Should I Hold Off on Prolapse Repair Surgery? - Hystersisters Hysterectomy Article

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Should I Hold Off on Prolapse Repair Surgery?

Should I Hold Off on Prolapse Repair Surgery?

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I need prolapse repair surgery, but I have small children. Should I hold off on my surgery until they’re older?

Pretty much all pelvic floor repair surgeries prohibit lifting more than 10-20 pounds for an extended period of time during recovery. Lifting too much weight can cause a woman to strain against her stitches or barely healed incisions and risk undoing the repair. For this reason, some women with small children who still need frequent carrying or lifting will choose to hold off on prolapse repairs until the children are older.

There are a couple of factors that can help you decide whether or not to hold off on your surgery.

If your symptoms are tolerable, and you are able to function in life, you can probably hold off for some time (with your doctor’s advice and consent, of course). Sisters report going for years with prolapse-related discomfort and difficulties before they got bad enough that they could not wait for surgical repair any longer. However, they warn that the symptoms do get progressively worse, and your situation may require surgery sooner rather than later, regardless of the difficulties your recovery will present with young children in your home.

Your ability to get help for an extended period of time will affect your decision as well. If you have a friend or family member or can pay an assistant who can be with you many hours per day and help you to take care of your children, you might consider having surgery sooner rather than later. If you are a single parent, you’ll need someone to essentially live with you for several weeks. If this is not possible and your prolapse does not present an immediate danger to your overall health, you may have no choice but to wait until your children are older. Sisters who have gone through such pelvic floor repairs say that they could not possibly have gotten through the recovery if they had had small children and no help.

Keep in mind that even relatively mild symptoms of some kinds of prolapse can have a significantly negative impact on your quality of life and ability to function well at work and at home. You will need to weigh your options carefully with input from your physicians, spouse or significant other, and family or friends who may be able to help you out before making your decision about whether or not you should go ahead with the surgery or hold off until your children are older.

This content was written by staff of HysterSisters.com by non-medical professionals based on discussions, resources and input from other patients for the purpose of patient-to-patient support.

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Find A Doctor Near You

Susan D. Hunter, M.D. 626 Ed Carey Dr Harlingen TX 78550 956-428-4868	Sherry L Neyman, M.D. Renaissance Women's Group 12201 Renfert Way Ste 200 Austin TX 78758 512-425-3875	Ellen Wilson, M.D. 5323 Harry Hines Blvd - Dept of OBGYN Dallas TX 75390 214-648-4747
Bret Lewis, M.D. 5780 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd., Ste 295 (#2 Location) 11975 Morris Rd., Ste. 310 , Alpharetta, GA 30004 Atlanta GA 30342 404-255-3633	Stephen Zweibach, M.D. 815 S Parsons Ave Brandon FL 33511 8135712777	Gretchen Makai, M.D. 4735 Ogletown Stanton Rd MAP II, Ste 2103 Christiana Care Health System Newark DE 19713 302-623-4410
Melanie Bone, M.D. 5301 S. Congress Ave. Atlantis FL 33462 561-548-8600	Tamer Seckin, M.D. 872 FIFTH AVE NEW YORK NY 10065 2129881444	Lauren Streicher, M.D. Gynecologic Specialists of Northwestern, S.C 680 N. Lake Shore Dr., Suite 117 Chicago IL 60611 (312)654-1166

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