Need to get 2nd degree tear restitched - recommendations?

[cardamomginger]

Hi Everyone,
Gave birth to DC1 last month and sustained a second degree tear, which has since become infected and has opened up . Infection has yet to clear up, but when it has I will be looking at getting it restitched [yuck face]. My health insurance will cover this. Can anyone recommend someone in London to do this? Any particularly good experiences? Thanks in advance!

I'm sorry to hear that you are going through this, it seems too common.

I had mine done a couple of weeks ago - not in London though. It was done by a urogynecologist who was recommended by one of the other consultants at the hospital.

I would recommend using a stool softener as I managed to break open the surface stitches of my repair a couple of days later. Even so I don't have a hole anymore and I am much less sore.

Other suggestions - take it really easy for quite a while, get help with your baby. Take lots of pain killers.

I had taken 4 weeks of antibiotics, this takes its toll and I ended up with thrush - keep a look out for it.

I am not sure where she is but first1 mentioned a specialist on this thread who might be in London.

My health insurance wouldn't pay for this as it was directly related to childbirth.

Thanks for advice - read your posts on the asking ofr an elcs thread - so sorry you have had such a horrid time. Hope things heal soon and well for you. Am seeing GP again tomorrow and will press for consultant referral - now have the joy of a UTI as well [thoroughly fed up and utterly f*ed off face]. Sucks that your health insurance wouldn;t cover it.

If you're breastfeeding they won't restitch - I was referred by GP and sent back by consultant. That said it healed itself - called granulation (natural stitching).

Same happened after second delivery, I just left it alone (kept an eye out for infection and showered after every wee!) and the granulation happened again.

why won't they restitch if bf?? if they are prepared to stitch initially why should it be different for a restitch? how long did it take to heal by itself? do you think it healed well and as you would like it to have? sorry if this is asking for TMI!!

I'm sorry to say I didn't ask which is really unlike me. The consultant was a bit peeved that the GP had sent me to him and said the young GPs didn't seem to know this fact. I assumed it would interfere with lactation, and maybe it doesn't at the time of birth because you haven't really got going.

It healed fine. I don't know how long it took, but it was past the 6 week check. Frankly, I was so tired I didn't need to know for quite a while, if you get my drift.

I am going back 7 years for the consultant appointment, but it's only 20 months since 2nd 'unstitch' - that time the midwife confirmed what he had said.

Do ask your health professionals, but don't worry about it if they say leave it to nature - it sounds odd but it does work.

Glad you healed OK. GP took another look this morning, shook her head gravely and sighed "oh dear" before referring me to consultant who I am seeing at the end of next week. We shall see.... Strangely she says that all the swabs come back negative. Can only think that they've not been done right somehow, given that I'm leaking pus everywhere. Now starting 4th course of antibiotics..... Am following the "what do you need to do to get an ELCS" thread with interest !!

That sounds awful you poor thing. I too was left to heal 'naturally' after my stitches fell out a day after the birth . Although painful it did all heal by the 6 week check and it all seems to be OK now a year down the line. I did need ABs to prevent an infection too.

Don't want to question the pain you are in, but are you sure it is pus leaking? The granulation and healing process releases a lot of yellowish discharge. It shouldn't smell though - if it does it seems an infection is likely.

My midwife gave me some spiel about how most owmen the world over don't have access to medical facilities for birth, so wouldn't be stitched - and apparently they all heal fine . I was told they very rarely re-stitch and would wait at least 6 months post birth before assessing if any 'correction' needed to be done. Fortunately it didn't come to that for me.

My stitches came undone and I had the most disgusting gaping wound for want of a less graphic description. The only person who was any help was a tissue viability nurse who knows what happens when wounds heal.
As lion says I had a lot of what looked like pus but didn't smell or seem like pus on closer inspection - TVnurse said it is slough sluff (stuff your body makes to heal).

8 weeks and it is nearly healed and I didnt get a restitch

oh that's interesting - might not be pus... had bad smell a couple of weeks ago, although it is a lot less now. it is still very red and inflamed and painful. will see what consultant says and hopefully uti will have gone by then. will bear in mind asking to see a tvnurse. thanks for the info and advice - glad things are healing. not sure what to make of the mw comment re everyone healing ok in countries with no medical care - why then is there a big problem with unrepaired fistula in these countries...???

" mw comment re everyone healing ok in countries without medical care" - that's utterly ridiculous IMO. Just like the NCT mantra that childbirth is all natural and therefore wonderful. It's also 'natural' for lots of women to die in childbirth where there's no access to medical care, but they handily brush that under the carpet...

I got restitched by Miss Michelle Fynes - I cannot recommend her enough, she's fantastic. I had the surgery at Parkside Hospital, Wimbledon but she is also Lead Director or Urogynaecology at St George's NHS Hospital, Tooting. Can't recommend her enough!

*of

thanks! sorry you needed a restitch - but glad it was done well! x