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AIBU?

To ask for successful prolapse repair surgery stories? Really struggling.

62 replies

Inghean2 · 03/10/2022 16:39

I'm 35 and have been diagnosed with a large rectocele and also uterine descent.

Exhausted physio and pessaries and now I've been given a date for surgery soon.

When I look it up, all I seem to find are cases where other prolapses appear after, or where surgery only lasts at most a few years then the repair fails and it comes back Sad

I'm in so much discomfort, and have such issues with bowels because of it, sex is a big problem. My quality of life is bad and looking up the stats and surgery stories is getting me down so much.

Sorry for the AIBU traffic-posting, I am just so scared and could really do with hearing some success stories where repairs (non mesh) lasted more than a few years.

Can't help but think if men had these issues there would be a cure by now..

OP posts:
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TheProvincialLady · 05/10/2023 21:39

Can you afford a private gynaecologist? I paid about £180 5 years ago and the repair operation was about £3k. Worth every penny. But I was very fortunate to be able to be able to do that I know.

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Wendyhoop · 05/10/2023 19:17

Anyone…..?

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Wendyhoop · 30/09/2023 09:46

@HotCoffee22 i did. I seen 3 of them as well. I was very disappointed at my last appointment when she told me she was discharging me. I expressed my concern and she said for me to go back to them if any other problems arise, I would have to go through the whole process again.
I am so disheartened. It makes me very upset. The process to get seen was so long and tiring. I’ve cried to the booking line ladies, I’ve cried to the gynaecologists, I’ve cried to the woman’s health physios. But yet they just let me go how I came.

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HotCoffee22 · 30/09/2023 08:28

Wendyhoop · 29/09/2023 23:16

Kindly needing advice on this ladies. I have noticed my prolapse as 4 years. After pestering the doctor to get referred, I finally did. Seen 3 different gynae doctors. They all said physio would solve it all and off I went for months. Here I am still in same position. I have been discharged from them and my last appointment they said it had improved so much they wouldn’t have to see me again. F*cking bull. It’s still same if not worse. I still have to insert my finger and pushing the bulge when I have to do a number 2. It breaks my heart that I’d possibly have to do this forever. My sex life is terrible too. I voiced this also to the doctor and she just told me I was paranoid. Erm no. I barely feel any grip if u know what I mean. @Ridingthegravytrain i am very interested in the surgery you had. Did u go private? I am 35 and done having children so I’m very open to surgery. This wasn’t suggested to me. When I suggested it they said they barely do it now as the success rate isn’t high and it has to be redone continually.

That sounds miserable.

Have you seen a woman’s health physio?

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Wendyhoop · 29/09/2023 23:16

Kindly needing advice on this ladies. I have noticed my prolapse as 4 years. After pestering the doctor to get referred, I finally did. Seen 3 different gynae doctors. They all said physio would solve it all and off I went for months. Here I am still in same position. I have been discharged from them and my last appointment they said it had improved so much they wouldn’t have to see me again. F*cking bull. It’s still same if not worse. I still have to insert my finger and pushing the bulge when I have to do a number 2. It breaks my heart that I’d possibly have to do this forever. My sex life is terrible too. I voiced this also to the doctor and she just told me I was paranoid. Erm no. I barely feel any grip if u know what I mean. @Ridingthegravytrain i am very interested in the surgery you had. Did u go private? I am 35 and done having children so I’m very open to surgery. This wasn’t suggested to me. When I suggested it they said they barely do it now as the success rate isn’t high and it has to be redone continually.

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Olderandolder · 13/06/2023 18:38

I had prolapse from DD1 when I was 34.

NHS told me to wait for it to get worse
i had surgery privately aged 46 and it helped at lot.

now I’m 53 and getting prolapse again. Nothing like as bad as it was before surgery.

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Rainbow2116 · 13/06/2023 17:57

@Bridget944 did you go ahead with surgery? I’m in the same situation :(

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OldFan · 16/11/2022 20:35

I know it's nothing compared to having a prolapse and might not be easy (maybe do at home depending if you have any continence issues) but for about a year my pelvic floor started being a bit odd, tampons falling out, having to push to wee etc. I started doing a bit of cardio and it happened to stop the issues virtually straight away. So a bit more low impact exercise might help.

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SewingWarriorQueen76 · 16/11/2022 20:22

There is an excellent Facebook group called Pop fitness which has lots of women with prolapsed. Full of good resources and support

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Wherediditallgo · 16/11/2022 20:06

@Bridget944 - sorry just realised you’d seen a gynaecologist. Definitely get a second opinion

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Wherediditallgo · 16/11/2022 20:04

@Bridget944 You can self refer to womens health physio. They are fantastic and know more than the doctors anyway. It’s a good starting point. I thought I was doing my pelvic floor exercises correctly but they were looking for a whole other level. They said if women had intervention early and correctly, it could help delay or prevent the need for surgery. Sadly I was too late. I would go privately if the waiting list is too long. Don’t be fobbed off with seeing a regular physio because it’s not the same.

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Whoneedsleep · 16/11/2022 08:00

@Bridget944 can you get a second opinion? I’m on the list for a private specialist because the NHS is a joke.

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Bridget944 · 15/11/2022 23:36

Hi guys I went to a gynaecologist a month ago and even thou I’ve got bad symptoms and even showed her a photo she said my prolapse is very mild (grade 1) (if that) and has told me to stop worrying. Very annoyed as I know it is far worse it’s effecting my day to day life and my cervix is just inside the opening I don’t know how she can’t see this!! Is there a scan that can show position of organs ?

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Notimetothink · 27/10/2022 10:22

I had my cystocoele, rectocoele, perineal repair and cervical amputation done through gynae and a vaginal approach 20 years ago.
It has pretty much all failed now but the only one giving symptoms is the rectocoele. Second time I was referred through colorectal department which was far better. For me the 1% risk of “catastrophic” failure with abdominal approach and mesh was not something I was prepared to take, so have opted for conservative management- Pilates, yoga, breathing, weight loss, womens health physio and high fibre diet to prevent constipation.
Its such a complicated area, I’m not sure there’s an ideal fix. My gynae did say that I should never have a hysterectomy though because my womb is plugging the large hole in my pelvic floor.

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Bridget944 · 26/10/2022 21:57

@mauvish i am on the route to see specialist and ask for treatment but I know my symptoms are severe. I’ve been doing pelvic floor muscles for years , I don’t smoke and im only 10 stone (size 8) so wouldn’t say I carry any extra pounds. I’ve used kegal 8 and also yoga. I just can’t take it anymore I need the fix. Physio doesn’t cure the prolapse it just makes your pelvic floor muscles stronger. My prolapse is definitely past that. It’s making me depressed. I’m looking into options of womb surgery without removing my womb

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TheProvincialLady · 26/10/2022 21:03

Thanks @Monkeytrousers04 for that very helpful explanation. It makes sense to me. The whole area got a general battering with pregnancy and traumatic childbirth.

Sorry @Inghean2 I missed your question about my age when I had the surgery. It was 41 and my child bearing days were well and truly over.

I do tend to agree with the advice that you need a consultation and a diagnosis rather than rushing to think about treatments just yet. You could probably go private for that for around £200. In my case the consultant works for the NHS too and can put women on her private or NHS list for surgery. Obviously there would be the wait for NHS surgery if that’s where you ultimately end up, but at least you wouldn’t have wasted a few months.

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mauvish · 26/10/2022 19:55

Bridget, I'm sorry if I'm wrong but it does sound a bit as though you're trying to second-guess what might be the best treatment for your problems; and no-one except a specialist who has talked to you and examined you is going to be in a position to make those suggestions.

You really need to get an accurate diagnosis first, THEN talk through all the treatment options and get information about what might be recommended for you and why (and why others might not be right for you).

Obviously I'm not your doc but I think it's unlikely that surgery of any sort will be offered unless and until you've explored all the suitable non-surgical options especially if you're planning on more pregnancies. So at the risk of sounding like a stuck record, I'm again going to suggest that you try to avoid constipation and straining on the loo; that you look at losing weight if you're carrying extra; and that, even if it's not ideal for your problems, you really hammer the pelvic floor exercises. Oh, and quite smoking if you're a smoker coughing is very bad for the pelvic floor! Otherwise you'll wait to be seen, then could be told to go away and try all those things for 3 months before anything more might be considered.

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Bridget944 · 26/10/2022 19:05

Has anyone had hysteropexy operation done? (Lifts the womb back into place)

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Monkeytrousers04 · 26/10/2022 00:01

TheProvincialLady · 25/10/2022 18:55

Pelvic floor exercises are never a bad thing and are best taught (IMO) by a specialist physio. But they tend not to be very helpful in rectoceole/entercoele because the problem there is not really with the pelvic floor.

I didn’t know that - what is the problem then, if not with the pelvic floor?

Think of a cylinder full of pressure inside you made up of your diaphragm at the top, pelvic floor at the bottom and abdominal muscles wrapping round the front. You need good postural alignment in order for this cylinder (core) to work as it should. If things are not aligned properly that pressure looks for an escape route - too much downwards pressure can cause prolapse, pressure elsewhere can cause diastasis recti/ hernia. Pregnancy throws our posture all off and creates extra pressure, hence women are more prone to these issues following pregnancy & child birth. Pelvic floor exercises are only part of the solution. They need to be paired with good posture/ alignment and supported by effective breathing techniques so as to better manage the pressure and enable your core to function as it should.

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Bridget944 · 25/10/2022 19:20

@mauvish thNkyou for taking time to respond. I feel my main symptoms are my womb and a bad rectocele:( so don’t know if it would be much help at all definitely want to look more down the surgical route ? Is the op the same sort of op if someone was to rip during child birth I wonder

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TheProvincialLady · 25/10/2022 18:55

Pelvic floor exercises are never a bad thing and are best taught (IMO) by a specialist physio. But they tend not to be very helpful in rectoceole/entercoele because the problem there is not really with the pelvic floor.

I didn’t know that - what is the problem then, if not with the pelvic floor?

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Monkeytrousers04 · 25/10/2022 15:48

The online programme is called Restore Your Core. You have to buy it but once you do you’ve got it for life. A series of 20-25min exercise videos that you go through in a sequence, slowly building up your core/ pelvic floor function and strength. The woman behind it is called Lauren O’Hayon and she has a website and YouTube channel so you can do taster vids, etc. The Facebook group is great - it’s called Restore Your Core Community and basically its made up of RYC teachers and clients and people who are just seeking advice. Lauren is also a member too. I don’t have a prolapse but I did have diastasis recti after three pregnancies and very little core strength due to three c-sections. I have completed the programme loads of times, I just go round and round again. Cannot recommend it enough. It’s an education and you’ve got to go with it and invest in it but it is worth it.

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HotCoffee22 · 25/10/2022 14:30

I also get a new one through the post and change it myself. I can and do take it in and out myself.

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HotCoffee22 · 25/10/2022 14:29

They are basically a semirigid plastic ring that sits in your vagina and holds the front wall up. They don't have to be taken out for sex but I've no idea how troublesome their presence during sex would feel for a man!

All I can say is my DH has asked if it’s there after intercourse - when it’s been in situ the whole time! So I don’t think he finds it problematic. I’m not what what happens to it? I can’t feel it during sex.

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mauvish · 25/10/2022 13:47

Ring pessaries can work very well for anterior vaginal wall prolapses (cystocoeles). They don't really work for posterior wall prolapses (rectocoeles/enterocoeles). They are fitted by a health care professional, as they come in a wide range of sizes and need to be fitted to the individual. In this country the ethos is then to leave them in place and have them changed every few months; in other countries, women are taught to take them out and put them back in themselves.

They are basically a semirigid plastic ring that sits in your vagina and holds the front wall up. They don't have to be taken out for sex but I've no idea how troublesome their presence during sex would feel for a man!

Pelvic floor exercises are never a bad thing and are best taught (IMO) by a specialist physio. But they tend not to be very helpful in rectoceole/entercoele because the problem there is not really with the pelvic floor.

Losing weight (if you're carrying too much) is ALWAYS a good idea - too much belly weight will simply put pressure on your internal organs and push them downwards and if your pelvic floor is weak or damaged, there's your prolapse. And don't let yourself get constipated; if your bowels are overfull then again they can press on the pelvic floor, and straining on the loo also causes damage.

It's highly unlikely that surgery would be carried out if someone plans to have more children; as someone else said upthread, pregnancy itself causes issues, not just the delivery. But maybe other options like these will help with your symptoms, OP.

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