Possible Prolapse diagnosis - what to expect?

[Addictedtohotbaths1]

I have 2 dc's, dc1 was delivered by keillands forceps which caused huge 2nd degree tear plus episiotomy, infection, granulation tissue etc. the entrance is massively stretched and I've been told vaguely in a letter after dc1 birth I have a deficient perineum, it also feels thin and often sore.

There are bulges at the entrance which I can feel when walking and always worse after standing all day, I have difficultly fully emptying bowel and bladder, when I stand after a pee it sometimes starts to dribble and when I poo I sometimes need to splint to get it out.

Nurse recently looked and said it was a mess and I should see gynae as vaginal walls have collapsed and there is a hole you can put your finger in on inside wall!! I've know about that from when tampons get caught on it!

I'm such a mess I'm early 30's it's so revolting. I've avoided getting it looked at properly and try to ignore it all but now I've finished having children I want to know what if anything can be done and more importantly is it going to get much worse as I get older?

I've plucked up courage to get referral for private gynae referral. I'm wondering what I can expect at the examination for them to determine what kind of prolapse I have and what the next steps would be?

If you are still reading thank you!

Google APOPS and join their Facebook group. Lots of knowledge.

1. it is miserable upsetting and disabling.
2. Lots can be done through physiotherapy and the use of pessaries.
3. There are surgical options. However there can be quite a high, around 30%, failure rate, higher with successive surgeries. Recovery time is around three months. Plus you face lifelong restrictions on the amount you can lift and what exercise you should take as scar tissue is weaker than normal tissue.

Educating yourself especially around surgical options and the way to ensure you have the best outcome is important.

At the examination they will ask you about symptoms and do a brief internal and ask you to cough. They know what they are looking for so that bit is brief. I had surgery for cystocele and rectocele. You could expect surgery to improve things considerably. Even if surgery 'fails' things might not go back as bad as original. Recovery would be harder if you have toddlers to pick up or a job with heavy lifting for example. Or if you had very little help in the weeks after. Specialist physio can help hugely specially if pre menopause. There are a lot of scary stories re surgery but remember the success stories do not post on discussion forums anything like as often as the people who have issues.

Thanks both that's very helpful. Sadie are you glad you had the surgery, as you say I only seem to read negative stories on surgery which makes me think I should just live with it. I'm hoping to get a physio referral.