Any old prolapse! Uterus/womb prolapse, rectocele, cystocele, enterocele, urethrocele, incontinence, pelvic floor, anterior and posterior repair, TVT etc part 5

[Piplysmelie]

This is thread 3 of a long-running series of posts from ladies suffering from pelvic prolapses to support each other through the process of diagnosis, repair and recovery.

Here are the previous threads:
Thread 1
Thread 2
Thread 3
Thread 5

Info from BBC Health

What is a pelvic prolapse?

As the muscles, ligaments and supporting tissues in the pelvis become weaker, they are less able to hold in the organs of the pelvis such as the womb (uterus) or bladder.

Gravity pulls these organs down and, in the more severe cases, may appear through the entrance to the vagina.

A variety of problems can occur, depending on where the weakness lies and which organs are able to descend, but in every case there is some degree of prolapse of the vaginal wall, which begins to invert (rather like a sock turning inside out).
Prolapse of the womb or uterus is the most common prolapse, affecting as many as one in eight older women to some degree
Prolapse of the bladder, known as a cystocele, is less common.
Prolapse of the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the bladder) is known as a urethrocele.
Prolapse of the intestines is quite rare, and known as an enterocele or rectocele.

Symptoms

Symptoms depend on which tissues descend, and how severe the prolapse is.

They may include:
A sense of heaviness or pressure in the pelvis.
The appearance of a bulge of tissue in the genital area, which can be quite alarming, and is often red and sore.
Urinary problems, such as having to urinate more frequently, feeling the need urgently, being incontinent (losing control of the bladder) or, conversely, being unable to pass urine when you need to.
Pain in the pelvis or lower back.
Sexual problems, including pain and decreased libido.
Constipation.
Vaginal discharge or bleeding.

Treatment and recovery

Once a prolapse has developed, surgery to fix the affected organs is usually the only way to cure it effectively.

However, another option is to use a device known as a vaginal ring pessary. This is rather like a contraceptive diaphragm or cervical cap. It's made of silicone or latex, and placed in the vagina to push back the prolapsed organs and hold them in place. Many women happily manage their prolapse this way.

Leonie - Your not alone, I was the same. Up until now (7 weeks post op) I've had full time round the clock help. My hubby for first 2 weeks then my mum, his mum, my mum again and so on lol. I'm getting stressed now cause I'm on my own for the first time from next Monday ..... and the following week I'm getting a new kitchen in. I'm still in pain and will have a 6 year old and a wild 2 year old to look after. I feel like a hermit x

Bladder - This is why I had the tvt inserted at the same time as the cystocele repair. My consultant said that having a cystocele can sometimes mask incontinence (ie. a urethrocele) and that having one fixed wouldn't necessarily fix or provide a solution to the other (the need to go to the loo ALL the time, day and night), and that often he found that doing an anterior repair resulted in greater stress incontinence a few months post op. I was very ,very hesitant in going ahead with it, especially after Jackie62's terrible result, but I trusted him a lot and he really seemed to have my best interests at heart. So far, so good - I can sleep all night (at last!), I can go pretty much all day without having to go to the loo (if needed - but very important if on school trips, etc. !!) and I have not leaked since the op - at the moment I have got a bad cold and do not have to cross my legs every time I sneeze, cough, etc. etc. A big result!! ). I would suggest that maybe go for a urodynamics test again, now that the cystocele has gone and find out what really is the issue. Good Luck xxx

Thank you surewoman I have never had a urodynamics test but it is a comfort to know that there might be hope that this can be corrected x

Hope that all of you on anti biotics are coping with them and getting better.

Leonnie it has just been me and DH here post op with no help at all and we have managed. DH has been amazing and the DCs helped out where they could and I am gradually getting back up to speed but it is a difficult recovery.

Whoknows I don't have a gynae ward to contact just the consultant and I can't face talking to him about it at the moment so am going to wait until my post op check. Hope that you are feeling brighter x

Sorry I have been very negative this last week

On the brighter side things that I am really looking forward to when everything is fixed and healed is a proper bubble bath and new decent undies!
What have/are the rest of you going to treat yourself to?

Painting my toenails!

Hi Ladies can I join you. I have had continence issues since DD2 was born 2 years ago and have only just plucked up the courage to see the GP, he referred me to the consultant and I was seen today. I apparently have a cystourethrocele whichwill require surgery but I have a BMI of 29 and apparently the op is more successful if BMI is closer to 25 so I am having physio until I have lost sufficient weight then they will operate.

Hi Blueberry, that's as good a reason to lose weight as any. i've just had surgery and am turning into a big blob through lack of exercise and all day access to the fridge, I too am around the 30 BMI mark, I intend to do something about it once I am back to full strength. Have you got any thoughts as to how you are going to lose the weight? Or are you already underway with it? I keep dabbling with MyFitnessPal but seem to lack willpower.

Ok, my self diagnosis of a cystocele proved woefully short of the mark. In fact I have four prolapses - four of a kind - to use a poker term - yay! Cystolcele, enterocele, uterine and rectocele. POP - gotta get 'em all! That's the bad new - the good news is I have been fitted with a ring pessary which has given instant relief, also have low dose vaginal oestrogen. There will no doubt be surgery later on, but if the pessary works out I am fine for now.

Certainly worth asking Leonie.

Glad you've got some instant relief Jan. I've still got a cystocele, if that shows any signs of worsening when I'm recovered from this op I'm going to ask about that as a possibility for warding off the need for further surgery.

Evening ladies. Bladder, I'm so sorry you're having further problems. I'm going to be having further investigations into my bladder function once I've recovered from all of this malarkey, so might be a bit of a companion for you!
I haven't been on much lately as I've been too busy sulking. I had a good day on Wednesday and thought I'd got over the worst of the infection but now feel rotten and the 'oozing' has started back up again . I'm also very sore again too.... If it's not too much to say, the perineal repair has been done with a stitch under the skin (continuous suture?) with one massive knot hanging out at the end - but there's a hole right next to the wound? (Not big, about the size of a pencil lead.) Any thoughts on either the infection or the hole (or both!) would be appreciated.

Fen - sorry no suggestions re stitch / hole. Re infection did you have a swab taken? Maybe you need dufferent ABs, sorry you're going through that again.

Keeping this brief as I've got a headache from too much time squinting on phone. My infection seems to have cleared, I suddenly felt a lit better today and the whiff is gone. Starting to feel a bit cabin feverish and frustrated though. Have managed without painkillers and laxatives for 3 days now which is good, still very uncomfy underneath when I have to sit up to get off bed or sofa, fine reclining though.

Night all. We needf a new thread soon, does anyone feel up to it? I'm stuck with phone or Ipad and can't do links.

Fen - don't worry about the big stitch and hole, I had exactly the same. The big stitch takes a while to fall out (it gets very itchy just beforehand) but the minute it has gone, then the hole just closes up. Mine has gone completely now, but I did feel like I had had a fanny piercing for a bit!

I really hope the infection clears up soon - what about sitz baths to help?

Healing vibes your way, and Whoknows et al xxx

I amnow 7 days post op.anteria and posteria repair and a bladder sling. I am unsure how much I can/should do. ShouldI be walking for excercise yet ? I ampottering around every day. How long will I bleed for. Tummy ache, I think from the sling ? Stitches very sore. I want this to work as I could never have it done again so want to do the best I can for me. I can have another 5 weeks off work so I hope that will be enough ? I would love some advice please, I have been looking everywhere and this is the only help I could find

Slinky - welcome! First things first, the longer you rest the better the outcome! I was told to take it very easy for the first two weeks ie. do nothing, especially NO lifting at all (a kettle, max) and then listen to your body. I found that it seemed to be week by week that I felt I could do a little more. Oh yes, and no driving for 4 weeks as the sling needs to settle. If your stitches are very sore, have a look and see if you have any discharge (a bit smelly) as infections are common and it's a question of going to your gp, having a swab taken, and a course of anti-b's. The bleeding will probably be gone by about the second week and might re-appear when the stitches begin to come out.
All in all, I think it is about 12 weeks until you feel able to do most things again. I wouldn't have been able to go back to work at 6 weeks, but then my job is quite active, working with children - actually, don't think I would have been able to do a sedentary job then either as it was still pretty uncomfortable to sit properly.

Hope this helps (I had a&p, perineum rebuild and tvt sling 3+ months ago) xxx

Hi I am new to this site, I had posterior repair for rectocele monday and perineal repair, havent had any bm until this morning, but only a little, I am really worried as yesterday I had an enema, and the pain was quite bad so I strained abit, and thought a little stitch had come out, when you have bm and you have to strain a little bit is it possible to make the rectocele come out again? i dont want to be back to square one, other than that i have had complete rest, just really worried about being loose again down their after bowel movements.

Fen - I had exactly the same problem with my perineal repair. I thought it was healing up nicely till I had a look and saw 2 little holes along the suture line [shocked]. Needless to say I panicked so booked an appt with my surgeon for the following day. Apparently, the perineal repair heals much like the closing of a flower (from the bottom up). That's how it was explained to me anyway. I'm now 8 weeks post op and its almost come together now. If its weeping though then you need to make sure that you don't have a fistula. X

So 8 weeks post op (posterior, anterior & perineal repair) and today I'm having to stay in bed... Went back to the doc on Friday and I have some protein and nitrates in my urine so may have a bit of an infection. I've also been constipated all week and have felt a bit of pressure in my backside too. Wondering if the constipation has aggravated the bladder problem as I've read that if the bowel doesn't void regularly it can push onto the bladder causing bladder irritation hmmm. Anyways I'm sore everywhere, bladder, vagina and backside! I'm worried that my cystocele has come back a little as when I had a little self examination (maybe not the right thing to do) to see what was going on in there I felt that there was a little spongy section at the front of my vagina that could be pushed in a little. Then again it's not like there's a brick wall between the vagina and bladder so there is likely to be a little give isn't there??? I've discovered that I also have some undissolved stitches too so maybe that's what's giving me the feeling like there's a foreign object inside me. Right now I'm still feeling worse than I did before the op. I've had 6 years of feeling like crap down there and so want to feel normal again. How long do I have to wait. Don't know whether to go see the consultant again cause if I do it's gonna cost me £185 for the pleasure (I had my op done privately).

Sorry for rambling x

Hi I am new to this site, I had posterior repair for rectocele monday and perineal repair, havent had any bm until this morning, but only a little, I am really worried as yesterday I had an enema, and the pain was quite bad so I strained abit, and thought a little stitch had come out, when you have bm and you have to strain a little bit is it possible to make the rectocele come out again? i dont want to be back to square one, other than that i have had complete rest, just really worried about being loose again down their after bowel movements.

Dawn - The first few BMs will be difficult so give your bowels a little help with as many laxatives as you can tolerate. It's natural to feel like you've undone some of the repair work, I know I did. Hang in there and don't force things . You will feel lots of pressure in your buttocks and it may take a good number of days to finally feel like you've managed to have a good clear out but it's better than straining just to get it out quicker.