Mesh Erosion

I have not been on in awhile - I had rectocele repair on 5-9 In August my urgno FINALLY saw the mesh that i was saying was hurting me and cut some out right there in the Office "OUCH" - tried the vaginal cream ect ect - well its still there as she was unable to cut a piece out -
Went to the doc yesterday and we are scheduling surgery to remove the remainder of the piece sticking out - he said he has to go in Cut again - then remove the pieces sticking out and then trim some inside then sutures then done.
Has anyone had this done? What is the recovery like? How long of a procedure is this? painful afterwards? He said in 2 days i can go back to work -- ANY insight would be greatly appreciated

LTarM--

I'm sorry you are having this nasty mesh ickiness, too. On the mesh removal, it truly depends on how large an area is being removed. Is your surgeon removing a lot? Is s/he removing a tiny piece?

I had the whole anterior/cystocele mesh removed which is a fairly large area. I was told not to drive, do stairs much, + not to lift anything heavier than the TV remote for about 10 days. When I had much smaller pieces removed in the IOTP (in-office torture procedures), I may have been told to wait a few days. For the smaller removal surgeries, I was told to wait a couple of weeks before aerobics but that regular activities were mostly okay.

If it were me, I'd ask how extensive the procedure is and then use my best judgement. I got the opinion of 2 expert UroGYN's before the removal of my eroded mesh for my LAST surgery because by that time, I was sick and tired of things being done piecemeal. I wanted to make sure it was done right and once and for all.

I had other repairs done at the same time and that truly added to my recovery so keep that in mind. Your doctor(s) do have your best interests in mind and know your own physical condition better than any of us do. My recovery from the last mesh removal was a pain in the posterior but that was a lot because of the other repairs, too. I have considered all of the mesh surgeries a pain to deal with, however. To me, the area has been very sensitive but not everyone finds it that way. I think you may want to consider how it's felt to have any of the other procedures done to you there and how you've recovered from those. That may give you a decent predictor of how this will go. I usually don't take pain meds for very long after any of my surgeries.

Sending extra {{{HUGS}}} and good vibes.......

I think you should ask your doctor about removing the whole thing instead of going through the piece by piece ordeal. The uro-gyne I had remove my mesh did not like the piece by piece approach. It is sometimes better to get it all out .

	Quote:
Originally Posted by LTarM I have not been on in awhile - I had rectocele repair on 5-9 In August my urgno FINALLY saw the mesh that i was saying was hurting me and cut some out right there in the Office "OUCH" - tried the vaginal cream ect ect - well its still there as she was unable to cut a piece out - Went to the doc yesterday and we are scheduling surgery to remove the remainder of the piece sticking out - he said he has to go in Cut again - then remove the pieces sticking out and then trim some inside then sutures then done. Has anyone had this done? What is the recovery like? How long of a procedure is this? painful afterwards? He said in 2 days i can go back to work -- ANY insight would be greatly appreciated

Hi LTarM....I was just thinking about you this morning....I am sorry to hear you are still having trouble with this mesh erosion......I would also probably want to have it all removed also like some of these other women so that you don't have to keep dealing with this.....I wonder if he can trim far back enough so that area does not become a problem again.....I know I remember my uro/gyn telling me that most eroisions happen when inserted vaginally because the sutures do not heal right allowing room for mesh to come thru...not sure if this is the deal with the other girls or not....that is one reason why I opted for the robotic so that no cuts were to be made vaginally on me, but I still worry about it also...my concern for you is, is the doctor suturing in the same area and will that weaken the tissue more???....but I know you have been in pain for quite some time now and I sure hope this can be resolved for you..... ...your jersey friend!!!

I am having the same problem (I emailed you privately LTarM) After using the premarin cream for the past 8 weeks, the dr said he thinks we should go in and remove the "piece" that is sticking out. I don't have it scheduled yet (go back in 2 weeks) but I am also wondering if it is better to just remove the entire thing? The piece that is bothering me is about 2 inches into my vagina to the right of the midline. The dr told me at the last apt that he would just cut out that small section, sew it back together and that would be the end of it. He said it was day surgery and acted like it was no big deal.

What do you all think? Once you have erosion do you usually have more of it in the future? I keep thinking this is just the tip of the iceberg--so to speak and that things will continue to erode. I definitely do NOT want to continue to have surgery after surgery for this--it is already having such an impact on my marriage.

LTarM--I hope you get some relief soon! Keep me posted on what you decide--if you are going to have the piece removed or the whole thing.


Hugs
Becky

LTarM.
I had mesh excision for erosion one year ago today. It was supposed to be day surgery but I ended up being kept overnight when I had a bit of a hemmorhage after the packing was removed a few hours post-op. I was out of work for 2 weeks but only because I work on my feet all day. The lifting restrictions were the same as the other surgeries, no tub baths, swimming or sex for 6 weeks.
The other sisters have a point about total mesh removal but I have to play devil's advocate here. I've learned a few lessons over the past three years, the first being Less is More! You may be one of the lucky girls who has this small bit of eroded mesh removed and never has another problem. By keeping the majority of the mesh intact you increase your chances of continued patency of your repair. If you choose to have the mesh totally removed your recuperation period is the same as if you just had it inserted (usually at least 6 weeks) and you are at higher risk for prolapse reoccurence.
I did eventually have to have the mesh totally removed because I was having an inflammatory reaction to the mesh. Less than 2 months later the entire repair had failed and I am facing more surgery. I wish I could have kept the mesh intact so I wouldn't have to go through yet another surgery but the pain from the inflammation was more than I could take.
So there you have it, there are pros and cons to everything and everyone shares a different experience and opinion. You just need to take the information and apply it to your individual situation and find what is best for you.
Michelle

I do not want to have "ALL" the mesh removed and want to try a more conservative approach right now - my original surgeon GRRRR from 1 week after surgery when I told her it feel like i have glass up there would not listen to me - at my 12 week post op she says OH now I see what your talking about - I opted at that time to go to the OR and fix it however she proceeded with the let me snip here in the office (OUCH OUCH OUCH) then the cream and then OR - I was done with her at that point as I knew all long there was something there - I had a terrible time recovering from that surgery.
I found a new doc - saw him in sept. changed some menapause meds (which I am forever grateful for him doing so) went back this week and he said there is more sticking out - He stated he would just go in - re-open and remove the piece sticking out and some in the surrounding areas and then sew me back up.
That one piece could cause infections ect - I am confident trying this first but I am so unsure what to expect with recovery (My first doc said the rectocele repair was not big deal - motrin for pain ect YEA OK).

Hi,
I am sorry to hear of others' problems and need for mesh excisions. I have a question, I had rectocele repair on August 6, had problems with infections and then mesh exposure.

New doctor in bigger town saw me and after consulting with
colon rectal specialist and mesh co. decided that best approach would be to remove the exposed mesh.

Had that done as same day surgery on October 5. Felt less pressure and can sit and walk more comfortably. However, a couple of days ago started with infectious smelling discharge and fever. Put on antibiotics again for infection.

Today I felt a very small area of exposed mesh.

My incsion had opened on after my previous surgery and I have been taking estrogen cream. I did not have any stictches in my second surger, the doc just removed about a four inch square of mesh that had come through vagina.

My doctor is now out of town for a week, and I am freaking out because I don't think I should be able to feel any mesh.

Any thoughts or comments would really be appreciated.

mickey

I am sorry you are experiencing this! You should not be feeling more mesh exposure. The reason the the urogyne took out all of the mesh for me is that in his experience the piecemeal approach leads to more than one surgery. The doctor that took my mesh out is a Mayo Clinic doc who gets the difficult referrals. I'm glad that I had it all out. For me the mesh eroded and wrinkled, shortening my vagina.

The Mayo docs won't use mesh for prolapse surgeries. The only mesh surgeries they do, are the urethral tape ones --the tvt's. They see too many problems with the others.

Good luck.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by drmickey Hi, I am sorry to hear of others' problems and need for mesh excisions. I have a question, I had rectocele repair on August 6, had problems with infections and then mesh exposure. New doctor in bigger town saw me and after consulting with colon rectal specialist and mesh co. decided that best approach would be to remove the exposed mesh. Had that done as same day surgery on October 5. Felt less pressure and can sit and walk more comfortably. However, a couple of days ago started with infectious smelling discharge and fever. Put on antibiotics again for infection. Today I felt a very small area of exposed mesh. My incsion had opened on after my previous surgery and I have been taking estrogen cream. I did not have any stictches in my second surger, the doc just removed about a four inch square of mesh that had come through vagina. My doctor is now out of town for a week, and I am freaking out because I don't think I should be able to feel any mesh. Any thoughts or comments would really be appreciated. mickey

I am not sure but it sounds to me like the opening of the stitches led to the mesh erosion....this is how my doctor, a uro/gyn explained it to me...that if your stitching does not heal correctly it allows space for the mesh to come thru...when you had the piece trimmed you stated you did not have stitches so it is possible the opening is still there and the mesh will continue to protrude...I would ask your doctor about this and good luck