vaginal vs abdominal surgery

My surgery is scheduled for 3/16. I have fibroids, retrocele, and cystocele. I have seen urologist and plan to have the bladder prolapse repaired as well as rectal support and uterus removed at the same time.
I am concerned about the bladder sling after reading posts, but not having a sling means abdominal surgery.
I am feeling the pre-op jitters and second guessing everything.
Any thoughts would be appreciated-vaginal vs abdominal.
Thank you very much.

I would say go with what your doctor recommends. I found some information on the web about the risks of both and there are more surgery risks with the vaginal because the doctors can't see well, but from what I read the healing/recovery is easier with the vaginal hyst. I had the abdominal because that was the only option my doctor gave me and have a vertical incision all the way up to my belly button. I had a vertical c-section incision but it didn't go this far, so I was surprised that this incision had to be larger than the c-section incision.

I had a sling put in, and I am so happy. The catheter came out after less than a day, and I now go to the bathroom every 4-5 hours versus every 30 minutes. I have no leakage and no problems. Not everyone has a problem. My urologist told me that he puts in about 600 slings a year, and less than 10 people have problems with them.

Remember the old adage, if you are unhappy with something you tell 10 people, and happy you tell 3? I think we have more posts with bad stories than good because we need to vent the bad ones and know we are not alone.

By the way, from what I can see on all the posts and progress, those with the vaginal surgery are recovering quicker because stomach muscles weren't cut and there is no big incision, it is all internal.

Good luck.

Renee

I didn't have much choice in the matter... mine was 22 pounds and held six liters of fluid. I was cut sternum to pelvic bone, and doc said it was a bit cramped. Operative Report says "Total Abdominal Hysterectomy with Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy"

Uhm... from what I gather, between to regular opertation descriptions and the lump cramming most of my innards up into my chest cavity, I'm pretty sure I have slings and supports of all sorts.

So far (4 weeks tomorrow!), so good. The innards are working a lot differently than they have in many years... like... is this what normal body function is like?!? Wow! This is like going back in time 16 years or better!

The bigger thing I would worry about: don't go in with a cold!!! A lousy little cold put me in the ER because of this thing. Granted, it was the only way I was going to get the operation, but it's a pretty nasty way to go. I ended up on oxygen. Those canula do nasty things to the inside of your nose! Oxygen therapy every 4 hours is disruptive. With your belly split open... and for that matter, it wasn't too nice on the cuff, either... there isn't a pillow big enough to cough, sneezing is pure torture and blowing your nose is impossible! Which... prolongs the need for oxygen therapy, which prolongs the damage to the inside of your nose... :\

I didn't have any choice either - and nor did my surgeon. He said my fibroid was much too large to come out any other way than through a cut and it had to be a big one. It's a vertical incision - it runs from about an inch and a half above my belly button to my pubic bone and I had about 40 staples and sutures. However, it's healed nicely. I had a slight infection about a week after I left hospital and some seepage from the wound, which put me back in overnight, but a course of ethromycin and flagyl sorted that out.

I didn't need a sling or any other surgery doing - it was simple and straightforward, but reading some of the posts makes me wonder how much longer that would have been the case. The fibroid, which my surgeon said was somewhere between a honeydew and a watermelon in size, was digging into my bladder and bowel, pushing my stomach around and giving me continence problems, constipation, and loads of pain and nausea. It was doing a lot of damage, but it looks as if it could have done a lot more. Even with the post-surgical pain (which has by no means disappeared) I already feel tons better.

Thank you so much for your replies, my gyno says vaginal is the way to go, but the urologist seemed to feel with a history of endometreosis, abdominal might be best. I was torn, but you gals have made me feel more confident about the vaginal. I have multiple fibroids, but they didn't show to be that large on ultra sound. Ya'll are wonderful to share with me. Hope you all are feeling fantastic soon.

just another experience to report. I had a total vaginal hysterectomy with removal of ovaries and a bladder sling. My uterus was the size of a four month pregnancy with a fibroid larger than a cantalope. Mu surgeon(s) were able to do everything vaginally. I am4 wks post op and my recovery has been great except for constipation issues. I did not have a rectocele repair and I am beginning to wish I had. Good luck. I think it all comes down to your surgeons preference and experience. Everyone is different but it all seems to work out for the most part.