Prolapse Surgery

[suedonim]

My older sis needs prolapse surgery. She tells me a nurse or physiotherapist (not sure exactly which) told her that prolapse surgery only lasts for between five and ten years, then you have to have it repeated. I have never heard this before - is it true?? Sis is 62 btw so menopausal.

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Vaginal prolapse?

Yes. At least, I think so, she didn't say it wasn't!

Bump for comments, please.

It is a prolapsed uterus. Surely someone on MN can help me!

Can be true. My mother had prolapse surgery (vaginal prolapse) 18 months ago. Recovery time is very long indeed.

My mum had a hysterectomy for prolaps. That solved it and it doesn't need re doing as the uterus is gone.

Gosh, widely varying experiences then. A good friend of mine had a prolapse repair and was back at her regular running 10 days later. Do they always do a hysterectomy if you're post-menopausal?

Prolapses vary hugely in their severity.

Maybe sis's isn't too bad then? She only found she had it when she went to the Dr about persistant backache.

Tell your sister to look at www,hysterectomy-association.co.uk Great website explains about alternatives to hyst, prolapses etc. lots of support on there too.

Thanks for the website, I'll look at it later. My sis is antediluvian, she's barely got grips with using an ATM machine, so the internet is another planet to her!

I had a repair done about 17 years back.
It depends how bad the problem is and what type of prolapse- I suspect it is not to bad if she didn't feel anything herself.

I was in hospital for a week and told not to do anything heavy or lifting for 6 weeks- running after 10 days must have been a very minor one is all I can say!

You don't HAVE to have a hyster. for prolapse in older age it depends a lot on the dr and also on what you prefer. Removing the uterus can actually cause further problems- like vaginal vault prolapse. She needs to discuss it all with her dr.

I've had surgery for a bladder and bowel prolapse, not uterine, but I wasn't told I'd have to have it repeated, more that I might need to if I did anything to aggravate it - have more children mainly. The one thing I was told was that with each successive surgery the chances of it working get less, you can't keep repairing it.

Fuck me, this topic scares me! I had my prolapse after DD's birth at 26 and now at nearly 33 it is becoming slightly more difficult. I have a ring pessary and if I didn't my prolapse would protrude out of the vagina. On a really bad day my coil wires protrude 3cm or so outside. My gynae only wants me to have a repair when I am certain I am ready and my family is complete as she has suggested that the success rate is somewhat less than 100%.

Thanks, that's v useful. The 'running' friend had a op that they did from underneath, iykwim - no incision on her tummy. She's v fit anyway - puts me to shame.

sued- my op was all done internally-no cutting open- it was still no running, lifting, driving, ( for a couple of weeks)etc etc until all healed. I was very fit too- but any pressure put strain on the pelvic floor.

suewoo- can you make sure that when you do have the op, that you have a gynae who knows there stuff? some are better at it than others and there are lots of different ways to do it.

this link shows my consultant, Dr Anthony Smith who is a senior consultant at St Mary's hospital in Manchester who's specialty is pelvic floor surgery, so I reckon I'll be ok!