Any experience of ops to fix mistakes in stitching up after childbirth?

[HalfMumHalfBiscuit]

I went to the gynae consultant yesterday and he said I have scar tissue around the base of the entrance of my vagina. This scar tissue is where I tore and was stitched up while having DD by ventouse. This makes it v. painful to have sex. He said I can have it removed to make a more normal entrance. The entrance is currently too tight for comfort IYKWIM. DD is 5 months old.

He also wants me to have an MRI and those stretching things while we wait.

So does anyone know whether these operations make things better or is it not worth having them? Will it make more scar tissue? Will it be painful? Will I have a general anasthetic to have the op? Is there any other way to make the scar tissue go away or soften?

I will be v grateful to anyone with any experience of this.

Thank you.

I had similar problem after birth of DS, was too embarrased to go to GP until he was almost a year, and even then that was only because we wanted to try for baby number 2! Don't know what I was worried about as within 8 weeks I had a repair done, similar to what you are talking about, I had a local anesthetic which was quite weird being in theatre awake with the consultant chatting away! Recovered within 6 weeks and am pleased to say I am now 19 weeks pregnant. Good luck x

I found this thread really helpful when going through similiar. There are other treatment options; I can't remember them all but cortisone injections can help to break down scar tissue. There is a possibility of further scar tissue forming but your consultant should be able to give you more advice on the likliehood of that happening in your case. The majority of women seem to have a successful outcome though.

yes, I had it when DD1 was 6mo. GA, day case, looked a LOT better afterwards and sex not so painful. Let me know if you need to know anything else.

Wow. Thanks for these comments. Sounds like some positive experiences. Thanks so much.
Currently also a bit painful just when sitting so hopefully that will go too.

I hope you get it sorted soon. I know it is utter misery going through this at a time when you should be able to just enjoy being a new mum.

I still have to have my op but I found that there was a sudden improvement when DD was around 12 months old. I also had discomfort when sitting for a while but this has gone completely now.

I found the thread I linked to helpful because in RL I knew of no-one else who had or would admit to having these problems. MN made me realise that it is more common than yuo might think and that there are successful treatments out there.

I agree Benjoy, it is a lot more common than you would realise, simply because it is not one of those things you chat about at baby massage!

Sorry Benjy, I don't know how that rogue O got in.

Sorry to hijack OP, but Provincial Lady I LOVE EM Delafield too, and tried to use your username when I joined MN. I salute your good taste!

I have had a look at the thread. It is good to know other peoples experiences although some of their experiences are pretty awful . What we have to go through as women eh?

Too right biscuit. I've been left partly incontinent as well. sigh

Does it mean all future DCs will have to be delivered by CS to ensure "repair" is not undone?
Don't MWs/obs consulants not give full advice on stitching and what a "normal" recovery should be and what to do if you don't think you are recovering as you should?

Why thank you LittleSilver - clearly you are a woman of excellent taste Actually there are quite a few of us fans on MN.

gailforce, I was encouraged to have a CS but only because I also had a symptomatic 3rd degree tear. The fact that I'd ahda 2nd repair job wasn't the reason (actually, giving birth vaginally again helped it a lot; sex was sooo much less painful after DD2.

AS for your question about mws giving full advice on stitching chokes on coffee, er, no. Mws, in my experience, do not know anywhere NEAR enough about good quality suturing, how to do it, and the potential sequelae of it being done badly. Which is why I do not allow mws with a needle near my perineum, SpRs and consultants only. It was thanks to a mw that my 3rd degree tear was diagnosed as 2nd degree, and I had such a time of it.

Thanks Little Silver. Didn't see your comment earlier.

Gailforce - I have a DS and a DD and I am over 36. I haven't got the energy or the space for more DC's so a repair job is all I want. Don't even want to think about childbirth. Cannot even bring myself to watch One Born Every Min. (DS was an ECS so I begged for a natural delivery even though DD was back to back - and look where it got me).

I have also heard that having a DC after a tear can often make things better somehow but I am not going to try.

Little Silver - wierd thought you knew somehow (from my profile or something) that I had read Provincial Lady recently and .

Unfortunately it was the consultant who stitched me up wrongly. He did a grand job getting DD out with the ventouse but a rubbish job on the stiches .

Apparently part of the problem with stitches and scar tissue is that your body tries to patch things up and protect itself the best it can and makes it painful in some cases.

Just wondering if anyone else is going through this. I am sitting here aching. This week I have had to stop wearing jeans.

On the previous thread (linked by Benjy) they advise massaging the scar tissue to reduce it. Has anyone done this? Does it work? Also other people were advised to have sex once a week. I'm not feeling that brave at the min (although DH is up for it) but does anyone else find it helps?

The old thread is a couple of years old now. Do we know how any of those ladies are doing now?

I had this after DS and avoided sex for ages - I found it did actually help when I finally got round to it! I was very nervous though so just take it easy and see how it goes. Haven't had any problems since and DS now 2. PG again and hope it doesn't happen again, it is really depressing. It will get better though
x

I have heard of someone who had this problem, then went on to have the repair surgery. Definately worth it! Personally, I have to agree with littlesilver, no midwives with needles for me next time. I have a memory from childbirth, of laying with my legs in stirrups being stitched. I peer down at the business end, to see the MW with his head on one side and the tip of his tongue poking out with concentration, squinting at my nether regions. He gave them a prod with a finger, and left the room. He returned with another MW, who also squinted at my nether regions with head on one side, and also prodded experimentally! It turns out, that the stitching wasnt quite straight, and it looks a bit like a badly buttoned cardi down there. Thankfully it wasnt so bad, it hasnt had any adverse effects! Also being told that MW would just stick his finger into my bottom to check he hadnt sewn my back passage together, did nothing in my confidence in midwives with needles!!

iknowitsmad - at midwives!

Am feeling a little better today. I am going to try the massaging to see if that helps to break down the scar tissue.

We have all had a cold virus here and it made me feel a lot more pain in the damaged area.

oops dd needs urgent nappy change...

I had cortisone injections one year after first baby, as scar tissue was incredibly painful when attempting intercourse (which was never successful). It helped SO much, although I warn you that the injections themselves are really painful. You definitely don't need CS after injections or repair ops either, know quite a few people who've been 'done' and gone on to have normal deliveries. Good luck!