Low back/hip pain,vaginal pressure,bowel troubles

Hi all, I am once again seaking the advice if my sisters.
I have started having trouble again with my bowels and pretty much the same symptoms that I had with my rectocele. Has anyone had a rectocele repair fail? What did you do about it?Can they fix it a second time without making things too small down there? I wil be making an appointment with my gyn to change my hormones and will have him check me out then, but wanted to know if anyone had been thru this a second time. I just hate the idea of this happening, my poor family will freak. The rectocele surgery was so painful before, I don't know if I could handle that again.
Thanks,
Carmel

Dear Carmel...

I just wanted to give you some s

I have not experienced a rectocele or the repair... so I can't help you there.... but it doesn't sound fun at all

Sarah

Hi Carmel,

I had a LAVH/BSO with large posterior rectocele repair in Jan. of 2002. I have had a lot of problems, lots of rectal pain, difficulty keeping the stool soft, etc. Off and on for the last year I thought the rectocele had returned. I felt so much pressure near the repair area. So I finally went to gy and he assured me that I was fine. I hope that the same is true for you. I think that we always have to be careful re. returning rectocele and I don’t think anything will ever feel the same as before.

Hi there (((CARMEL))),

Just wanted to pop in and tell you to keep strong on this road. I too am still traveling it and hopefully next Thurs. I will have an answer to my problems.

I have no experience in your problems, just wanting to let you know you are being thought of.

Don't know if you remember me from 2001 -- 2 bladder surgeries.

and ers coming your way. Oh, and many 's as well.


Darlene

Thanks for your replies ladies, I haven't told my family yet about what I suspect, gonna wait unil I see the gyn. I got brave today and used a mirror and took a peak down there, and sure enough, there is something hanging in my vaginal opening just like before.
Darcee, I sure do remember you, nice to see you here, of course I wish it wasn't under these circumstances. I hope you get the answers you are looking for with your appointment, I have to wait to make one til I can drive, I had both feet operated on 4 weeks ago.
s to all
Carmel

Hi ((((Carmel))))) It's always nice to see you again, but I'm so sorry that you're back to travelling this Road

The symptoms you describe do sound a lot like the issues I was dealing with when I was dealing with my rectocele Even though my repairs are holding, when I frist starting to see my pelvic therapist, she did check to ensure that all was still secured, so it's a sign that repairs might have to be re-done.

I would assume that, should you be dealing with another rectocele, it would possible to repair it, without causing too much problems. I know that dh's aunt had a cystocele repaired 3 or 4 times and, when she prolapsed again this year, was told that there was no possibility to re-suspend it: nothing left to suspend it to. However, DH's aunt is 80 years old and has abused her body by ignoring the lifting restrictions.

BTW, Carmel, if your problems are not caused by a return of the rectocele, it might be worth your while to look into the possibility of pelvic therapy in order to strenghten the pelvic floor. Just a thought for you.

Please let us know how your doctor's appointment will go. You'll be in my thoughts and ers,

From research that I did before my recto repair, it seems very possible that a recto repair (or any other prolapse repair) can fail. Some studies state that a repair is good for maybe 5 years ( not a good sign, is it?) but not all repairs fail.

If you have indeed prolapsed again, ask your doc about using a graft and not just your own tissue support.

I'm sorry to hear that it was a painful procedure for you before, and I hope you aren't facing another repair in the near future. Perhaps consider a pessary for a while?


Quoted from a surgical website:

"Based on the studies discussed above, the cure rate utilizing site-specific defect repair alone is approximately 80% at one year. In other words one out of five patients will have a surgical failure of their rectocele repair within one year of the surgery."