Anyone have anything to say about cystocele and/or rectocele?

I'm new to Hystersister. Thankful I found this the other day. Soooo much information. I have had 2drs. tell me I have cystocele and rectocele. I go Tuesday, Oct. 14, for the GYN/surgeon visit. Can anyone tell me their experiences with this or an alternative to surgery? Having a hyst. was easy since there were so many other women that had done it. This....I know of no one. You input will be greatly appreciated.

God bless,

I had a Vaginal Hyst., A & P repairs (cystocele and rectocele) with Bladder Sling TOT repair on 7/30. What I learned is these conditions are due to weakening of your vaginal walls. The bladder falls back and the rectum, forward. I would research to get as much information as possible and this site is great for that. I think you'll find many women have these same problems and more; Each person is different to the degree that they're having problems, however, not correcting things may develop in to worse conditions, too. Write down your questions for your exam so you can get everything answered. Best wishes.

I totally agree with the previous message that this is a fabulous place to become informed about these repairs. I didn't understand it at all either until I began contemplating having the surgery about 9 months ago. My advice to you would be to read everything you can on this site and then to absolutely be sure to find the very best surgeon possible who ideally is a urogynecologist who does many many prolapse repairs a year. This is not so much a matter of life and death, but the surgery is very delicate and to have a good outcome you really need a doctor who is very skilled. Don't settle for less...make sure you go through a thorough urodynamic testing so that any repairs that are needed, including any possible bladder support, etc. can be evaluated and all of the surgery done at once. I never had any leaking so I never dreamed I would need a bladder sling, but it turns out that if I hadn't had the TOT bladder sling and I had had the anterior and posterior repairs done, I would have started having incontinence because I actually had "masked" incontinence from all of the prolapse. They simulate this during urodynamic testing.
I'm only less than 2 weeks post-op and I'm already feeling so relieved that I did this operation, and so glad that I waited instead of taking the first opening back in December last year. I needed a lot of time to get other opinions, get informed and get ready for this long recovery.
My doctor says it basically 8-12 weeks so you really have to plan for that kind of down time in order for the surgery to be successful. Hope this has helped a bit. My best to you, Nancy

Thank you both so much. Not only do I get my 3rd opinion on Tuesday, but will get a 4th on the 22nd. The research I have done so far on the drs. is dr. #3 is the best one, but will have to verify that when I see #4. Thank you both so much for your inputs. You will kept informed. As for getting ready for my down time....I bought my husband a new Dyson vacuum a couple of months ago!

my experience...

I am recovering from having my rectocele/cystocele surgery done on 9-25-08. The abdominal hysterectomy I had in May 2006 was a piece of cake compared to this surgery! I never realized it would take so much healing with this type of repair....my coworker had the same procedure with a different doctor and returned to work after 2 1/2 weeks. She was catherizing herself in the restroom though because she could go on her own.

I was sent home the day after my surgery with the ability to pee on my own. Once I arrived home, I was so swollen, I could not pee. I had to self catherize myself (luckily they taught me how in the hospital "just in case"). I used the cath for almost a week. That is miserable. No one told me about the flaming UTI I would get from not doing this cath in a sterile way...so I am two weeks on meds for a horrible UTI.

The first weekend home I was cold, chills, and feverish. I literally thought I was going to die. I was so weak and cold. I was scared to have a bowel movement because of the rectocele so refused to eat for two days! I finally had a bowel movement 4 days post op with the help of stool softeners--which I take still. I can tell the rectocele surgery was needed because I didn't realize how constipated I was prior to the surgery. My poo used to get stuck in the rectal wall and boy oh boy would it hurt!!!!!!! I had to "splint" to have a bowel movement. I am very glad I had the rectocele surgery. Still not sure about the cystocele repair yet...

I am able to pee on my own but it is not a very good flow. It kinda dribbles out. Things are probably still swollen and healing?? My back has been extremly sore throughout this whole recovery (UTI??). My tailbone area feels very achy and the doc said he thinks it is referred pain because he didn't do anything to my tailbone. I am still horribly bruised in the buttock area and my underware rubs where the tape was inserted on my inner thigh. So I walk around "commando" with my sweatpants on, wondering "will I ever feel normal again?"

I don't have to return to work until Nov 6. Does anyone have any comments on if their tailbone hurt after their surgery?? When will I feel better????????

Just wanted to tell you that you have plenty of company still hurting after rectocele and cystocele repair (and bladder sling and TVH)....and it's my tailbone and just basically up into my rectum that aches., but I'm only less than 2 weeks post 0p still, but I've heard that it can last for weeks...but does EVENTUALLY go away.
I just think this is a pretty uncomfortable surgery, given the long recovery, and having to be so careful not to undo anything...and the fact that there's no way to isolate your bladder and rectum so it could totally heal (like you could do with a shoulder!)...so it keeps getting irritated.
I'm just kind of resigned to the fact that I'm going to hurt a bit, but my doctor has given me lots of ibuprofren and pain killers if needed. And I don't have the pressure to have to go back to work for a while so I'm trying to really follow directions about taking it easy.
Hope you do too and that the pain eases up. I have faith because everyone I've talked to on this site ends up saying it took forever, but once they finally healed, they were so glad they did it. That keeps me going! Nancy

Oh that makes me feel better, Nancy. I haven't heard anyone state that their tailbone area hurt so I am relieved it is not just me :-) It honestly feels like I have been kicked (really hard) in the butt. It is so uncomfortable to sit for any length of time. I had my surgery on 9-25-08, a little over 2 weeks ago. When was yours?? Did you stay in the hospital overnight and went home the next day? Were you peeing on your own or did you have to use a catheter?? (wish my doctor had informed me a bit better on the fact that home catherization may be necessary afterward--that was awful). When do you return to work? My work is REALLY missing me but I am not letting guilt interfere. I have a full 4 weeks left to heal before returning and I am going to take advantage of it. I can't imagine sitting in a chair for very long anyway and my job is all desk/cubicle.

Sue
(stool softeners are my new friend)

[i]Thank you all for your input. It is good to see what I have to look forward to! Know that you all are in my prayers. I will be sure to let you know the outcome of my consultation on Tuesday. I'm am glad I asked you about this and for your replies.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by Pug_Lover Does anyone have any comments on if their tailbone hurt after their surgery?? When will I feel better????????

Yes yes yes! My tail bone and back has hurt so bad!
I had an a&p repair with mesh and splint and TVT sling done 15th Sep (and a TVH also). I am now approaching my 4th week post op. The last 3 weeks have been pretty rough and I just couldn't relate to all my fellow Hystersisters jetting about, shopping, house cleaning and getting their hair done while I could hardly get out of bed with pain and overwhelming fatigue. (I needed Oxycodone regularly for 2 weeks then Panadeine & Diclofenec since) However, this week I feel like I've turned a corner.

At this point in time I am very happy with the TVT. I don't feel like I need to pee 24hrs a day like I did with the cystocele. I don't actually feel like I need to go till my bladder distends after 2 or more hours. WOW! I definitely didn't have that before the surgery, so i'ts already improved my quality of life. At first I had some leakage and I had no conscious control of starting a pee, it was like my brain and the muscles were disconnected. I would sit on the toilet and will myself to pee. The closest thing I can compare it to is as if I was willing it through tellapathy, sitting on the toilet and willing to start which it did finally but it was a VERY weak stream, more like dribbling out.
Over the last 3 weeks that has continued to improve.
My stream is stronger, I can actually start peeing on command and STOP it, no more tellapathy! I don't leak at all when I sneeze or cough. And I can hold on for longer. Initially after the op I had to pee every 1/2 hour but now I can last up to 6 hours. I know that that will lengthen in time - so hopefully I can sleep fro longer than the 6 hours max at the moment.

As for the rectocele part, my BM's have been a real bother and I am still working on having soft BM's rather than the HARD rocks followed by rebound diarrhoea. I use stool softeners and laxatives but haven't found the right combination to have a soft BM consistently. I refuse to strain because 1) I don't want to split any stitches. 2) I don't want rectocele recurrence.

I've discovered a significant difference with the rectocele repair. It has stopped my flatulence incontinence. Boy, is that a relief to have had that fixed!
Also a strange phenomenon is that I use what feels like different muscles to evacuate. It's almost as if I have to draw up my sphincter muscle rather than relax it (like I did before the surgery) to evacuate. I'm going to a Physiotherapist that specialises in continence issues in a couple of weeks so I'll see whether this is normal since it feels so different than before.
Straining hurts so I do my best not to strain, but I gotta get those BM's sorted!

I'm still relatively early with my recovery, but I do have to admit that it has been tougher than I expected. However I see improvement everyday, some days more than other but definitely an improvement.

Wishing you every success with the surgery and its recovery.

PS. Pug_Lover, I too have found that I just can't keep my temperature & I'm freezing and I mean FREEZING all the time. I don't know whether its my ovaries playing up, because I have night sweats at night or it's just part and parcel of recovery. Today was 26C and I still had to wear a woollen jumper to keep warm! Now, that's just plain weird....

Sue,
My doctor says it is a 12 week recovery so if I were working right now, I wouldn't be going back for 2 1/2 more months. I think it's way too soon for you to have to go back in 3 or 4 weeks. I've heard people say that the sitting pain can last for months and that it just kind of goes away little by little but sometimes it can be up to 6 months before you realize that it's really gone.
I have been doing a bunch fo sitting because we've been surrounded by people and I've tried to be sociable...we live right in town (in Denver) and I went to dinner with my sister who has been visiting and my daughter and family and I was very uncomfortable. I'm still taking some low dose painkillers and 800 mg. of Ibuprofen every 8 hours...Are you taking anything?
I had my surgery on 9/29 so don't get worried that you feel so bad when it's only 2 weeks post-op. I guess I totally expected to feel awful so I haven't been as bad because it met my expectations!
I need to stop sitting...keep in touch, Nancy