LAVH, Bladder Sling, Rectocele/Cystocele Repair

This is my first post. I have been following the boards for a little while now.

I am scheduled to have LAVH, Bladder Sling, Rectocele/Cystocele Repair done on July 6th. Just wondering if anyone else had the same procedure done. Most people I read about just mention their hysterectomy, so I am curious if others had all of the same as what I am having done.

I'm having a TAH with MMK procedure done on 7/7. My Dr. never said, but i think I may have a cystocele. I have stress incontinence, and I think my bladder is sagging as is my uterus.

What is a MMK procedure?

This is the Marshall-Marchetti-Kranz procedure. They put a stitch in somewhere to help things stay up, if I remember correctly.

I'm close .. had TVH, bladder sling, and cystocele/rectocele repair done on May 4th. Three weeks ago .. and am feeling pretty good!
What do you want to know? It's still all pretty clear in my head ..
Kathy

Just basically how it went. Any problems. Did you have to go home with a catheter? Things like that.

Marsha,
Sorry this has taken me so long to respond. I've been using a laptop and it's so darn slow .. so I actually got on our home computer.
I'm 3 weeks and 1 day post-op vag. hysterectomy (left ovaries,) rectoce/cystocele repair, and bladder sling. I expected the worst, am a real weanie when it comes to pain. In fact I asked for an epidural after surgery (along with the general anesthetic) to numb my lower body but the Anesthesiologist said it wouldn't be needed, and he was right.
It is a very extensive surgery, took about 3 hours, but I woke right up and had very little post-op pain. In fact it was mostly discomfort and cramping, and if you've lived with menstrual cramps before (and have been in labor) it's very familiar. I had a pump after surgery for pain .. I pressed it whenever I needed it. Toradol is also an awesome post-op medication, it really helped with the cramping. They put that in my IV.
I had my surgery at 1 pm on a Tuesday and went home on Friday. I could have gone home on Thursday but I wasn't quite ready.
Yes, I did go home with a catheter .. I had a suprapubic tube put in. I'm not sure why a Dr. does one or the other (regular urethral catheter or suprapubic) but my Dr. did the suprapubic. It was nice in one way but kind of a hassle. The suprapubic tube comes out your belly, right above the pubic hair line. I had a little nick on my bladder during surgery so they kept the tube in longer. It was nice, because I didn't have to worry about peeing at all after surgery. The Monday after surgery I went in for an exam to make sure the bladder had healed (it did) and they "capped" the catheter so I was able to go on my own. That went well, except my bladder would cramp some. After you pee, you uncap the tube and measure what's left. Pretty simple. Then that Friday I had it taken out. Ouch. So it was in for .. let's see .. 10 days. I haven't had any problems peeing since.
All in all, I think you'll be in for a very good experience .. no one likes to have surgery but as far as surgeries go, this is pretty "kind." The biggest lesson you can learn is to REST. If you read posts on this site, that's what everyone says, and it's so true. I get so tired I can't believe it. In the morning I shower and make breakfast and take my son to school and pick up some .. and am ready for a nap! I go back to work part-time on June 7th (thank Goodness I'm a secretary and have a pretty sedentary job) and then full-time on June 14th.
Hope I answered your questions, if you have any more, please feel free to ask .. and this time I hope to be more prompt!
Best of luck to you! You know what .. I've been sneezing and haven't leaked a drop! Woo-hoo. Threw all those Poise pads away and soon will be throwing out the mini-pads too!

Kathy

I am Having a LAVH on July 6th also. Live in Texas. I am a teacher and will be going back to work Aug 9. Luckily have two teenagers (1 close) to help move furniture in classroom - 1 15 year old and one 11 year old. Hubby is able to help around the house. Keep in touch.

Tracy

Wow! We have so much in common, glad to read this thread. On June 8th I will have a TAH for a large ovarian cyst and rectocele repair done by my OB/GYN and paravaginal repairs and a birtch (sp?) procedure done by a Uro-gynocologist. Thanks for sharing your good results.

I had surgery Tuesday and went home Thursday morning. I didn't have to go home with the catheter. As long as I could "go" before I left the castle they were happy.

My biggest pain in the hospital was from the epidural - I had back pain for 4 days after it! I was given Percoet but stopped taking it after 4 days - it knocked me out a half hour after taking it and I felt like crap. I stuck with Aleve when I did feel pain.

Sitting was more painful than anything else. Bathroom visits were a bit long - couldn't sit correctly but found a solution quick, my bladder was strange for the first weeks or so (first 2 days home I was in there every 1/2 hour!).

After a week I was driving short distances with my donut pillow and after being home 4 weeks returned back to my desk job with my pillow.

All in all it wasn't too bad - I was never in a lot of pain - more like discomfort than anything else.