Pelvic Reconstruction Surgery--My take

Sorry I have been MIA for so long. Life gets crazy from time to time.
Gina asked me to come by to talk about my recent surgery.

I had pelvic reconstruction surgery this past march. That can consist of a variety of things. I had a hysterectomy, oophrectomy, salpinectomy, bladder suspension, rectocele and cyctocele repair.  In english that means I had my uterus, ovaries, tubes removed. My bladder was suspended with a sling and they fixed where my bladder and rectum bulged into my vagina due to a very weak thin vaginal wall.

The old way to fix the bladder problems was to "tack" it up with suture. There were quite a few restrictions after that.. I think it was called a Marshell-Marshetti-Kranz procedure. My surgeon who is gynourologist meaning she specializes in womens urological surgeries and problems over and beyond being a gynocologist, uses a suspension "sling" method. This is the newer method. A piece of mesh is fastened on your pubic bone, runs under your bladder to suspend it better, lengthening the urethra, and fixing the dribbles. After about 6 weeks your tissue grows into and around the mesh and it is as strong as your own tissue. There is NO activity restriction. I was told that having babies is the main problem but years of obesity will make it much worse.
The only incisions I had were two 1/2 inch. One in each groin where she fastened the mesh to the pubic bone. Problems with this surgery can be that it doesn't fix the dribble enough or it is too hard to pee. My surgeon avoids this problem by doing all sorts of pressure testing prior to the surgery to see how tight she needs to suspend the bladder.
I am thrilled to say I can run, jump, sneeze and lift without the littlest hint of a leak. I am thrilled with the outcome of this surgery.

The part of the surgery that has given me some problem is the rectocele repair. Mine was rather large and she had to use a gortex graft to reinforce the back vaginal wall. I figured that I would be returned to pre-kid size vaginally but I think it returned to pre-intercourse size. I have had trouble returning to marital relations. In fact, after 3 months I had to start using vaginal dialators to help with the problem. I am just now comfortable with intercourse. Not everyone experiences this and it can be treated but it is frustrating to say the least.

I don't think my surgery would have been as painful without the hysterectomy. I don't think the hysterectomy done vaginally is usually so bad but my uterus was extremely fibrous and she couldn't get it out intact with the instruments used to do it vaginally. She ended up having to cut it up and get it out in little pieces. She said in retrospect she should have just opened me up but knew I didn't want that. Because of the problems she had with this my surgery was 7 hours. Most of my pain was related to having my legs up in stirrups that long and already having arthritis in my hips. 

I have to say I am totally thrilled with the outcome of my surgery. No dribbles, less problems with the pooping, no constant full feeling and now no worries about ever having ovarian cancer. The only little hitch is the return to virginhood practially speaking.

So my thoughts... be sure what procedure your doctor is actually doing to fix the dribbles. Some did have restrictions. The new procedure does not. Make sure the doc knows how tight to make the suspension to decrease the chance of not being able to pee at all or still dribbling.

I would also recommend getting it all done at once. I don't think the multiple procedures add more pain and why do it all again.

I am happy to answer any questions or talk some more. Hope this answers some questions.
I will be around more and I am always on facebook as it has a feed to my phone. Wish this did!

Thanks for giving us your experience and great info, Cheryl. Diana goes in tomorrow and I'm waiting on a surgery date next month. Think I'll bookmark your post.

--gina

Hi Cheryl, I am so glad you posted. Wow, you had a lot done too. I am scheduled tomorrow morning for the following: hysterectomy (leaving in ovaries if they loo**** rectocele and cyctocele repair w/perineorrhaphy. I am also having excision of right bartholin cyst and TOT procedure. All at once...3 hr surgery booked. 

I am so glad to hear about the level of your activity!! I trust my doc...he's great...but I think he has some old school thinking about the activities after the surgery. Maybe he doesn't think I'll be compliant?? Dunno but I am glad to hear that I can resume normal activities. Yay!! 

I'm very anxious about this surgery. Ask me to undergo rny again...no problem but this surgery is kinda freaking me out. I am relieved that I will be "fixed" and all tuned up again. but I am worried about pain, recovery, etc. 

Wow...return to virginhood??  Well, my hubby comes home this thursday and wait until i tell him that!! He'll have to wait for a bit until I recover....

I hope the ovaries are healthy for them to stay. I was told a while back that I had an enlarged uterus so I am hoping that it won't give him any problems through vaginal surgery. So there's a lot of anxiety for me but I'm doing the lovely bowel prep now. Drinking some crappy fluid 8oz every 10 min...ya right on a small pouch...eh, it is what it is...lol 

I'll post as soon as I can and I cannot thank you enough for putting your story and experience out there. Gina...we'll be brand new soon!! lol 

You are awesome!! 

Best of luck to you tomorrow Diana!! I am so excited for you that DH will be home soon.  Remember to take care of yourself.  You are in my thoughts!!

good luck to you Diana,
i hope all goes well with you

 Praying 4 U Diana ....     kisses and hugs 

Thanks Cheryl!!  I'm sure what you have gone through was no piece of cake.  But please know that your story is helping so many. ♥

((hugs))

Julie

Cheryl,
Thank you so much for sharing this.  I was so hoping that losing weight would help with the dribbles, but it has not.  I've talked with my gynocologists about this and we've discussed several different treatment types, but were both hoping it would not come to that.  I go back in November and I know we will have to talk again.

This is great to have info that I can take with me so I will know what she is talking about and see which procedure she is using.  I had heard of the bladder tack and knew I probably didn't want that unless it got a lot worse.

I'm glad you are doing better.  Hope your new grandbaby is doing good now.  I'm sure your not a spoiling grandma!!!  I know I am.

Linda

I've had two Reconstruction surgeries, one after my first child (who's 23) and then again about 8 years ago. My first child tore me so bad, and was a complete horror story,(He ripped the episidomy really bad)  Everything had *dropped and was bulging or hanging too low)

I'm a wuss when it comes to pain, but I found this surgery was actually pretty darn easy :)
I call myself a reborn again virgin! Heck sometimes my hubby complains that, ummm well it's too tight. I just ask him how many men would complain about THAT?