New thread for those having/had posterior or anterior repairs, TVT, rectocele and all the other down below stitchups

[MissingMySleep]

Hello ladies, I hope you find this, I don't want to lose my pre-op and post-op buddies!!

Bless! I Didn't mind people coming to the hospital; but then I work there, and I was asleep most of the time anyway. It was when I got home... didn't really want to see anyone. I think you feel a bit like an animal and want to hide under a hedge until its better!
Lolly spinals are really very straight forward. The anaesthetist will either get you to lie on your side with your legs tucked up, or get you sitting up and get you to pop your chin on your chest and bend forward a little bit. Then they give you a local anaesthetic injection into the skin (TINY needle, some people don't feel it at all). Then with a special spinal needle he/she will find the place to put the local anaesthetic for the spinal block; and inject it in. Some people say it starts feeling like you're sitting in a puddle of warm water. Then they'll get you on your back, and wait for the local anaesthetic to work. they won't do anything until they know its worked; and you know its worked when you can't lift your legs! It will last for plenty of time for them to do the surgery, and to keep you comfortable afterwards for a while. You'll definitely have a catheter, but you more than likely would anyway. Its a great way to have an anaesthetic- I would have had no qualms about having one, but I wanted to be completely out of it! They will probably ask you if you'd like to be a bit sleepy, and offer you a bit of sedation. No breathing tubes or anything, but you would have a little see-through oxygen mask. Hope that helps!

Cloppy yes I had a lot of pain in the right side where the TVT is, but it did finally settle down. The left side has never been any real bother. I believe someone mentioned a long time back in this thread about surgeons needing to avoid the muscles/nerves, so if on one side they haven't avoided as well as they needed to, we get that sharp pain. It was a real bother, but it did go. Until last week that is...!! A car knocked me off my bike and the saddle will have bashed my bits, and the right side of the TVT is aching and grumbling, but I am confident it will clear up as before.

Everglades sorry you are still having problems. I haven't been back to the doc yet, but wonder if some medication might help. Do you have to take them forever or just for a while to retrain the body

Cantbelieve... I was pleased to see people to be honest, as I was bored just lying about. I was in for 5 days I think and it was nice to see smiling faces, plus a lot of them bought crap magazines for me to read which was great as I was too tired to read my book. Hope that makes sense. And just like ToTheStars, I didn't want to see anyone when I got home I just wanted tea and telly and lots of meds. and lots of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Oh thank you Missing, that has made me feel more hopeful! Sick of the laxatives, either straining or the trots just want to find a happy medium!

Thanks so much for all your help..I am due to see stroke doc on 21st October so I am going to ask him if I can have this done with a spinal, it does sound like it is the best way to go for my problems..Good luck with your surgery cantbelieve will be thinking of you x

Thank-you Lolly. I will let you know how it goes before you see your Dr on 21st-I hope to be out on 19th Only a week away and I'm trying to pack a lot in. Main problem is not being able to sleep-awake around 4.30am. I guess that's normal although I don't feel I'm worrying but it's always there.

Thanks again cantbelieve, if you can manage to let me know before the 21st I would be very greatful..Been trawling websites trying to find info on this type of op with a spinal block but all of them seem to be epidurals with births..One question maybe someone could answer is how long the op takes? I have no idea if its 30 mins 1 hour 2 hours but I do suppose it depends on the severity oh well
I know what you mean about sleep, think its the fact thats its always there in the back of your mind, not suprising really when you think about it, it's not exactly the most pleasant thing to have wrong in the first place, that itself is hard to cope with...:(
Take care and wishing you a speedy recovery xx

My op (posterior repair) took about an hour and I was in recovery for about 40 minutes I think. A spinal block is a bit like an epidural; the local anaesthetic just goes in a different space. The main difference is that they put a little tube into the epidural space so that they can top up with more anaesthetic- the spinal is a one-shot job, but lasts for plenty of time for the surgery. Hope everyone's okay today! x

Lolly re the catheter I completely agree with Footle, ie that is how it was for me. I dreaded it, and in the end I loved being able to lie in bed, drink LOADS and not have to get up to pee. It was no big deal it coming out. The vaginal packing coming out was a bit of a shock but over quickly.

Re the length of the op, I was booked in for TVT and posterier repair that was scheduled for 1.5 hours. The TVT on its own can be done in half an hour.

In the end there was other stuff that needed doing and it took 2.5 hours, but that was because my darling children both clawed their way out and ripped my pelvic floor in half. Hooray now I have a pelvic floor. And a perineum. And it's all healed up nicely..

ah thanks footle. Now if only I hadnt got knocked off me bike......I was painting fences and being all fit and healthy before that, now I am limping about at the speed of a geriatric snail argh

Hi everyone just a few days until my op and I'm feeling fairly cool now. I've been hearing very good things about th surgeon from other women who've used his services. He's a perfectionist-hooray. And I don't need to be at the hosp til 11.30am so can have a big bowl of porridge for breadfast-nice slow burn carb to keep me going and a lovely bath
Did anyone wear those horrid compression stockings when they got home? information seems vague and conflicting
Lolly-my surgeon hasn't been interested in my anaesthetic choice; seems I just tell them when I get there

Well TVT pain much better and now pain has moved to my perineum! I seem to have a hard lump there now and it feels very bruised. I wonder if I have been doing too much lately or if it is some sort of infection- any ideas or experiences like this ? I am determined to put my feet up more today and have more rest

oh yes I wore the lovely stockings for over a week. So attractive. But better that a DVT (a friend has just had a serious one of those, you don't wanna do that..!!)

Clopper the perinium will be lumpy and bruised for ages, but it does down slowly.

But... the more you can put your feet up the better. It seems that everyone overdoes it, and suffers afterwards. Cos we feel ok, so we crack on with life, then wish we had rested. If you can put your feet up regularly, then do!!

xx

Just found this thread, I have a cyctocele, not confirmed by a doc yet, but as a midwife I know what a vagina should feel like and what it should deffinatly not feel like! I am also experiecing some of the realted symptoms, in particular urgency and frequent need to pass urine.

Can I ask how long people waited from their first consultation to surgery and also if it is just a straight forward cyctocele repair how long the stay in hosiptal was? This is the one thing that is putting me off the surgery, I have four children, an older one with ASD and three younger ones (6, 4 and 2), I really cannot face a long inpatient stay and would much prefer to rest for longer at home after the op if possible.

I am sure all the answers are on the thread but it may take me a while to read through all 33 pages of, what looks like, amazing support :)

hello curlywurly and welcome.I haven't had surgery yet but it seems the stay is 48 hours for pretty well all this type of surgery.It's hard to know until you've seen the consultant what's going to need doing and I guess waiting time varies from area to area-not usually considered as urgent though.The 6 weeks off work seems the same too for however much work needs doing. I'll know more next week when I become post rather than pre.
had a blood test yesterday and my arm swelled up-doen't bode well!!

I was in 5 days but had different op, so not much use to you...

Thanks cant, missing and footle. I have an appointment with my gp at the end of next week so will try to read through th thread(s) and let you know what she says after I have seen her. I am feeling much more positive already, what a great support network you have built :)

Hi curlywurly. I first went to my gp in Nov, had my first hospital consultation in Jan, and had the actual op in June (was supposed to be May but got cancelled). I had a rectocele repair, but had it done in day surgery. When I awoke the cathetar had already been removed and I didn't have any packing. I went into hospital at 12.30pm and was at home by 6.30pm the same day. The consultant only did it in day surgery because I asked, and did say that I may still have to stay in if any complications had arisen. It is worth asking whether there is a possibility of day surgery for your procedure.
I particularly hate hospitals because was in for 5 days with first birth (due to serious blood and urine infections following forceps delivery) and even had a home birth second time round because of it, so was glad only to be in for a few hours.
I would also agree with the 6 week recovery time. I barely left the house for the first 3-4 weeks (I have a 7 and 3 yr old then), but by week 6 was very much better, almost 100%.
Hope that answers some questions!

hi everyone. Had surgery yesterday afternoon-anterior posterior and perineal repair and by 7am this morning was up ,dressed , and doing Tai Chi. Feel absolutely fine and persuaded the hospital to let me out so back home after 24 hours
I would urge anyone waiting for surgery to have a spinal block. It was interesting rather than unpleasant-had a bit of sedation too-and recovered v quickly
So lovely to join the post-op club

Hey you got out early cantbelieve, glad you are feeling so well. I am still a bit sore and am on antibiotics which have now given me thrush! Feel like I have just exchanged one problem for another, although my internet Christmas shopping is going well. I might attempt driving next week which will stop me feeling so isolated. Never thought that I'd be looking forward to going back to work.