Any Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery success stories?

[littlecabbage]

I have a grade II cystocoele and a grade I rectocoele (following instrumental delivery during childbirth). I am going to see my GP soon to ask for referral to a women’s healh physio to help with my symptoms, but have been told I will need surgery at some point.

It’s very easy to find negative stories about surgical repairs breaking down, and how they become more and more difficult to repair each time, but I am hoping this is just because women are more likely to post when things have gone wrong and it is on their mind more.

Has anyone had surgery to improve/resolve POP and had (so far) a good outcome? How long ago did you have the surgery? How old were you? What type/grade of prolapse(s) did you have beforehand? Did you do pelvic floor physio before and/or after, and did that help? Do you do any high impact exercise now, or is that too risky? Are your symptoms completely resolved, or just improved?

Thanks for any info you are able to share.

Thanks for all the stories. They’ve helped me to understand it all.
I hope you feel better Random and great news for you OP.
I think I’m going down this route too. I’m just waiting for results of a scan. I hope it’s nothing like any of this. I thought I just had problems from perimenopuse. It makes me wonder too why we have to have menstrual issues and these after effects from baby deliveries - I am so thankful I delivered all my babies still. I wish I’d just exercised more before having my babies. I think that would have helped a lot.
Anyway all the best everyone.

Good to hear from you ItsalmostSummer. Good luck with your scan results. As I understand it, the menopause is a time when previously unnoticed prolapses can become apparent, because supportive tissues lose strength.

How are you getting on today Random?

How is everyone? Hope you are feeling better by the hour random
I’m going to ask the physio about running next week , I really really want to! Pilates is working wonders though. I bought those evb shorts although have only tried them on. I’d wear them for a run though (as long as I’m not exhausted after getting them on )
I can’t belueve I have a 4mo... slowly making progress!

I'm feeling better. Can't pee yet but got home with catheter so that's as fun as can be imagined😁 turns out bag up vag wasn't a bag up vag. It was more like bandage packing (to soak up blood). That also was an experience coming out. Think a magician who pulls streams of coloured flags out his pocket.

I've read through the whole thread as I'm feeling so down. Two kids and 18 months pp, but it seems to be getting worse or maybe I am just thinking about it too much.

Love hearing about the pessary success, I just want to be able to play with my kids, they want me to dance and I have to say mummy will just watch!

Got physo booked for the 18 (I've privately paid twice for physo but found them useless)so have higher hopes for this one after reading your stories then the urogynaclogist in November at a different hospital after two years of getting fobbed off at my local.

I two had forceps and long pushing stages.

So fed up of feeling broken and it consuming my mind 😢

There are a series of threads on this subject. More positive than this one. Very informative.

anyone had posterior repair/ rectocele repair www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/698136-anyone-had-posterior-repair-rectocele-repair

I can only talk about my experience so far. I've had a prolapse since my DD1s birth 14 years ago. I'm due to have a rectocele and probably cystocele repair in the next few months. I'm in France and have seen 4 specialists, and had a fuck load of tests, including MRI expulsion tests, sphincter tests etc. I'm going to have a bladder function test in November to see how it is doing and to work out what effect the rectocele repair will have on it. The rectocele is a grade 3 and cystocele is grade 2.

I have a rectocele from the fbiryh of DD1 and am 11 weeks pregnant. Midwife is sending me for appt with Gynaecology as she is concerned about the implications of prolapse on childbirth. Has anyone with a pre-existing posterior prolapse experienced any complications / implications re subsequent vaginal deliveries ? What did your gynaecologist advise? Thanks

I have had an anterior and posterior repair done in August this year. It has been a success, was very tired for a couple of weeks afterwards and have been taking it very steady but back to normal now really. Can keep a tampon in again for the first time in years. Back to work and exercise now and feeling good. Also have a uterine prolapse that couldn't be fixed without having a mesh sling or hysterectomy but doesn't cause me any issues so leaving that for now. Happy to answer any questions anyone has.

There is a pinned thread for mumsnet campaigns which is taking thoughts on prolapse management and surgery approach (esp mesh related) for nice guidelines review. Please do comment if you have thoughts , I can’t see how to link on my phone.

Thanks timeisnotaline. I'm planning to comment this weekend.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_campaigns/3389401-MNHQ-here-proposed-new-NICE-guidance-on-treating-urinary-incontinence-and-POP-in-women-looking-for-your-views

@Littlecabbage how was the physo? Do you feel Improved from your sessions

Hi bama81 and everyone. My second physio session was really positive thanks. She said there is good improvement compared to the last appt (4 weeks ago). I don’t know if that is because of me doing the PFEs religiously, or due to general healing after birth (15w pp now), or a combination of the two.

She has advised me to increase the exercises (do them standing, instead of sitting, then progress to standing on one leg, walking, etc). We briefly discussed exercise in the future (am doing a postnatal pilates course at the mo), and she said high 8mpact aerobics might be okay if I learn to tense my PF muscles every time there is a hgh impact step. She said running is generally not recommended, but that people do do it - her advice is to wear EVB pants, also wear a super tampon or specific pessary for support, and build up gradually. She said you’ll feel it afterwards if you’ve overdone it.

She didn’t mention the bit of my PF that was too tense last time, so I assume the stretching exercices have helped.

One thing that surprised me: I asked why GPs seem so reluctant to even mention that pelvic physios exist, and she explained that the GPs pay for each referral out of their own pot of money. I didn’t realise hospital referrals work like that. Doesn’t explain why some of them refer to a urogyn but not a pelvic physio. IMO, many women need the pelvic physio far more than the urogyn, unless they are so badly affected that they need immediate surgery.

I’m sure it’s both factors little cabbage. Good they have you stretching as well. FWIW I’m now 18 weeks pp I think, and physio said I could go for a run last week. But I have parents staying and a stonking cold so my pelvic floor is under siege as it is hence haven’t tried! I was skipping , leaking a little at 8-9 mins in (would stop then). I will get an intervals app and a c25k app just to make sure I do short run sessions eg 90 seconds followed by walking, pf reset.

Thanks littlecabbage I had my first PT therapy a week ago and she seemed positive to help me, grade 2 bladder and recto.

I wish I had a pessary so worried it is going to get worse and beyond help while I am strengthening the muscles. Not seeing the urogynie for another month. Can a uk pt therapist fit one?

I'm glad you had a positive session bama81. What advice have you been given?

I don't know if PTs can fit pessaries, but there are some DIY ones you can fit yourself. I can't remember the name of them though. Unlike the "prescribed" pessaries, they can't be used indefinitely and have to be replaced regularly. Perhaps you could try those?

I have a grade 2 cystocoele and I don't feel is it much worse than after my first birth (which did the damage), despite 3 subsequent pregnancies, so hopefully yours won't worsen if you are careful not to lift heavy stuff, avoid high impact exercise, etc?

She confirmed both bladder and recto prolapse, red vaginal tissue, weak pf (3) and Diastasis recti minor.

She wanted me to do less pf exercise and learn to relax it, use lube to get the redness down and start swimming to strengthen my gluts. So went swimming yesterday an today it feels like it's dropped more! I am hoping I over did it and havnt just made it worse.

Do you have days where your bladder prolapse (sorry I can't spell the medical term) feels lower/bigger? It's still only in the entrance when I look but walking and sitting I swear I can feel a lump

I am so over the constant worry about it, I could accept it if I thought it would stay a grade 2/3 like it is now but I panic everyday it's getting worse ... sigh

It's positive news that yours hasn't got worse even after more kids. It's nice to hear positive comments and people who do lead normal happy lives

That’s interesting about the swimming - I wonder how strengthening glutes helps?

Mine definitely varies at the moment but I understand that a lot is due to being only 4m post partum, and also due to breastfeeding.

Prior to this birth, the “lowness” of the prolapse didn’t really vary, but my pf muscles did ache if I was on my feet for a long time (that never happened before I had children).

I know what you mean about the worry. I have definitely had periods of time like that, where it has all seemed hopeless, but at the moment I feel okay about the future. And in 10 years time, maybe there will be huge improvements in surgical techniques?

I had a rectocele repair 3 years ago no idea of grade but surgeon said he was surprised at all the damage after just one large baby , I had suffered for years with needing to rush to the loo and a general uncomfortable feeling.
The recovery is slow and sex initially very painful 😖 however worth all the pain definitely it’s made a huge difference to my life. I would say it took a whole year to feel normal again and I can excercise with no problems

In a total mess, I pretty much cry or sleep at the moment. My mind is so preoccupied I'm am not a good mum.

Feels like my cervix is coming out now too, I don't know why it's getting so much worse I'm not doing any activity or lifting.

I'm so fed up and just want it all gone but I know this is my life now and I can't accept it.

Sorry for the wo is me post I'm just very down and feel alone

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear you're feeling so down and are so worried about your prolapses. I have no real practical advice, except perhaps to try these:

www.stressnomore.co.uk/contam-normal-vaginal-pessary-starter-set-11015.html

I haven't tried them myself but have heard them recommended.

Hopefully your urogyn will be able to give further advice and reassurance. In the meantime, is it worth ringing your pelvic physio to let her know things seem to be worsening?

(Sorry I didn't see your last post till now)

Thanks for taking the time to reply, it's lovely to know you're not alone.

I did all those things, I went to see the physo yesterday and she reassured me, what I thought was cervix was apartment poo through the back wall, lovely! It's felt the the hard nose donut people describe!

She also recommend the contam which I ordered last night, even if I just use them on days I feel crap!

She said it's no where near as bad as I have made it in my head. But still hard to deal
With as I don't really no what that's means if you know what I mean?

X

Ah auto correct! I didn't mean poo lol it was meant to say apparently poo

Well hopefully she knows her stuff, and you will start to see improvement over the coming weeks/months.

Sometimes if I feel down about it, it helps me to think of people who have far worse health problems. Not to be dismissive of anybody's prolapse issues of course, but sometimes that perspective helps me.

Purpleknickers that's a good story to hear, thank you. Do you mind me asking - did you have mesh inserted?

@bama81 , re swimming - I think swimming with proper pf and transverse abdominals will help. However swimming uses a lot of stomach muscle so if you haven’t got these two muscles in sync then using stomach muscles could be a problem . Basically during effort you breathe forcefully out and contract pf and transverse abdominals . It feels weird but becomes reflexive. If you don’t breathe out or contract correctly you can instead push your pf out or increase intra abdominal pressure which puts strain on your pf. So I imagine swimming is great but need to make sure these things are correct.