpful. It is all well researched information. I haven't had a TVT, I had a rectocele and cystocele repair but the outcome of the TVT in the area where I work has been very positive and women say their lives have been changed. If you were having the TVT on it's own recovery would be 6 weeks at the most but obviously with the posterior repair you will need more time to recover. Every woman is different in terms of recovery but there's no reason why this can't be successful and remain so for years.
claire63612 Jan999
Posted
Yes I'm prepared for an 8-12 week recovery time for the posterior repair. Sex was fine after 8 weeks post hysterectomy and anterior repair but I gather posterior repair can be more painful.
The side effect of the TVT that I am most worried about is painful sex and the need to catheterise on a permanent basis. They warn you about both these problems but how common are these in your experience?
Jan999 claire63612
Posted
Hello again claire. I understand what you mean about the possibility of painful sex and problems peeing but they have to tell you the side effects prior to surgery but they are rare. I've read about problems a few ladies on the forum have had but you have to remember hundreds of these procedures are performed every week and it's the ones that don't have any problems tend not to look for forums such as this one. Sex following a posterior repair can be more uncomfortable initially but it does get better, I can vouch for that. I think it was around 8 weeks post op that we first tried successfully because my urogynaecologist wanted to ensure I wasn't having problems by the time I had my post op appointment at 10 weeks. A lot of urogynaecologists are recommending Vagifem (oestrogen) pessaries prior to surgery now because as we reach menopausal age the lining of the vagina becomes thinner and the pessary helps thicken it so it can "hold" the repair. Initially my consultant wouldn't operate because the lining of my vagina was very thin so I had 4 months of using the pessary. He recommended I continued afterwards as well. My GP still prescribes it 7 years later.
robyn94818 claire63612
Posted
I had anterior repair and TVT for stress incontinence 20mths ago & I'm fine. I also was to have had posterior at same time but just before going to theatre my Urogynae decided that having both may make me too narrow!! I don't get how Now still needing that & if I do have that repair, why won't that still make me too narrow anyway. So not sure why it all wasn't done in one hit.
claire63612 robyn94818
Posted
Thank you Robyn. Yes I think that's the logic. If you're older and not sexually active then they do them at the same time. But there is a danger of making you too tight so they prefer to wait. I had signed for the hysterectomy, Anterior, posterior and a SSF stitch but when I woke up found that I'd only had the first two.
Has you TVT op been successful then? No problems with the mesh? or difficulty weeing?
Jan999 claire63612
Posted
claire that's not strictly correct about the TVT and rectocele repair performed together causing the vagina to be tight affecting intercourse. An experienced urogynaecologist will perform the surgery so sex will be comfortable. I have known young women (early 40's) have the surgery and intercourse is always discussed ie the vagina can be "fashioned" to make sex more fulfilling if they wish.
Jan999 robyn94818
Posted
It puzzles me as well robyn why they won't perform both at the same time and I can recall this being discussed on this forum some time ago. It must be the urogynaecologists personal preference.
Fi-45 claire63612
Posted
Hi. Last April I had a total hysterectomy removing my ovaries too, an A & P prolapse repair and a tvt all in one op. I have had a good recovery apart from some pain near pubic bone area which they think is inflammation of muscles over that area and I'm still having this investigated. My tvt has been the best thing I had done. No leakage. I still have urgency to go but op doesn't help that. But it's manageable. You have to rest after all ops and listen to your body and advice on here has been outstanding for my recovery. Good luck. X
claire63612 Fi-45
Posted
Thank you for your reply. It's good to know your TVT has been successful. Yes I will definitely rest after the op. I really took it easy for 8 weeks after my TVH and ant repair last year. My husband and my mum were brilliant. but I'm dreading going through it all again and having to rely on other people.
debrar claire63612
Posted
Hi Ladies,
I am 8.5 weeks post op from anterior, posterior repair and bladder sling (along with other procedure to suture my uterus in place after I opted out of removing it). I don't know if I had Tvt, but I know I had a bladder sling put in. This was all done done in one surgery, and oh yes, a perineorrhaphy, which is a perinem repair.
Perhaps doing just one or two procedures would have been easier than what I had done, but I'm not sure. Going through surgery twice seems worse. It wasn't even a consideration in the opinion of my surgeon. In fact, although he understood my reasons for not removing uterus, he warned that although he sutured it up, I may still have to deal with it in the future.
I will say that my bladder and bowel function has returned to normal - completely.
It is a long recovery though, much longer than I anticipated, so one surgery, in my estimation, would be the only way to go if possible.
My very best wishes to you. For reference, I am 49 and had two vaginal births.
claire63612 debrar
Posted
Thank you for your reply. I wasn't offered the option to suture my uterus into place. I wish I had been because I might have taken it - even though it might need removing in the furture. I was 50 at the time of my op and I think it was assumed there was no further use for it so out it must come! However in retrospect I do miss it and feel the absence of both uterus and cervix has affected my sex life. So good luck to you too. I hope you can hang on to it for a while yet.
debrar claire63612
Posted
Hi Claire, may I ask why/how you feel the absence of uterus and cervix? I'm just not sure I understand how it affects sex life. I would appreciate any insight as I worry about not having had uterus removed. I also stil wonder if this surgery was beneficial to me at all, so all thoughts and shared experiences are appreciated by me more than I can say
claire63612 debrar
Posted
Well we're all different and i can only tell you how I feel. I'll send you a personal message rather than write here on the message board.
jo1952 claire63612
Posted
Hi Claire
i had a TVT fitted six years ago and although I heard some negative things about this I decided to go ahead as I was so depressed with not being able to run without leaking. I couldn't cope with accepting the rest of my life with Tena pads.
i can safely say that it was the best thing I ever did. It's given me a new lease of life and I have not had any complications from that procedure.
oh and it hasn't affected sex in the slightest.
i am waiting now to go back in hospital for a posterior wall repair and although I have a slight prolapse in the anterior wall it was decided to leave that for now as I have the TVT there and they don't want to disturb that.
i feel the same way.
claire63612 jo1952
Posted
Thank you for replying. Yes it's the leaking whilst running that depresses me. I don't want to do marathons anymore but I'd love to run on the treadmill in the gym. At the moment I'm stuck on the cross trainer and walking fast up hill.
Glad your op was a success for you and good luck with your posterior repair too.