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Time for TOT surgery for stress incontinence?

2 replies

MotorcycleMama · 12/01/2015 10:49

I gave birth to my little boy in March 2014 and have suffered significant stress incontinence ever since. The problem has varied in terms if severity and seemed to be getting much better towards the end of last year, only to come back with a vengeance around Christmas. I had physio support and have been doing pelvic floor exercises religiously. I have been seeing a consultant who has suggested surgery for a 'mid-urethral sling with synthetic mesh in the form of transobturator tape'. Some clinicians say your body is still recovering from childbirth so surgery is unwise, but my consultant doesn't seem to think that is an issue. I am worried about possible risks associated, and want to give myself the best oportunity for spontaneous recovery so keep putting this off, but my quality of life is severely impeded by the incontinence. My mood can get pretty low, my self esteem is terrible and I cant do the activities I really enjoy, such as hiking and running. Can anyone share experiences of the surgery, or of not having it and how things panned out? Thanks.

OP posts:
CelticGreek · 04/04/2015 21:06

Hi, my situation was much like yours in that child birth brought on stress incontinence which, to be honest, was not a huge problem, just inconvenient at times. My motivation was to have corrective surgery for a prolapse - again brought on by childbirth. Having gone as far as I could with the specialist physio, I was desperate for a solution, the whole thing was deeply distressing, my self-esteem suffered, I felt horrid!

Finally I was referred to the gyni-urinary clinic and was offered the prolapse repair and the TVT op which at the same time.

The op itself was ok, not much pain afterwards. HOWEVER almost 18 months later and I'm in a worse state than before in that the TVT prevents my bladder from emptying fully, so I have to use catheters daily which is inconvenient to say the least. Each and every day my focus is on where I have to go in the day, how much I am drinking, and will I have access to a toilet. In addition to having to use a catheter, I am plagued with bladder infections - cystitis - which comes on fast and is incredibly painful. To combat this I take low-dose antibiotics daily.

Today I have injured my bladder whilst inserting the catheter and now my wee is bloody - so sorry to be graffic. Today is Saturday, Easter Bank holiday so no doctor available to give advice. I am soooo fed up with my situation. My consultant is unsympathetic I feel, she signed me off to the continence nurse last year, and to be honest she doesn't really know what to do with me, she just continues to monitor the situation.

The prolapse repair has been successful btw, no probs there, just this roller coaster ride which is the result of the TVT.

Sorry its not a happy story, but hopefully things will get sorted at some point, it's been a LONG haul though. Perhaps others have had speedier responses from their surgeons, which would have helped me hugely!

Anybody else have an experience similar to mine?

MotorcycleMama · 06/04/2015 19:51

Hi CelticGreek. I had stopped looking at this thread as I posted and no-one replied so I forgot sbout it!

What a rotten way to spend your Bank Holiday. I'm really sorry to hear about the misery you've been through following the surgery. Your situation was one that my surgeon warned me was a possibility after surgery, and why I kept putting it off.

I totally get what you say about professionals being almost dismissive and hopeless about bladder problems - probably an area which is neglected and under-researched. I think that women have put up with a lot of prolapse and bladder problems without seeking medical help, which has not helped either.

It is a year now since I had my son, and the incontinence has reduced to manageable levels, almost non-existent apart from occasionally when hormones seem to worsen it. One gynacologist I saw did tell me that things could improve dramatically in 12-18 months post childbirth, and warned me off surgery until at least then. At the time that felt like a lifetime away, but I am glad i waited now.

My urology surgeon did tell me that if things did go wrong post-surgery he could probably do corrective surgery - is that an option for you?

I hope the bleeding has stopped and that you are comfortable now. Good luck, and let me know how things go for you.

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