Has anyone had a vaginoplasty?

[MumtoBen]

I am on the waiting list to have a vaginoplasty in Sept 06, following damage to my vagina (probably from forceps, an internal tear and an internal haematoma) during childbirth in Feb 05. This is an operation to have your vagina reconstructed. Has anyone else had this operation? How long did it take to recover? Was it successful?

How absolutely bloody awful! Sounds horrendous. i had forceps and episiotomy and although I didn't have sex for 10 months post-birth it did heal up well and I have had no problems apart from a bit of laughing/coughing incontinence (which I think a lot of women have post-natally regardless of how they gave birth - more Kegel exercises!)

Fluppy - am not sure if we are allowed to name hospitals but I live in the Bristol area.

I am reliving my birth experience over and over again. I will not get over this until I have my operation and (hopefully) everything is sorted out.

The consultant keeps asking me if I am going to sue the hospital. Not sure if she is hinting that I should.

Ah no, I'm Cambridge.

I'm 18 months post. I suffered from stress and anxiety relating to the birth for some months, and it did definitely improve as I started to resolve some of the lasting physical problems (e.g. through the Fenton's procedure).

I must admit, though, I can't say the trauma is totally resolved, as I am lying awake at nights again at the moment due to a combination of two friends being about to have their babies, and my own current dilemma about whether to go ahead with another pregnancy. Like you, it would have to be a section, and it's hard to trust the team to perform major surgery after the list of errors last time.

Although it's not my area, friends of mine who work with people with PTSD tell me that birth trauma is (worryingly) common. You have my absolute sympathy, MumtoBen, because I know exactly what it is like to be left shaken to the core, and having to work so hard to get the right treatment for the physical injuries. I felt damaged, in every way, for such a long time. But these past few months have been really different. Let's hope the surgery helps you - mine really made a lot of difference to me.

Of course, you will have to do whatever you feel is right for you, with regard to legal action. For me, as I said below, abandoning the matter was essential for me to move on, especially since it was clear that legal action wouldn't achieve what we hoped. However, your situation sounds easier to quantify than mine - some of the issues are quite clear-cut - so you might feel it is worth pursuing and that this would give you a more complete sense of finishing the matter.

On the matter of stress relating to the birth, it is (of course) perfectly normal to experience reliving the episode, associated anxiety etc. for some time after the event, but if you find it doesn't sort itself out gradually over time, do ask your GP for a referral to a psychologist.

Crossing my fingers for you in your op!

MumtoBen, I'm so sorry to hear about your awful experience. Big {{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}

MumToBen - yes, i would say she is hinting....

I am amazed at how bad everyone's experiences have been with British hospitals - I thought we were supposed to have fab maternity services compared to some countries but reading everyone's posts here i'm beginning to wonder how the NHS gets away with such scandalous care! I am considering complaining about my treatment but it was 6 years ago so would they even still have my notes?

they should do, thirty something - I think they would have to keep maternity notes for at least 21 years, given that if there was any legal action on behalf of the child, the child would have 3 years after they were 18 to begin legal action.

agree with Blu M2B, re:hints about suing.

Thought I would update what is happening. Went to see the 2nd consultant my gynae consultant hoped would operate with her, as she doesn't have the expertise to do the surgery on her own. The 2nd consultant said there is nothing physically wrong with me. I explained that the pain is only on one side, so it can't be in my mind. Also the 1st consultant has located an abnormality on 2 separate occasions, so I know it is not in my mind. He also said I would have to live like this for the rest of my life. And also said that my episiotomy scar is "ugly" but there is nothing he can do, even though it is still sore. He has referred me for an MRI scan, but there is a waiting list of 6 months.

I am absolutely devastated. Not sure how long I can carry on like this. Feel I am back to nearly square one. Been to see my GP, and she is going to write to the 1st consultant to see if she can find another consultant to operate.

Just read this. MumtoBen I am absolutely appalled. I have only just read this thread because I have to admit I'm a bit scared to read threads like this, because it brings back my own traumatic birth.

Anyway... How do you CAT someone? I'd like to suggest you contact someone who really supported me when I tried to make a formal complaint against my hospital, and I am certain either she could help you, or she would know someone who can. I don't want to give her details out here though.

I am totally horrified, time and time again, by what I read on here about maternity 'care' in the UK. It's a complete disgrace, and none of us should have to put up with it. You have my complete sympathy. I am sure you will find another consultant, but you must feel terrible at the moment.

MumtoBen, sorry I don't have any advice to offer but I am completely horrified by your story. I know you have said you don't want to take legal action and I can quite understand why but I was just wondering if you have spoken to any legal people? I think you deserve compensation, not least so you can pay to have some one else investigate the "repairs". Why don't you contact these people www.irwinmitchell.com/Personal/PersonalInjury/ and discuss whether you have a claim? Perhaps it won't have to go to court at all. I hope this doesn't come across as me telling you what do. I'm just appalled that you have been left with these injuries and treated so badly by the hospital. I really hope you get some helpful advice from MN. Good luck.

sorry that the second consultant was so unhelpful.

I wanted to update the thread, in case any of the kind mumsnetters (especially Fluppy) who replied were still reading.

I went to my GP a while ago after my last horrific appointment with the consultant. She gave me some anaesthetic cream to numb the area to enable me to have pain-free sex. It worked amazingly well! And somehow after nearly 17 months I have finally almost completely healed internally. I wonder if being able to have sex has somehow stretched the scarring and it has healed.

I had my MRI scan a while back, thanks again to my GP. But haven't had the results. My GP has repeatedly written to and phoned the consultant and they are ingnoring her messages. The hospital is just useless in all areas of antenatal, peri-natal and post-natal care. It is a disgrace. I do not ever want to set foot in the door for the rest of my life.

Thanks to a wonderful GP I finally nearly physically healed and am starting to come to terms with my delivery.

I was wondering about one, I take it you're having one on the nhs???
I may go and speak to my gp about it as I have had a look down there after having dd and i'm not sure all is as it should be??? I'm not sure what its supposed to look like after having a baby and i'm sure its different for everyone, but it did look like it was collapsing in on itself?!?!?! Things like this should be in a book of what to expect, I didn't expect it to be the same as before, but I wish I had some reference or guidelines.

mtb, really shocked to read what you went through... v pleased to hear things have got better for you recently. have you thought about counselling in respect of your awful experience... my good friend was eventually diagnosed with ptsd a couple of years after traumatic birth. counselling enabled her to move on and have second baby (and positive birth experience). good luck whatever you do.

mtob - good news that your healing xxx you are so strong to get through this. I admire your courage xxx

JellyNump - The operation would be on the NHS. I'm not sure if I need one now, as it's much less painful. I assume there is still a lot of scar tissue and the muscles are still torn apart. But until I get to see someone again (don't know when) I won't know. The problem was I couldn't find anyone experienced enough willing to operate. And I live in a major city with 2 very large hospitals. I would get your problem checked out though. I had a similar problem for about 4-5 months, and they think it was a haematoma which has caused all the subsequent problems.

The problem is that no one talks about things like this and the consultant say it's very rare (although I think maybe women are just too embarassed to come forward, I have at times felt humiliated by the way I have been examined and spoken to).

Controlfreaky - have thought about counselling. I think I am through the worst now, the bad days are getting fewer and fewer. I have looked at some of the birth trauma websites and am sure I have had ptsd.

MumtoBen, thanks for referring me to this thread !!
I was horrified reading your story and thanksfully mime is not as bad as that.
However, I am one these mums who haven't said anything to their GP or DH because ... well, I don't know really (just ashamed, don't talk about that sort of subject ???). The times where my DH and I have sex just stayed very rare since the birth of DS1 3 years ago. I found it very unconfortable after my episiotomy but knew that I was supposed to wait at least a year. I had PND so though that everything was in my head and when I got pregnant again, I just went of sex completely.
It took me another 10 months after DS2 to go to see my GP who was LOVELY. She referred me to the gynecologist and I am waiting to see her this July.
The Fenton's procedure is the only one that I ever heard about and I am please to heard that it is much easier to recover from it that with an episiotomy!!! I was SO scared that was my only way out and had to endure another 10 months being in pain when having sex.
Just another comment. I did put 2 posts in the health category before on that subject and had no answer at all. What a shame that so few people dare talking about it !! Hearing stories like these would have given me the courage to go to see my GP a long time ago.

I had my second child 3 years ago. As he was 9lb 1oz i tore quite badly. With my first baby i had an episiotomy with forceps and that healed ok. With the tear i had approx 80 stitches. Ever since then i have been so unhappy with the area. on the right side is a big bump of scar tissue. My partner and i have only had sex a handful of times since and i feel so not sexy. I have finally phoned my GP today to make an appointment to see someone about this. I hope they can repair the damage as i just want to be normal again. Do you think is will be the Fenton's Procedure?????? Not sure what this entails.

Oh, oh, oh, how awful. Just reading these things makes me suck in my pelvic floor muscles. I have had a stitch or two come out of the episiotomy scar (unless they stitched just one end and the other, as an earlier post indicated), and what seems like some ripping inside the vagina itself (tampons seem to eventually wiggle out sideways - not pleased to have started periods again despite breast feeding!). I am also sure there was some tearing in the anus, as there is sometimes blood with a big p--. But doctors who have examined me said, oh, no, nothing there.

The gynaecologist I was referred to is not very helpful. He examined me internally, and told me to do pelvic floor exercises, but just says vague things like: We can do an operation but there is a danger that it will be uncomfortable to have sex. I asked how would they know whether it would be, and he just said it was hard to tell. He also wasn't able to say whether it would affect a future vaginal delivery if I had one of these. Again, hard to tell. I asked how I was supposed to make a decision, and he just repeated what the options were. I am not convinced he knows the extent of damage, or that he has given me anything like full information (probably not all the options, either).

It seems from my experience and other posts that it is necessary to push for second opinions on these things, as there are a lot of gynaecologists who are just messing about, relying on us to just accept what happens and what we are offered, as we don't know any better.

At my last appointment, the gyn asked me whether I wanted the operation (just stitching, not vaginoplasty) or not, so I bought another 4 months to "practice pelvic floor exercises" while seeking more information.

Very sorry for the long post. Hope you are all well.

Winged Victory - could you get a second opinion? I had a dreadful gynae who told me that the pain was all in my head () but I was able to get referred to another doctor in a different hospital on the NHS.

Hi MumtoBen,

I am appalled at the "care" you received. May I congratulate you on not being a complete gibbering wreck after all that?

I had a pretty awful experience myself and know how hard it is to move on whilst your issues are unresolved, it's quite heartbreaking. I had 2 x Fenton's procedures (first one bodged) and will happily tell you about it but just wanted to check if it was relevant first? I get the feeling it's specifically vaginoplasty not perineal repair info that would help?

If you have a spare 75 hours(!) here's a link to a recentish thread about Childbirth injuries, (which actually has all my experience on anyway) which could help you with some of the issues surrounding your impending op... here

Please try to get your GP on side as well, mine was so appalled when I told her how the hospital were fobbing me off with injections when I clearly needed an op, she pressured them. They gave me an op four months away, and she complained again and they "suddenly" found a date two weeks after. Maybe yours might help?
She also sorted me out with cognitive therapy which tbh brought me back from a very dark, frightened state of mind.

I think it's really positive that you are able to talk about "next time". I wasn't sure there would be one, but am happy to say that I'm nearly 6 months PG and am having a C/S for the reasons you are.

You will get there, and one day your life won't feel completely medicalised anymore - be brave in the meantime because you can do it

I think we will try for a second opinion, thanks! This thread has been amazing; I hadn't heard of most of these procedures, and even though it's a horrible place to be in company with others, the solidarity is really helpful. Good luck with everything, everyone, and thank you to MumtoBen for starting this thread, even though it was 2006! Hope all is better by now.