anyone had posterior repair/ rectocele repair

[flourybaps]

Hi, got to have surgery at the end of the month, rectocele repair and posterior repair. Have done a search in the archives but found very little about this prob.......

surely I cant be the only person with this problem? Anyone out there? Just wanted to know a little about the recovery. I have an 8 month old dd to look after so im a bit concerened as my Dr said avoid lifting, well thats easier said than done!

Hi

My consultant says that the number of failiures is quite small if you have the right op and follow their instructions etc

You can have more children but I don't know if that increAses the risk of it happening again.

I am 6 weeks--after my op. Not allowed to have sex yet !!! But is certainly all feels very different- I suppose normal.

Don't get disheartened. I was told at least 10 per cent of women have this but maybe only 1 percent go tom the doctor- the rest just think it's normal.

I was very open and told everyone about my op- partly because a friend has cancer and i thought that if I wasn't fully open everyone would assume it was worse than it was. 2 friends now think they also have one and are going to see my consultant.

All the best

Thanks for replying. I have been pretty depressed about it all.

Do you know if you can still have sex whilst you actually have the prolapse? I'm terrified to have sex cause when I do it feels like I'm going to have a BM - does anyone know if waiting until I've been or even an enema to "clear out" before sex would help the fear? (sorry if tmi!). All my DP knows is that I have "woman's problems" and may need an operation - I feel unable to tell him the full details as he is really squeamish. When his mum told us about her prolapse (don't know what kind) he went white, looked like he was going to vomit and started shaking . eeeek. Same when I had c-sections. He must think I'm just rejecting him as I can't explain it to him

AlienZombieMum - I found sex uncomfortable with my prolapse, though less so once I knew what the problem was. Some positions were better than others. It was better if I knew my bowels were empty though.

I'm 6 days post op and very bruised now. Went to GP yesterday as I thought my stitches were coming undone. He told me to lie down to reduce the swelling and bruising, and gave me two courses of antibiotics. I was just glad not to have to go back to hospital.

I'd been sitting too much on Monday and yesterday morning, and it's very uncomfortable. I'd been feeling pretty good when I came home from hospital and thought I'd got away lightly. No bleeding at all though now, which is amazing! Still on diclofenac and paracetamol, which is enough to keep me sane.

came across this thread whilst trying to find out what's wrong with me. I haven't had time to read through every single post yet but I'm hoping you can offer me some support.

I have a rectocele protruding through my vagina and going to the toilet has been a daily trauma for 3 years. I have finally got up the courage to go and speak to my GP on Tues the 14th and I'm really scared. I'm embarrassed about talking about it and then I'm really scared of needing surgery as I have had 3 ops for anal fissures in the past and they were quite painful.

So my q's are how did you go about bringing it up with your GP? and could you compare the pain and recovery after to a c-section? Those who have had the op a while ago has it improved your sex life?

Hi, LauK. Glad to hear you've summoned up the courage to go to the doctor. When I went, I told her that I'd seen an edition of "Embarrassing Bodies" and realised I had this condition, which was the truth. Up till then, I thought it was just part of life. The doctor won't be concerned. Far worse has crossed their doorstep.

As to whether it is easier than a C Section, I don't know, not having had one, but it was much less painful than a tear or episiostomy.

I'm only 4 weeks post-op, but well enough to start a new job. We haven't had sex yet because of all the stitches - they are taking a long time to dissolve. But believe me, the whole process was worth it. Everything seems to be back in the right place, and BMs are much easier now, and I suffer much less from constipation.

Good luck,
Ivy

I just went along and said I thought I had a prolapse of some sort and where the lump was. It was a male GP but he'd dealt with my husband's piles and called in a nurse as chaperone, so I wasn't too bothered. He referred me straight away to gynae, which shocked me a bit, but I think he could tell that physio wasn't going to remedy it.

Thank you Ivy and ET63!

I'm a bit nervous as I have a smear booked for Monday and I'm so embarrassed by how it looks down there. I have luckily managed to get my favourite lady doctor for the app on Tues though.

I vividly remember that episode of Embarrassing Bodies, that was the first time I realised what I was going through wasn't normal and crucially I wasn't alone.

I have tried all sorts of strengthening exercises. Including the weights and a digital machine that is meant to exercise your pelvic floor for you. If anything the protrusion has got worse. I have been on a high fibre diet including movicol and fibogel for 4 years due to my fissures and this hasn't helped either as I still can't go to the loo. :(

Hopefully I'm making the first step in the right direction!

LauK- Dont feel embarrased-GP's see things like this all the time ( and far worse)

I knew something was up as I could feel a lump at the entrance to my vagina and when I went for my smear test it made it trickier to get a sample as the lump got in the way. I didn't have any problems with BM's though.
I was diagnosed with a large rectocele on 13th September and had my op on the 17th November.

I am 3 weeks and one day post rectocele op.
Initially I had no problems at all-no pack in, catheter out next day and home the day after the op. I had very little pain but did have two episodes of heavy bleeding in the first 10 days which was rather alarming. After the second episode I went back to see the surgeon and had an internal (ouch) and he said everthing seemed fine but there was fresh blood and he thought I might have an infection. He took a swab and put me on antibiotics just in case. The results were negative and there has been no further bleeding.
I feel quite bright in myself and I drove for the first time today. However I am very itchy and sore and there is a lumpy feeling on my perinium and the main discomfort radiates from this area. I got my husband to have a closer look and he says he can see stitches there . I have to use Sudacrem to help relieve the soreness and sometimes an ice cube as it all feels so fiery!! Has anyone else experienced this? Is it normal?
I have found this site such a Godsend since I was diagnosed. A problem shared is a problem halved!

Medwarecat - I'm finding ice packs (still have my Feme Pads) useful too, and baths are the most soothing thing.

I'm actually concerned at the lack of bleeding - nothing at all now, just some very slightly stained discharge, and it's only been a week since my surgery. The leaflet said 2-6 weeks... maybe it's a benefit of having the pack in for 2 days rather than 1? Might call the ward tomorrow.

Still having to spend much of the day lying down. I felt great when I came home from hospital and am not coping well with how things are now. No regrets though, I'm still sure it was best to have the surgery. I'm pleasantly surprised at being capable of doing PF exercises at this stage, though not sure whether it's helping or making things worse.

To all of you that are still suffering the waiting, I am now 11 days post op. I was terrified for all of the waiting period, but to my absolute joy it was so unnecessary. I was so luck to have been given a spinal block, so no general. I was completely unaware of anything until waking up in unknown surroundings, feeling wonderful and happy.
They are so spot on with their heavy duty drugs, so there has been no pain whatsoever throughout. I went in for a rectocele and came out having had a rectocele, an entrocele and a cystocele, so they really did a thorugh job, and obviously did it really well. I was really worried about my recovery and reaction due to my age as I am now 70, and thought this might cause me more problems, but, as you see, this was not the case. I came out of the theatre to recover and felt extremely cold, so had to be warmed up with an electric blanket blowing warm air over me until I warmed up. On the ward I felt cold again, but my children piled me up with everything and eventually warmed me up again.
The catheter came out the following day and everything started working just fine. What a joy it is to have everything doing what it should after so long!!
I went in on the Monday, and was out on the Wednesday with nothing but paracetamol and lactulose in my little bag. They did say that I would need injections for a few days afterwards, but these did not materialise and I certainly do not seem to need them! .
Now the challenge is to obey all the rules as closely as I possibly can. It is not easy remembering not to lift, twist, stretch or bend. These things seem to happen before we realise it, and this can undo all the good work if we are not careful. I have not taken my paracetamol for days as I have not needed to. I can't tell you how glad I am that I have had all this done, it is just so much better already, and it is early days yet.
The next thing will be the check-up. I am so looking forward to this(in a strange way). I shall then know how everything hs gone and what more I can do, like driving, walking the dogs, etc.
I shall let you know anymore progress as and when, and hope that it is of some comfort to any of you.

Thank you belucky It's lovely to hear such a positive experience.

Thanks for all the informative posts- due to have Rectocele surgery next month. Can you climb up and down stairs post surgery? Live in a flat and don't want to be house bound.

Hi Bondboys

You will be able to climb stairs from day 1 but you will need to take it slowly if there are alot of them. I think it's good to try and do a little walking about each day.
I had soreness rather than pain which made it much easier to move about than I thought. I am now nearly 4 weeks post op and beginning to feel much more like my usual self but I am still being careful-no lifting at all for 6 weeks!!
I was quite nervous about the op and the reality was much better than I thought it would be.

Good luck with your op.

Has anyone been refused the repair?
Have had retrocele since birth of 7 year old got worse with each baby - 3. Am not having anymore so went for consultation and was told it was mild, I was too young, nearly 40, and the repair unlikely to last.Sent to physio who said pelvic floor very good (lots of exercises done since birth) and nothing she could offer.
I am so fed up with having to splint every time I pass a BM, and never emptying properly, not to mention checking there is no bulge before agreeng to sex with Hubby.

Fealta I went to physio last week and was told the same, that my PFM were working well and I was doing exercises correctly.
I've only had one DC and am also fed up of having to 'splint'. Haven't even tried to have sex as it kinda kills the mood to see if you need to poo first!!!!
Tampons don't seem to work anymore either, so I guess I won't be signing up for weekly swimming classes with DD.
Going to see if things improve with time as only had DD 24wks ago.

Sadly, I never want to be pregnant again as I feel my body is already f*ed beyond repair.

I'm only 34

Oh I forgot the tampon thing.
It does improve.
It helps to keep motions soft and empty everytime you pee. Not easy when you have company clamouring outside the toilet door.
Best to finish having babies before repair as otherwise will need a C section.
Bloody male Surgeon. Will wait until all kids at school and start a campaign until they fix me. Haven't got the time or energy just now. It is an unpleasant op, do they think anyone would request it for fun!!
I was mortified when I asked Hubby if things were different post babies and he said it was lumpy sometimes.
Like you Mrs bonkers reluctant to oblige spontaneously.

Just a quick update on how I got on with Doc today. She has referred me on to the gynaecologist and says that I'm a likely candidate for surgery as I'm young (28) finished having babies, not overweight and non smoker. She said I will be contacted in the next 4 weeks. She also mentioned a test they will do at the hospital but I can't remember what it was called....monotgraphy? mongraphy? Has anyone had some sort of strength test before their surgery? If so what did it entail?

Mine is 9 weeks today and all pretty normal now. Odd pulling pain when tired.

Stairs etc were no problem.

Lauk- I didn't have any tests. Consultant took 1 look and said I needed op. It's only when you are on the table that they get a really good look- which is why mine was a bit vague on operation beforehand- mine wascworse and so they did more( mesh etc)

Hi,
I just read some of the threads about being refused a repair. I'm 44 and just had mine. I originally went in 2006 to my GP who said it was a "mild" rectocele and gave me PF exercises to do.
This year the rectocele was intolerable and like fealta had to split going to the loo, it affected my sex life too and made me feel unhappy about myself to some degree.
When I finally got to the consultant he said no amount of PF exercise was going to help because the bowel stops the opportunity of a full contraction of the muscle anyway.
I just think that as women we "tolerate" too much, especially if when you cope every day with a problem that the situation becomes normalised and we minimise it in our minds to get on with every day life.
I'd like to know how your doctor would like having to splint each time they use the loo, or have their sex life affected, maybe the view would be different then.
My advice would be see another doctor and get the help you need.

Fealta, can you ask to be referred anywhere else? If it's affecting your quality of life surely something can be done to help.

LauK, I had some tests done when DD1 was 10 months old (had a 5 month wait, as the person doing them had left) - manometry and an endo-anal scan, I think: one involved small sensors of some kind and the other was an ultrasound scan (both via back passage). Uncomfortable but nowhere near as bad as I expected it to be. Both showed no problem at the time.

I'm 12 days post op now and seem to have turned a corner the last couple of days. Went to GP day 5 as I was very sore and thought stitches were unravelling; he thought it was probably an infection plus bruising and swelling so I just finished a double course of antibiotics yesterday. Pain is much much less now, mostly just after BMs and too much standing. Things 'down there' look so much better now than pre-op, though still bruised and lumpy.

I'm not due to be seen by my surgeon 'til March so plan on going to the GP at 5-6 weeks to be sure the stitches are all gone or going, as I've had past trouble with them taking ages to dissolve.

Thanks ET63. Manometry was the one GP mentioned to me.

Hi

I'm worried that I have a prolapse. I'm 14 days after labour - easy birth, tiny episiotomy - and for first 12 days it was all fine and no pain at all. In last couple of days feels odd down there. Heavy. I've had a look and the uretha looks swollen as if there is something attached around it and the side of the vagina near the entrance, near the stitches, looks like it has a small nub - like a cyst.

Maybe these are protrusions? Wouldn't the hospital have noticed a prolapse if there was one? Or could it happen in the past 2 weeks? I've got no bm or urinary problems...

Can anyone advise?

Thanks

Hi seasister, congratulations on the birth of your baby, is he/ she your first?

14 days is still really early. You'll be amazed how different everything looks in a few months. If you're worried can you ask your MW to take a look maybe?

Yes, he's my first. The mw looked last week and said it looked fine, but to be honest, I'm not sure I trust her opinion - or maybe I'm being ridiculously neurotic. Quite possibly.

Hi, I saw your post regarding your concerns seasister, It is early days and it may well settle down but rather than worry it might be good to see your GP.
If there's a problem -it can be rectified , if not -it'll put your mind at rest.
Congratulations on the birth of your baby.