Vagina Repair?

[MsWhat]

Hi all!

Could I ask if anyone has had a surgical prolapse repair?
I've been told i have a grade 2 rectocele and a grade 1/2 Cystocele. I'm 8 weeks postpartum and 35 years old. I have completed my family.

Being told I have prolapsed has severely affected my mental health and I'm trying my best to not feel so bleak.

Have you had prolapse repair? What grade did you have? What was the recovery really like? Is it feasible to recover whilst looking after a baby?
Did you get the op on the NHS - How long was the wait?
Did you go private - What was the cost?

And how is everything now? Please, whoever can relate.... tell me everything!

Thank you in advance x

I don't want to read and run but just to say quickly that you're v v soon postpartum to think about surgery. I've had the exact same as you since I was 34 - now 40 and I've come to terms with it to a degree. I plan on putting off surgery for as long as possible and my GP agrees. There's a lot up in the air about mesh surgery at the moment.

It's so shit to have to deal with this. I know how you're feeling x

@SwimmingOnEggshells Thank you for the reply. What kind/ grade of prolapse do you have? Has it improved since you got it?
I've seen a lot about mesh but also that it can be done without? I think because I'm feeling so low about it all, I'm looking for hope. Or at least the experience of others to try and get me through this patch... x

Do not under any circumstances allow a doctor to put mesh in you. They are no longer FDA approved in the U.S. as of 2019 and have triggered lawsuits all over the world. So dangerous.

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/31/vaginal-pelvic-mesh-explainer

Are you on Facebook OP? There’s a very good prolapse support group on there.

@JaneEyress Yeah I've seen some horror stories.... Hopefully the no mesh options are as effective?

@Spudina Unfortunately I'm not on Facebook :(

I've recently been diagnosed with the same grades as you - my daughter is 7! I've lived a perfectly normal life since her birth - had to address leaking during exercise with some physio and I now wear a pessary support for running (half marathons) and can't go on a trampoline but I think you're panicking unnecessarily to be honest.

I’m waiting for surgery on the NHS. Had a uterine prolapse 2 years ago. DS is 6.5 now. I was grade 4 and was referred to a physio. I do pelvic floor exercises and now a grade 2. I have a consultant at a private hospital (I’m an NHS patient) The surgery is around £6000 in my area.
I’ve tried ring pessaries without success, I’ve had 4 which is disappointing as my mum got 1 and hasn’t had any problems since.
I haven’t enough tissue to support it so surgery is my only option. I last saw the consultant in November. He said he’d write in January. I heard nothing so I rang and his secretary said I should hear after June but that most women were waiting more than a year for an NHS operation.
In the meantime do your pelvic floor exercises, (there’s an app you can buy) that’s all the physio will tell you to do and don’t carry anything too heavy (unlike me who was piggy-backing a lazy 5 year old to school and back!)
I still work, walk about 40 miles a week. I sometimes get soreness and thrush. I learn all the time that there are things I can’t do (vacuuming, bowling, kick a football) you have to protect your prolapse when you sneeze or want to exert yourself but you’ll soon learn your limits.
See your GP, the doctor at my surgery has been fantastic, I couldn’t have asked for better care and support.

@FusionChefGeoff That's quite helpful to know. Do you wear the ring for running only? Or for other activities?

@Notwashingup it's comforting to know that it's possible to go down some grades. What are the consequences of you vacuuming etc? Is it a incontinence issue or does the prolapse bulge more? If you don't mind me asking

Just running although if I remember it's useful for a night out / festivals if some serious dancing is forecast

Honestly you're so recently post partum don't panic. You can do loads physically with physio exercises before needing to consider anything as drastic as surgery. Look at safe core exercises as well as traditional pelvic floor exercises as that muscle system is all connected - check out nourish move love on You Tube she's got some great post partum core stuff.

@MsWhat yes, the prolapse bulges more. Fortunately not got incontinence problems (yet)

Who told you you had a prolapse @MsWhat?

8 weeks is very very early in terms of healing.

My GP told me I had a rectocele abandon cystocele prolapse at 9 months pp. I was devastated. Referred to a specialist consultant who said it was normal wall laxity after a vaginal birth and not a prolapse at all!!! After 6/7 months of tri weekly pelvic floor physio my prolapse symptoms have gone. Things don't look like they used to down there but they never will again after a vaginal birth and a 3rd degree tear. But the symptoms are better. My physio likened it To blowing a balloon for the first time. It stretches then you let it down but it will never be as tight as the first time.

@Whatelsecouldibecalled Well when I first looked I saw I had a piece of flesh poking out so I really panicked and got an emergency appointment at my GP. My GP examined me but sent me across to the local hospital. A doctor there examined me laying down and said small prolapse at the back. This put me in a complete spin if I'm honest! I then had an existing appointment at the perineal clinic where the woman said the Protrusion was a snapped hymenal ring. Which made me feel better as I thought this was it.... but then I saw another GP who was a previous gyno who had a look with a weird instrument and told the grade 2 prolapses as listed in my original comment.
It's been an absolute whirlwind of depression.

I would love for this to be something that could be completely healed! But 2 doctors have told me prolapse now.... perhaps it could heal despite that??

I really think you need to Pursue physio to see if that helps before surgery. It is a whirlwind but physio could really help

You need a gynae physio ax and consultant gynaecologist appt to do a full assessment. But you are very early days and it may recover on its own. If not, there are lots of non surgical options to try first. Surgery should wait as long as possible as it often needs to be redone and can be less effective subsequent times.

I've been where you are. Try not to panic, but I totally understand the worry and distress it causes (been there).

I'm sorry you have this, what I have been advised is to drink prune juice to help with bowel movements and fybogel is also useful. I have also been told not to lift anything heavy for life even if I were to have an operation the same would apply. You could look up stressnomore website, under Prolapse support, see what might be suitable.