rectocele back 3 weeks post op

Hystersisters,

I found your web site and message board on a google search looking for information regarding my mother's surgery that was Jan 5th 2004. My mother had vag hyst, TVT, cystocele and we thought a rectocele repair. I have read many, many of your posts and spent hours reading all of your experiences. My mother complained of something falling down about 2-3 weeks post op. She had lots of problems with the bowels like I have read on here. She feels like there is a tampon in there. Very, very uncomfortable to sit down -feels like something in the vagina. Well at 3 weeks appt. her gyn of 31 years said everything was alright and sent her to her internist MD. Long story - she saw another gyn partner in that same office 2 days before she was to leave for Florida - just to check things out. The second MD examined her rectally and said she had a rectocele. We thought that was orginally repaired in the first surgery. Now, they say she must have 4 weeks of rest and then should return to have the rectocele repaired? My mother had no problems with this rectocele before surgery and now she does. Terrible uncomfortable. Her MD did anterior repair not a posterior repair.
Not looking forward to going back to surgery we had to catherize for almost 2 weeks post op with the TVT and all.

I am stressed out trying to help my mother as far as going back to the original gyn or another.

My question is has anyone else had a rectocele come back or occur so soon after surgery. I am worried how do I know my mother does not have an enterocele after reading that is common after a hyst.

Thanks for any replies. I have learned so much from your posts. I only wish I would have known about them before the surgery and during our recovery at home.

Thank you,

Miss Vicky

Hi Miss Vicky,

I'm really sorry that I cannot help you, but I am going to your post back to the top. Hopefully, some of the other sisters will be able to give you some advice from their experiences. I hope that your mother feels better soon.

Your Mom is lucky to have such a loving daughter!

Your Mom's story could be mine. I had a LAVH, bladder sling, and anterior repairs on 12/15/03. I knew when things started going "south" and sure enough on the next dr. visit, he told me I have a retocele. This after having an internal at 2 weeks when he told me how odd it was that I didn't need any posterior repairs and how unusual that was.

I was given very little in the area of guidance, the only concrete piece of advice I was given was not to carry the vacuum up and down stairs and not to go back to the gym for weightlifting for another three months. I was told to fill out a "see you next year" postcard on my way out.

You can try posting your Mom's story on "The Road Less Traveled" area of hystersisters. It's for women with long-term complications from their hysterectomies. At least one of the hostesses there has had a retocele develop after her hyst.

I wish I could offer more encouragement. Your Mom has you! My dh heard "sex was ok" and told everyone I was fine. My Mom thought I was overexaggerating and my dr. was overprotective. She didn't ever hear about the retocele. At least your Mom has an advocate in her corner. Wish I did!

I had a similar experience - not with the rectocele per se, but with the surgery "not working" within a relatively short time. A return visit to my gyn (only thing that could be done was to fit a pessary?) left me crying all the way home. Then I got mad and started researching for a specialist in Pelvic Floor Reconstruction (aka uro-gyn). Found one, got my surgical records from my original gyn, and had a wonderfully "enlightening" appointment with this specialist - who questioned the procedures of my gyn. Guess you "live and learn", but I certainly wish I had researched my condition prior to my first surgery, and sought the advice of an expert in Pelvic Floor Reconstruction! And, yes, I ended up having a second surgery ...

My advice is to find a uro-gyn - someone skilled in Pelvic Floor Reconstruction. As much as you like your gyn, this person is not always the most skilled in this procedure. Then request your medical/surgical records from your gyn. (Records might take as long as 2 weeks to get, so start early. No charge for mine, but I've heard of some charging a small fee.) Take these records with you to a specialist and just see what they say.

Good luck!
Kajsa