Vaginal Prolapse

[mic]

I am 44 years old and schedule for Pelvic Organ Prolapse next month. Due to pelvic varicose veins my doctor performed a hysterectomy 3 years ago and the results were amazing; however, I wasn't informed of the possibilities of POP. I have reached the point where the symptoms are unbearable and looking forward to the surgery and placement of 3 mesh slings being placed for the urethra, bladder, and vaginal wall. I would love to hear about people who have gone through the surgery and their experiences.

[UroDoc]

I do the surgery and most patients find it dramatically improves their quality of life, good luck.

[mic]

Thank you for the good wishes. Does the surgery performed by yourself include the external incisions or is it completely vaginal? As a patient waiting for the surgery the external incisions are a big concern of mine as far as being uncomfortable.

[UroDoc]

Primarily vaginal, but also 4 to 6 half inch incisions in the area of where your inner thigh meets your body and two quarter inch incisions right above your pubic bone.

[mic]

Have your patients commented on the recovery process pertaining to the incisions? I am one person who wants to know as much as possible but feel as though my doctor is trying to be evasive to the questions I have presented to him. I have been told the when I awake in the recovery room after the surgery to expect discomfort and pressure in the vaginal area. I will also have a suprapubic catheter (another small incision). But even with what I was told these inicisions still continue to be a concern. They will be glued so no stitches but will it be difficult for a patient to sit up?

[UroDoc]

Sitting up would only be an issue if something was done to your abdomen. I personally do not use a suprapubic tube, just a foley catheter in the urethra. Since the suprapubic tube will go through the abdominal wall it may irritate your abdominal muscles when you use them , i.e. sitting up. The pelvic pressure in my patients comes from the vaginal packing placed during surgery to prevent bleeding under the lining of the vagina. In my practice this is removed the day after surgery. The vaginal pressure is the primary complaint from my patients. I can only speak to my experience but my patients tolerate this procedure very well and the vast majority of them go home the day of surgery, good luck

[mic]

Thank you so much for sharing with me the experiences from your patients and your surgical ways. The more and more I hear from others the more relaxed I begin to feel about the surgery and recovery process. I have a high tolerance for pain and discomfort so I am better off than others with low tolerance. I have experienced the vaginal packing in the past with my hysterectomy with no problems at all. Have you had patients compare the two surgeries and recovery process and indicate the worse of the two?

[UroDoc]

I am told hysterectomy is worse

[Arosebud]

Hi, I am new to this forum and read your post with interest, as I have a bowel prolapse and probably other parts are sagging, as well. I had a vag hysterectomy 15 years ago but now I have a severe prolapse with surgery indicated. Very scary. Have you had your surgery? Could you clue me into how things are going or have gone, as I know nobody with this same, very specific problem and feel very alone out here. I am 68 yrs young and everyone says I look so much younger, no wrinkles, smooth skin........the joke here is the lack of wrinkles is probably due to prolapse pulling everything downward, LOL Well, it's no joke. Hope things are going better for you, Sylvia

[mic]

Hi Arosebud! I would be glad to share my experience with you; however, I didn't have a bowel prolapse but a bladder and vaginal wall prolapse which resulted in major reconstructive surgery. I had an abdominal hysterectomy three years ago. My surgery was done on Oct 15th and on Monday I will be in my 7th week of recovery. In the recovery room and after my surgery my pain was between a 0-1 on the pain scale of 0 being no pain and 10 being unbearable. My surgical packing fell out way to early (within 5 hours of my surgery) so it was touch and go for the first 24 hours. I was released from the hospital that Wednesday, had my suprapubic cathetar removed the next Monday (one week after surgery). Week 2 was good but it started to go down hill at week 3 as I just didn't feel myself. I started to develop very hard lumps at my buttock incisions. After returning to the doctor on week 6 I was diagnosed as being only the doctor's second patient to develop a reaction to the TVT tape for the urethra sling. I was immediately started on a course of antibiotics, returned to the dr. two days later to have the infection drained. Draining the infection left a small open incision on the existing incision which is very sore. I return to the doctor this coming Tuesday. All in all I'm very glad I had the surgery performed (as I am only 44 years old) and the doctor has guaranteed me it will out live me. I really need to get through all of the recovery process and therapy treatments to have a positive attitude. I too had no where to turn and came across this website which I really enjoy. Keep me posted on your progress! Mic