Prolapse - worth having repaired?

[insanityyy]

I have a prolapse, gp said in her opinion def needed surgery.

Consultant says it's really not that bad considering my age (35) & that I have 2 dc's.

I am being referred to a diff consultant to discuss it further but feel as though no one is going to want to operate.

Consultant kept saying it may cause more probs than it solves especially with scar tissue.

Main symptom is feeling very very lax during sex - & I mean VERY.

I have achey pains when I walk at certain times of the month but these are not horrendous, although it would be nice not to have this, if it was the only symptom I wouldn't be considering surgery iyswim.

It's the sex thing that's the big issue.

Anyone had a repair for a prolapse which in medical terms maybe wasn't really that bad?

Feeling a big confused, I'm only 35 FFS.

I would ask for a ring to be inserted and see what difference it makes. Then you would see whether you should go for surgery, IMHO you should . It's not going to get any better.

I'm currently in my second round of pelvic floor Physio since having DC 2 (late-30s) and the advice I've been given is that if you have surgery, at some point it will fail, and a second repair won't work as well.

So the stance is to delay surgery as long as possible through Physio, exercises, etc etc.

Have you tried Physio and/or a pelvic floor trainer to help alleviate symptoms? So year I've only done Physio but a friend swore by the pelvic floor trainer she used.

There is a thread in Health for advice and lots of people there who've had surgery.

Thank you for the reply! Would a ring give a similar result to surgery then (although obvs only on a temp basis?) would the ring cause things to feel a bit tighter down there as well as lifting the prolapse back up?

It's the front prolapse I have - the 1 beginning with c.

The ring (dont think they are called that anymore, but I cant remember what it us) will definitely help your prolapse, I presume therefore it will make everything else tighter. Or as, suggested you could have physio as well.

Sone rings stay in for 3 months, or there, are one that you remove and insert yourself .

I had in fitted while waiting for a hysterectomy andtit helped to allievate pain and the dragging feeling.

Actually I think rings are now known as pessaries.

If you use FB there is an amazing, closed group called Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support, with ladies from all over the world and every sort of experience of prolapse, also lots of women's health professionals, it's an amazing source of info and support.

Hi- the front prolapse is called a cytocele . I have just had a ring pessary fitted for a uterine prolapse, but I am seriously older than you !. the pessary is like a bangle, and just holds everything up, instead of letting it all fall out. But by all accounts - and I have done some serious surfing on this - a ring pessary can help alleviate symptoms of a cytocele ( like incontinence) Hope that helps :)

Hi there
I had this done when I was 36 after DD 2 who was 2 at the time.
I had a cycstocele, a slight rectocele, and my uterus had slipped down a bit too.

I saw 2 consultants first- one didn't want to do it saying the ops were ineffective, and my GP suggested she ( the consultant) wasn't the best anyway due to her lack of experience.

I had it done privately under health insurance. Hospital stay was 5 days, no lifting for 6 weeks and DH worked from home along with my mum coming to stay for a month. It wasn't painful but you do have to allow for recovery time and having 2 DCs under 5 I needed help.

I had physio before the op and it didn't make that much difference. All the exercises in the world cannot take slackness back to where you should be if the ligaments have stretched and the tissue is over stretched- but worth giving it a go for a few months first.

A year later I had a 2nd op which wasn't so major- because I still has some slight slackness and they took out a bit more of the sagging.

Surgery has moved on hugely since- this was over 20 years ago- so in your case I'd go for it BUT get a good surgeon who is an expert in repairing pelvic floors and prolapses.

I've no experience of pessaries, mine got worse suddenly and I went for surgery (posterior repair) two years ago. It's been totally successful so far, but was a long recovery. Mine was very uncomfortable, I was having difficulty with bowel movements, lax sex, dragging feeling in abdomen, all of which are better now.

It also depends whether you are planning any more DCs, at 35 they may be reluctant to operate as pregnancy / childbirth could undo all the good. I was 45 when I had mine done.

The thing about a ring is that you would have to use it forever. They tend to be given to older women ( very old) who are unfit for a GA during surgery, or for women who don't want surgery.
In older women, rings can cause wear and tear and infections because the vaginal tissues are thinner.

A hysterectomy is not the answer always either because then the walls can prolapse due to lack of support from the other organs attached to them.

I don't know where to live but maybe look at the consultants at your nearest private hospital, search their profiles and see which is experienced in repairs - and ask for a consultation on the NHS with them- you have a right to see any consultant of your choice.

whoknows- there is no point doing it if another PG is planned. I was adamant that at 35 my family was complete- but this wasn't NHS anyway so that may have made a difference.

There is a lot of info about pessaries on the FB group I talked about and a lot of the ladies use them. As well as people talking there are a lot of files of information that people have collected and posted.

And yes to hysterectomies sometimes causing more prolapses, that is something that gets mentioned on there a lot too.

I suppose I am very old (59)! but I must admit, I run my own business and don't retire for a few years, and I cant afford the time off for recovery from surgery.I have only had it fitted for 4 weeks, and its not perfect, but my doc said it was what they suggest first- thats fine by me. Thanks for the fb page info WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes - I have just asked to join!

Depending on what work you do, you could still work from an office- but no driving and no lifting for at least 6 weeks.

You would also need to allow for feeling tired and recovering from a GA.

I've never heard of a ring being 'suggested first' and wonder if this is more about finances and trying to delay operations due to budgets? (being cynical.)

A ring will work- but it's whether someone wants to use it for life .

You are probably right about the finance aspect, but I did quite a lot of reading on these before i went to the docs- I really don't want surgery! But I stand and lift in my business- the worst of all worlds for a prolapse , I have an allotment- it would go to rack and ruin, and I look after my 2 year old grandson once a week Time will tell if it works for me. But- we all have the right to choose for ourselves - I look on the ring much as I did when I wore contact lenses- the lesser of many evils :)

I love my contact lenses far more than I think I could love a pessary! Best invention ever.

of course- agoodbook- I thought you felt you had been 'made' to have a ring. I didn't appreciate it was your choice.
Hope you get on ok with it. :)

Definitely whatever suits your lifestyle best. I have a sedentary job with an understanding boss, DCs old enough not to need lifting etc and didn't get my allotment till a year after the surgery. The recovery time shouldn't be underestimated, very light duties for the first 6 weeks, building up very gradually till about 12 weeks and not up to max strength for about 6 months. Plus a lifetime commitment to managing it as best you can to prevent failure (i.e. care with lifting, avoiding high impact exercise etc) - although those things apply whether or not you have surgery to be honest.

Thats okay- Mrs TitchyMarsh I probably didn't phrase it right! And I hope it works, I feel very lucky in comparison to some with prolapse problems - a nuisance rather than anything else , and luckily its only come to me post menopause- not when I was younger. I do hope the lady who asked doesn't mind me rambling on....:)

I dont think surgery would be an option for me then for now, dc's are 4.5yrs & 1yr so the baby especially obviously needs picking up/carrying etc.

Would probably be do-able though once both at full time school in around 4yrs. Work not a problem - I could get signed off on full pay. Would need to be able to get kids to/from school but could probably get help with this if needed.

I will go to see the other consultant though & see why he says. We live in the East Midlands by the way.

Feel a bit silly, I was thinking it would prob just be a day-case followed by being careful for a week or two

P.s. Definitely not having any more dc's

I thought the same, that it would be like the recovery from an episiotomy. I do think we possibly self inflict a lot of it by not taking enough time to rest and recover post childbirth, especially if you've had a traumatic delivery, unfortunately we've all bought into the idea that we should pop out a baby and be pushing a supermarket trolley around the next day. There is definitely a lack of education in this area.

My DCs were 6 and 8 when I had my op, the other school mums were brilliant at helping out with school runs.

What sort of consultant are you seeing BTW? It should be a urogynaecologist, not just an ob-gyn.

OP If you felt you wanted it done sooner then there are ways you can try to avoid lifting.
My DD was 2 when I had it done ( coming up to 3, I think) and I found that I could sit on the floor and she'd sit on my knees, or she'd climb onto the sofa if I was sitting down. I wasn't lugging either of them in or out a buggy which would have been a no-no.

DH also stepped in to do the supermarket shop ( long before the internet so no delivery!) and all the heavy housework.

The recovery time is pretty much the same as a hysterectomy because deep layers of tissues and muscles are stitched and they need time to heal.

I agree with the PP about women doing too much after deliveries - but on the other hand it's also how you are built. I know someone who's just run a half marathon and her youngest is a year old- her 3rd. I feel very envious of women doing that because I've been told no high impact exercise ever ( tried jogging some years ago and found I felt a bit slack afterwards again) and even no Pilates and some exercises that we are made to think are good for us.

I had a very fast 1st delivery- under 3 hours- and although the 2nd was more normal - 6 hrs- I think the damage was done, and I'm also quite a small person.

Sorry- am rambling a bit- but hope you make the choice that is right for you.