Can having repairs with mesh cause painful intercourse??

Hello Ladies!!

I have had a TVH, A&P repeairs, and bladder sling in 11/08. In 2 days I will have mesh revision and vaginal cuff revision surgery. My question is, has anyone who has had problems with mesh, also had very painful intercourse. It only hurts where the cystocele repair was, and that is where I have mesh. It is SO painful! Like something sharp is poking me when touched. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks and I hope all is well with everyone! :confuse:

Yes, your pain is not uncommon and it is a BIG message that you're being cut on the inside from intercourse. Please Stop having intercourse, go to a UroGyn and find out what you need. The longer you wait, the more embedded the mesh will be in your delicate tissues.
My 12/22/08 cystocele mesh was protruding into my vagina - had that "trimmed". Worse, was the TVH sling was placed too low. Very painful intercouse, the sling was cutting my vaginal wall from the back side. Made my vagina too small in diameter for my husband. OMG pain.
Just went in for fix-it out-patient surgery yesterday and had them take out the old sling and put in a new one, behind the pubic bone, higher up.
Good luck and get a second opinion right away. C

I had painful intercourse when I had Prolift posterior mesh erode and wrinkle. I had to have it removed. I think that the use of mesh for these repairs is asking for trouble. The doctor who removed my mesh(a Mayo clinic urogyne) told me that the Mayo won't use the stuff except for tvt's. Even then he decided that a sling made from my own fasica was better for me, to address my stress incontinence because I had mesh problems with the Prolift posterior repair. I really think that the companies that make the mesh kits do a sales job on the doctors and the doctors think that its a great improvement over the old fashioned surgery--such as the sling made from my own fascia--and start using it all the time. The trouble is that this stuff really hasn't been tested--it was grandfathered in by the FDA, because it was successfully used for hernia repair. The vaginal use is far different because it has to stretch with intercourse and mesh doesn't stretch.

I am very happy I had it removed and the sling made from my own fascia worked for my stress incontinence. The doctor attached my vagina to my own ligaments so I would not need the support from the posterior mesh. I really don't know why the original surgeon inserted the posterior mesh because the recotocele I had was a grade 1 and I had no problems with that area.

The FDA had recently issued a black box warning for the use of mesh in this area. I guess many women are having problems with it. I still have a significant amount of mesh still in me. I worry that as I age it will cause problems.

Cheryltwin, You sound well educated. Albeit at some great personal cost I imagine.
I agree with you that the Sales Reps get the Doc's ears and don't always do the right thing. It still happens today as it happened "back when". I have family in the MD biz and I remember the sales rep's perks when I was a youngster.
Tell us more about the sling made from your own fascia. It sounds fascinating. It also sounds like what all of our "fixes" should be constructed from. No rejection of meshes, synthetic or donor tissue.

The surgery involves fascia harvested from another area of the body. For me, it was harvested from the bikini line on my abdomen. I guess it is an old fashioned surgery, and since the introduction of the tvt and tot kits, it is used less often and many younger doctors don't know how to do it. Also, one has to have fascia that will hold up. In some women, their fascia is compromised somehow.

For me, it has worked really well. The place where it was harvested healed really well and caused me minimal pain. I think it must technically be a more involved surgery. I'm sure the mesh kits are easier and faster for doctors to use. They probably can do more surgery in a day using them and the insurance companies like them because they can be done as outpatient surgery.

Yes, painful intercourse is part and parcel of this nasty mesh erosion experience. Bah humbug on it!

Amen to what cheryltwin has said. I will NEVER have any artificial mesh put in me again ANYWHERE. Period.

I too worry that what is still in me will erode someday as I age--or whatever--and will then cause problems. I had most of my polypropylene mesh removed but some had to be left in since it was near bladder nerves. I also had my TOT left in since it was not causing problems at the time. (First, do no more harm, IMO.) I would only have my own fascia put in as a sling in the future. No rejection issues there. I was willing to try another type of biological tissue but my current doctor even said, "No way." He said with my rejection/ erosion issues, it was sooo not a good idea. Hey, I definitely saw the wisdom of that and have gone with that since.

Others may see another biological as being okay but for me, it's not a good idea.

As for artificial, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone I personally know or care about.

*Don't let your doctor do any 'in-office' trimming--that was one of THE worst experiences my first doctor ever did to me. It was painful and hideous each time. The only trimming that every should be done is removal of the mesh under full anesthesia in an operating room. Trust me on this one...

Sending you ......

Thanks Ladies for all of your input!!

Tomorrow I am having outpatient surgery to remove the piece of mesh that is showing in my vagina. I will be under general anesthesia for this too!! I am nervous about this for some reason. How is the recovery?

If things are still painful after this, then my Dr. wants me to see the Dr. that trained her for these repairs. I just really, really want all of this over. I feel bad for my DH, but he is very understanding. One day I won't have anymore pain!!

Thanks again for your input. I will let you know any updates when I am feeling better.

Rosie,
Good luck tomorrow! Some of my mesh was surgically excised this past Monday. I had some other mesh trimmed a couple of weeks ago. I am doing amazingly well, compared to my first round of surgeries back in December.
I am sure you will be glad you did it. Take your estrogen cream and be the queen that you are and take it easy for awhile.
C

How do I know if this is what the problem is?? I had LAVH/BSO TVT-O and A/P repairs. I was cleared for intercourse at week six. We have tried a few times but, the pain is unbearable. Now I am afraid to try again. Until I read this post...I never thought that the pain could be from the repairs. Should I just give it more time??!!

Hi Ladies!!

I am home from surgery. I feel horrible this time! I think it is from the pre-anesthetic drugs. They were different than what I had for the big surgery in Nov. Horrible headache and vomiting!! It is getting better with each day.

My GYN was able to get the piece of mesh out that was eroding thru. She hopes it helps with the pain. She says that mesh can shrink over time and become too tight. She is hoping that this will loosen it. If not, on to more surgery.

Love the Lake: Go see your dr. That is how my pain is with intercourse. I was told it should not hurt like this.

I will keep posting after all of my post op appts.

Have a wonderful weekend Ladies!!