No Date: Pelvic organ prolapse and hysterectomy

I have pelvic organ prolapse's of the bladder and rectum and uterus. So my surgery will be a hysterectomy of the uterus plus bladder repair and rectum repair. That is going to be a lot to handle all at once.
I am scared.
I don't know how to prepare for all of this at once
What if the intestines are prolapsed also? What if I have more than just the uterus removed at hysterectomy? What if there's complications after surgery?
A few years ago I had just bladder repair and it took a long time to recover. I also acquired 2 hospital infections while I had bladder surgery.

Hello complicatedmiss,


Sorry you find yourself facing a complicated surgery. Do you know what method of repair and type of hysterectomy you are having? Are you using a urogynecologist that specializes in pelvic floor repairs?
I had a laproscopic vaginal assisted hysterectomy and repairs in 2011. My surgeon was very skilled in delicate repairs. He did find a enterocele which was hidden and repaired it along with my rectocele and vaginal vault repairs. It was a difficult recovery in the first 2/3 weeks but after that I felt pretty good and returned to work at 5 weeks post op.
I found ice packs extremely helpful in my perineum and I took stool softeners twice per day for a couple months. It's important to follow your post op instructions.
If you are nervous or not feeling confident have you considered a second opinion? Please feel free to post questions on our Pelvic floor and bladder issues forum .

had my surgery on the 21sr. Hysterectomy, cystocele, rectocele & enterocele. I'm just 2 days out but not as bad. I anticipated. I will be glad to have that 1st bm & get rid of catheter but for now, not having to get up frequently to pee is nice . They've been really good at keeping pain under control

I had a vaginal uterus, cervix, one ovary, and posterior vaginal wall repair. I had expected to lose the other ovary, and to get bladder work. The doctor decided doing that was not needed when he got in the surgery, and the ovary had adhered to the abdominal wall, so he left it.


The reason for my surgery was prolapse of ' everything' as the doctor described it. Try not to assume you will have similar issues as last time.just plan on little to no activity for a few weeks, then gradually increase. Be sure and take stool softener afterwards to limit straining.

Hey complicatedmiss!

I just had a total vaginal Hysterectomy, cystocele, rectocele, vaginal vault suspension and a cystoscope for good measure all at the same time. The pain is really under control and I have developed an infection (I get staph easily). That said my surgeon is all over it and sees me twice a week to make sure I am progressing well with the infection as I have a very small rupture in the sutures.

As you have had post-op infections before you can speak to your doctors about post operative antibiotics which I will need to do for any future surgeries. I was really nervous before I went in, and of course we all have our what-ifs. I asked a million questions and it took me a year to agree to the hysterectomy but that was more to do with painful periods and horrible anemia.



This site has lots of great unbiased information and I did my own medical journal research as well. I also had a good support group and really trusted my surgeon. Feeling comfortable with your decision is the most important thing!

The way you ladies describe it, it doesn't sound as bad as my fear is. If that makes any sense. It just sounds like so much to have done all at once. I just wish they would give me a date the sooner the better and get it done and over with. The reason the date is not booked yet is because the uro-gynecologist needs to have my urologist there to assist her with the surgery. They haven't had a chance to get together yet and decide who's OR time they will be using.

Hello Complicated miss,
I did not have prolapse however I had a Complicated surgery as well. Yes, I had my uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, one ovary, appendix and part of my bowel removed..while they were there the suspended my bladder...and honestly it was nothing compared to issue before. I am having some annoyances (5 weeks post op now) I did not expect but it is nothing compared to what I came through. I think it's easy to think light housework is on but BEWARE..do nothing..get help even if the mark diminish and you feel ok. You still have internal stiches...take it easy..don't do it..not worth it..

Hi! I am 35 and just had this exact surgery on 10/8. I also had prolapse of bladder, rectum, cervix and uterus. I had a hysterectomy (left my ovaries), anterior and posterior repair, and bladder taping all done. I did pretty good with this surgery. I was able to have laproscopic procedure. I had 3 abdominal incisions (2 lower abdominal and 1 in my belly button), 2 tiny incisions in my groin for bladder taping, and 2 internal incisions for the anterior/posterior repair. All external incisions were closed with the derma bond glue. I was very anxious going in to surgery, actually walked in crying. They were able to give me meds to help calm me, which I recommend if you are feeling anxious. My surgery was scheduled at 11am, so I arrived at 9am for pre-op prep. One thing after another delayed my surgery, so I finally was taken back around 4pm. I had a little more than normal bleeding and had a hard time waking from surgery. I don't remember much until the next morning. I was on PCA pump and was able to push the button as needed for pain control. And I had a foley catheter after surgery till the next morning. They removed it around noon and gave me 6 hours to urinate. I was able to get up and shower, felt so good that I was dressed, make up on and ready to go home. Unfortunately my bladder decided not to cooperate. Around 6pm that night, they put in another foley catheter and sent me home. I went home on oral Percocet for pain control. Which I alternated with Tylenol and ibuprofen. I took it even when I didn't feel I needed it. I rested well and had help at home. My husband was absolutely amazing! We also had additional help from friends and family for our 4 children ages 11, 10, 7 and 6. All of which helped decrease stress that first weekend. Like I said I did fairly well. Was surprised how well I felt, slow and sore, but was expecting a lot worse pain. I am very glad i did all of these repairs at the same time!!! Its all done and i can now get on with my life! My biggest issues were having to go home with the cath, and also the discomfort from the gas. They use gas during the surgery to expand the abdomen and it stays with you for some time. I had discomfort very severe for about the first 10 days and still feel it off and on in my shoulders, even today. Unfortunately at 5 days post op, I ended up in the hospital for 6 days with a severe kidney infection. I felt like the kidney infection set me back in my recovery and was so disappointing. Another thing no one told me about, was the hot flashes! I kept my ovaries, but when they take the uterus, it messes with your hormone levels. I didnt expect these hot flashes! Wow! Now I am a little over 2 weeks post op. Still taking it easy but starting to get back into the swing of things again. I only need to take Ibuprofen once in a while, for abd muscle soreness. But recovering well. I am planning on 6 weeks off work, I am a nurse and know my job is a little more fast paced then say an office job. I would love to go back sooner, but will have to see how the next week is. Here are a few things I recommend:
**Take stool softners! Twice to 3 times a day! Religiously!!!!!
**I also took Miralax twice a day, in addition to stool softners. Last thing you want is constipation. Especially after the posterior repair. Ouch.
**Heat or Ice, which ever feels better to you!
**Take your pain meds, even if you don't think you need them. Stay ahead of any discomfort!
**Realize you will get exhausted from just taking a shower, so take it easy!!
**Just because one persons recovery was good or bad, doesn't mean the next persons recovery will be that way! Don't let anyone rush your recovery!
**Use Gas X to try to relieve some of the gas discomfort.

I hope some of my recent experience helps you! I honestly am so glad it's done, because I stressed about it for weeks! Good luck to you!

Thank you for making me feel a little bit better for now.