Should I let them fix my gaping vag, or not bother? Embarrassing but important.

[bungalowbelle]

Namechange to protect my gynaecological privacy.

My appointment with the Gynaecologist has finally come up. It's tomorrow. We're trying to decide between us whether I should have surgery to sew up what's left of my perineum.

I've had several babies vaginally, torn every time and my 'opening' has just got bigger and more gaping each time.

It doesn't particularly bother me at the moment but there are several considerations. My mum is similarly afflicted and she tells me that since she had the menopause she has dried up and the open nature of her fanny leads to chafing and discomfort.

However, the thought of surgery scares me. Also I've heard horror stories of such an op' making matters worse. A friend had to go back again and have the whole thing unpicked as it was too tight. OUCH!

I worry about sex. I worry about how different it'll be.

Then part of me thinks - bite the bullet and get it done.

Does anyone have experience of this sort of re-fashioning, good or bad.

I'm going to Sainsburys now but am hoping for some valuable insights into this before my appointment tomorrow.

Will it make any difference to things like incontinence in the future? If it is actually going to affect your health have it done - if not see how you feel after you've seen the gynaecologist.

Good luck whatever you decide

Will it make any difference to things like incontinence in the future? If it is actually going to affect your health have it done - if not see how you feel after you've seen the gynaecologist.

Good luck whatever you decide

Sorry for double post

No experience bb, but I think you need to make sure you know about the reputation of the surgeon who will carry out the procedure, and ask firm questions about his/her success rates.
I have a minor gynae op coming up this summer and am scared witless about it, so I do sympathise about being scared of surgery, and not going for it unless it is unavoidable.

Not had that op done, but had prolapses fixed which have similar possible post surgery problems (could be stitched too tight/infection/ bladder or bowel damage etc) My prolapses weren't causing me tremendous problems at the time, but the potential for doing so was there. I figured a few weeks of discomfort now was worth it compared to the chance that I might have to go through months or years of it at a later date.

I think you need to seriously consider all the pros and cons with the gynaecologist tomorrow and decide on the basis of that.

Are you glad you had the ops serenity? No complications?

No major complications, a few infections during recovery that's all, but now everything to do with the op is fine. My only gripe is that I didn't realise that prolapses are 'repairable' rather than 'curable' so I might have to do it again at some point, but that wouldn't be an issue with you. I'm still glad I had it done, I have no regrets about that at all.

I have to say that the anticipation and my ideas of how much pain I'd be in were far worse than the actual event. It was uncomfortable rather than painful (they have good drugs anyway, and they aren't stingy with them IME)