A few questions for rectocele repair sisters...

Hi Ladies,
I have thought of a few questions I have reguarding the rectocele repair I'm having.
1) Did you have to wear pads after the surgery?
2) What kind of pain control did you have in the hospital?
3) Did you have that vaginal packing?Does it hurt?
4) How did you do with stairs or should I stay downstairs for a few days?
5) Did anyone use a sitzt bath or does that area have to stay dry?

I have already stocked up on the stool softners and gas-x, am I forgetting anything that you guys found useful? I want to be as prepared as I can be for my return home since my dh will be returning back to work the day after my surgery and I'll basically be alone during the day.
Thanks in advance for all your help.....6 days and counting.....

s
Carmel

Hi Carmel

I'll try and answer your questions, but you'll have to keep in mind that I had my rectocele repair done at the same as my hyst: some of things that applied to me may not apply to you:

	Quote:
1) Did you have to wear pads after the surgery? 2) What kind of pain control did you have in the hospital? 3) Did you have that vaginal packing?Does it hurt? 4) How did you do with stairs or should I stay downstairs for a few days? 5) Did anyone use a sitzt bath or does that area have to stay dry?

1) Yes I had to wear pads after the surgery, but they were lightdays. I had discharge, but I think that it came, mostly, from the hyst rather than the repair. I would buy a box of light day pads, just to be on the safe side.

2) I woke up from my TVH with Rectocele repair with a PCA and had it for less than 24 hours. After that, I was on Tylenol 3 until Day 4, when I asked to be put on Regular Tylenol because the T3, along with the Iron supplement, were adding to the discomfort of constipation. I found that regular Tylenol managed my pain VERY effectively.

3) Yes, I had vaginal packing, but I didn't even know it was there. Once it was out - that was a little painful, especially if the nurse happened to brush against the stitches - I realized that it had added to the pressure I felt against the vaginal wall, adding to the discomfort.

4) I was ok with stairs, but opted to only go up and down once a day: I would shower and come down in the morning and go up only when I was ready to settle down for the night. Going up and down the stairs was exhausting in those first few weeks.

5) I used a stitz bath in the hospital - but that was to spur my bladder back into action I didn't take it with me but I DID use a peri-bottle, filled with warm water. Of course, you doctor may have another point-of-view in this issue and it is a good question to ask at your pre-op.

Hang in there: the waiting's almost over and you that it is the hardest part

Hi Carmel,

I also had my rectocele and cystocele repaired at the same time as my hyst, and had basically the same experience as Dany.

One thing I will add, though, is to get a "donut" pillow to sit on. I didn't have one for the first couple of days after I got home, and sitting was very uncomfortable. A friend told me later that she had used a child-sized pool ring - blown up only part way. She said that was even more comfortable than the pillow.

I was on a morphine pump in the hospital, went home the next day and was on Percocet for the next couple of days and then Darvocet for about a week and gradually tapered that off and went to Tylenol, But, again, I had all 3 done at the same time, so maybe needed more pain meds than you will.

I hope everything goes well for you.

Hi Carmel,
Had an A/P repair 3 months after my hyst. No pads, no packing, IV demerol in the hospital but soon switched to tylenol3 (it lasted longer).
Didn't care for the ring pillow, but had to have a regular pillow to sit on. If you wind up with outside stitches, dermaplast is really nice.
Remember to take it easy for at least 8 weeks after surgery. These pelvic floor repairs are prone to failure and you sure don't want to take that chance. The discomfort can be pretty intense for a while, but as you feel better its easy to forget to not to overdo.
If you tend toward coughing/sneezing in the winter,have plenty of stuff to help with that. Coughing etc can help blow out repairs.

Good luck to you, and good healing.
Susan

Thanks for your replies Ladies, I really appreciate them. I think I'm just gonna make sure I have something nice and soft to sit on at home and if that doesn't work them I can send someone after a donut pillow.
I know I have to be really careful in the first few weeks to try and refrain from coughing and sneezing much, hopefully my kids won't bring something home from school.
What is dermaplast? Can I buy that in the drugstore?

Thanks again for your help..
Take care
Carmel

Hi Carmel

Just a few more things I remembered:

1) I didn't use a donut either, but I DID use my "tummy" pillow to sit on --- but I didn't do too much sitting in the first two weeks post-op --- it would hurt too much.

2) I had longer lifting and straining restrictions than the initial 6 weeks because of the posterior repair.

sorry, can't help with the dermoplast: never heard of it

Hi ladies,
Dermoplast is a spray that protects wounds, is a pain-reliever, and I *think* is antiseptic too. You can find it at Wal-Mart, RiteAid, etc. It would be with the first aid stuff like band-aids.
Of course, before you use anything, ask your if it is okay.

The absolutely BEST thing I did for myself after my repair surgery was to nag my doctor into giving me an order for physical therapy. I learned to strengthen all those poor beat-up pelvic floor muscles, and how to relieve a lot of the physical stress from trauma and scarring, and how to do every day activities in a way that would help keep me from having more of these problems.
Plus it helps you to heal faster and to avoid issues like incontinence.

Best wishes and happy healing.
Susan

I just got home from the hospital on Saturday (less than 24 hrs) after having rectocele repair and RSO on Thursday. I had a couple shots of morphine at first for the pain, then they switched to demerol, and then vicodan tablets which I am currently taking. I had to go up about a dozen stairs to get into our house and I took them real slow with Hubby’s help. (I would have been discharged after just 1 day but I voiced concerns about UTI symptoms and they finally decided to keep me for a second night. I don’t think I could have done the stairs if they’d have booted me out after just one night.) I showered the next day without any concerns about getting that area wet and never had to do sitz baths. I requested a donut on day 2 and wish I would have asked for it right away. It really made the hospital bed more bearable!

Other insight: I was quite alarmed when I went to the bathroom the first time and the basin that they use to measure urine output was nearly filled with blood & clots. Apparently this is somewhat common and was just blood that pooled in the vagina during surgery. My vitals were stable and the amount diminished each time afterwards but it was definitely shocking at first! I didn’t have any packing so maybe that’s why I had all that blood. I’m still having some slight spotting so definitely needed some pads. My urine flow was real slow but is almost back to normal as the swelling is going down.

Overall I’m feeling quite well (but maybe that's due to the pain pills I took last hour ) and go back on 12-20 to see the MD & get the stitches out. I hope all goes as well for you and don’t hesitate to ask if you have any other questions

hi, how long did the rectocele repair take to be done? iam going to doc september 23rd

Hi Lei

As I mentionned in those earlier posts, I had the rectocele repaired at the same time as my TVH. And, because the fibroid was soooo large and there was a lot of bleeding, the TVH portion was a little more complicated than anticipated. So, it's hard to tell how long the Rectocele repair itselft took.

I went into surgery at 9:30 am and woke up in recovery at 2:30 pm... 5 hours later However, I would imagine that most of that time was spent doing the TVH.

That would be a good question to ask your doctor.

Wishing you the best of luck.. please let us know how things go.