Any Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery success stories?

[littlecabbage]

I have a grade II cystocoele and a grade I rectocoele (following instrumental delivery during childbirth). I am going to see my GP soon to ask for referral to a women’s healh physio to help with my symptoms, but have been told I will need surgery at some point.

It’s very easy to find negative stories about surgical repairs breaking down, and how they become more and more difficult to repair each time, but I am hoping this is just because women are more likely to post when things have gone wrong and it is on their mind more.

Has anyone had surgery to improve/resolve POP and had (so far) a good outcome? How long ago did you have the surgery? How old were you? What type/grade of prolapse(s) did you have beforehand? Did you do pelvic floor physio before and/or after, and did that help? Do you do any high impact exercise now, or is that too risky? Are your symptoms completely resolved, or just improved?

Thanks for any info you are able to share.

[Scientistic]

I have one but no-one ever said what grade so I'm not sure. They didn't say it need surgery at any point but I do worry that I will. I had physio for pelvic floor. It did help and I do try my best to keep it up. I also do exercise I'm not supposed to but I figure my overall health is also extremely important.

It sucks doesn't it. I think a lot more people have them than you realise but it's not spoken about publicly very often. For me it's the humiliation angle that worries me the most and I was worried about dh thinking everything was ruined!? But he's a good guy and couldn't care less!

You can get pelvic floor exercisers now with apps. I can't remember the name of the biggest one - eevie maybe? Also nhs so a squeezy app wkth is helpful.

[TightropeWalk]

I have a grade 3/4 cystocele and have managed it for 13 years to avoid surgery as long as possible (I have also had unexpected children in that time.) it’s as good as it can get without surgery. Still not pleasant but manageable. Both my mum and sister had repair surgery (mum at 45, sister at 27) both repairs lasted between. 8-10 years. My mum had hers redone 2 years ago and the scarring was so bad they were unable to do the planned operation and she has been left with worse issues and advised further surgery which she is adamant she doesn’t want. My sister is now 39 and struggling to find the time off work to have her repair redone.
It’s completely put me off, despite the unpleasantness of having a prolapse. It just seems like a luck based out come. And even my gynaecologist has said the older the better as the repair won’t last forever.

[Lwg87]

I have a rectocele too and am still to scared to go down surgery route! Following!

[littlecabbage]

Hmmm, so no success stories so far....

(But thanks for posting your stories so far).

[littlecabbage]

Err, bump?

[itsbritneybeyatch]

I had a really bad uterine prolapse and had it repaired two yrs ago (with mesh). Massive improvements but it’s not perfect (I still feel the bulge once every month for about 5 days and it has limited my lifestyle ( I used to run regularly and now I can’t). Glad I had it done though.

[Airbiscuits]

I had rectocele repair 5 years ago. It hurt like hell afterwards, but has been brilliant. I can run again (couldn't with it as it felt like I needed to go, even if I'd just been - was horrible) and poo normally, and no issues at all so far. I am 45.

I also have a cystocele but elected not to have it done as the doc was sceptical it would help much (I don't have bad issues there) and a sling can increase risk of incontinence, he said.

Same as you, damage caused by instrumental birth. What makes me mad is that I had to get it all done privately. My GP was just all "oh yeah, that happens" and didn't even think worth bothering to do anything about until I pushed for it, even though my insurance covered it.

[BeyondRadicalisationPortal]

I had grade 2/3 rectocele and grade 1 cystocele, I have EDS and I'm in my early thirties.

I had transvaginal repair (no mesh) of the rectocele in November 2016, they decided to leave the cystocele until it is worse, and using non-mesh meant the possibility of mesh repairs remained available for the future (I know there have been many problems with mesh repairs, however I have had one with no problems for an inguinal hernia so I'm remaining optimistic if it needs doing in future!). There were problems immediately after surgery - I developed an infection (should really have been on prophylactic ABs as I'm immunosuppressed...) and my stitches ripped - but since then the improvement is immense. It is still not perfect (possibly cause they decided not to restitch the rip...) but I'd definitely say getting it done was positive overall :)

[Branleuse]

im really interested in this. Apparently im prolapsed front and back. I seem to manage it ok if I keep my weight down. Weights crept back up a bit lately and i can feel it all feeling worse down there again.
Surgery was suggested to me a few years back but I bottled out. Im now thinking I need to go back to the doctors as I dread getting coughs or colds as I become incontinent, and also in the run up to my period its worse. I would love to hear some success stories, as the whole thing terrifies me, but If im like this in my early 40s, I dread to think what ill be like in my 60s and 70s

[GoatWoman]

This has happened to me and I'm only 44!
My appointment with the Gynae isn't until October so I'll know what my options are then. The worst thing for me is not being able to exercise properly, its so depressing.

Has anyone tried a pessary?

Also, do we know if this is a problem with women who've had ELCS? There's no way I'd have had 'natural' (bollocks to that) delivery.

I'm so fucking angry and I'm questioning all my feminist principles. As in my body is interior to a mans. I feel disposable and like what was the fucking point? No wonder men are laughing at us. It's just all so shit

[GoatWoman]

Sorry for the typos and being so depressing.

[BeyondRadicalisationPortal]

Goat, apparently it is the weight of pregnancy that causes the main problems, the delivery is just an additional risk. I was diagnosed while pregnant with dc2 and told by the consultant that if the damage was already done, a second vaginal delivery would have negligible difference to an ELCS.

[BeyondRadicalisationPortal]

Another thing that may be important, obviously there's an effect on exercise so it could be causing weight gain rather than caused by it, but I was worried going into surgery as I was classed obese: The nurse laughed and said I was definitely on the skinnier end of their usual patients...!

[Branleuse]

thats interesting. I have gained quite a bit of weight in all my pregnancies, and then lost it again (my first pregnancy i went from a size 10 to a size 20+ - no idea how much I weighed as I was scared to look) I just ballooned. With myothers it was less, but it was still probably around 4 or 5 stone.

[INeedAnAero]

I'm 8 weeks post repair.

My wonderful surgeon stitched through my ureter causing my kidney to dilate. Was left in utter agony then had to have an emergency surgery to have the suture removed then a stent put in my ureter for 5 weeks. Pissing blood for 5 weeks and constant pain on top of recovery from repair.

Hell.

Don't do it unless you absolutely have no other options.

[GoatWoman]

Ok thanks everyone. I'm going to hopefully try the pessary thing.

[CornishFairing]

Following - I went to the gp yesterday about my rectocele. Had a very long labour and back to back delivery with some grade 2/3 tears. Gp examined and said she will refer me for surgery after dc2 (I told her I'm currently trying to conceive).

I'm in 2 minds about surgery and will have to see what the damage is after dc2 (if lucky enough to have dc2)! I may post phone for as late in life as possible , or it might get a lot worse and need repairing ASAP....


Sorry not much help.... I created a long thread about pop recently and there are some success stories there , will link

[CornishFairing]

Is called a cone pessary apparently. But my go did advise that an area of distinct sagging may not be helped much by PFE.

If wanting to do PFE anyway there is a good app called Squeeze

[BeyondRadicalisationPortal]

Another memory popped into my head... relevant to any other EDsers only really... the gynae commented that my pelvic floor itself was ridiculously strong, it was just that the connective tissue surrounding it was buggered. No amount of PF exercise would have helped me.

[SchrodingersMeowth]

I have an external mucosal prolapse that causes bleeds,, intususseption, rectocele, cystocele, enterocele, kink in my urethra, falling bladder/uterus and something up with my cervix (they keep commenting that it’s “huge/massive”.

27 with a connective tissue disorder that makes surgery difficult but need it so I’m watching with interest :(

[SchrodingersMeowth]

Oh I see there’s other EDSers here already!!

[SchrodingersMeowth]

And also have a ridiculously strong pelvic floor lol.

Also forgot about the neurogenic bladder, currently have suprapubic catheter.

[itsbritneybeyatch]

I’m not exactly sure what issues a colleague had with her prolapse but I know that she had a laser treatment (privately) and she said she felt like a new woman afterwards.

[OhBergine]

Gosh there aren't many positive stories are there?!

I'm on the waiting list for surgery. I'm 30 and have a bladder & bowel prolapse after having 2 babies almost back-to-back (apparently it was the pregnancies and not the deliveries which caused the damage). Im not incontinent (hurrah) but it is uncomfortable enough to prevent me from exercising as I used to. Am a size 8 too so not weight related, just unlucky .

I'm still going to go ahead as my mother had hers repaired (with a "tape" (TVT)) about 15 years ago and she says it was the best thing she ever did. She was comfortable days afterwards and has had zero problems. Hoping it will be the same for me.

[Branleuse]

BeyondRadical - do you mean ehler danls?