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scheduling sacrocolpopexy and cystocele repair...more than a little scared

Posted by wandili @wandili, May 26, 2012

scheduling sacrocolpopexy and cystocele repair...more than a little scared

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pizon | @pizon | Aug 7, 2019
In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, @pizon - just wondering if you are continuing to have pain in your left side..." + (show)
Profile picture for Lisa Lucier, Moderator @lisalucier

Hi, @pizon - just wondering if you are continuing to have pain in your left side and whether you've been able to work lately?

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Thank you for asking the pain in my left side has turned out to be my psoas muscle more then likely the way I was positioned on the operating table because my side never hurt me before so doing yoga and stretching has helped very much...I still have the p/n issue but the pain isn't as bad but yes still with me and I have had to apply for disability inns. I am not able to work I am not able to sit for more then 2 or 3 hours and sometimes not able to walk long distances but I am no longer on the sofa so hopefully I will get better enough to work again some day thank you again

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Moderator
Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Aug 8, 2019
In reply to @pizon "Thank you for asking the pain in my left side has turned out to be my..." + (show)
Profile picture for pizon @pizon

Thank you for asking the pain in my left side has turned out to be my psoas muscle more then likely the way I was positioned on the operating table because my side never hurt me before so doing yoga and stretching has helped very much...I still have the p/n issue but the pain isn't as bad but yes still with me and I have had to apply for disability inns. I am not able to work I am not able to sit for more then 2 or 3 hours and sometimes not able to walk long distances but I am no longer on the sofa so hopefully I will get better enough to work again some day thank you again

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Glad to hear you've been able to be up off the sofa, @pizon, and that the yoga and stretching have been helpful. I'm guessing it also helps to have more of an idea of what was going on?

Hope things go well with the disability insurance. What kinds of activities are you involved with to pass the time while you are unable to work?

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pizon | @pizon | Aug 8, 2019

Well I am making Christmas gifts, crocheting and sewing because I can't sit for very long periords of time I do a lot of work in the kitchen I just mad and put up pesto from my garden I make a lot of herbal teas that we drink thru out the day and I cook suppers every day without me working we can't afford to out and eat and we feel much better because of it the house work takes up a lot of time and working out and doing yoga and meditation before I know it the day is done...also going to the library quiet a bit and spending time with my grad baby so life is good just not as active as I would like to be but I am getting there thank you again for asking

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rosemary77 | @rosemary77 | Mar 24, 2021
In reply to @baxtersmom "I was looking for someone who had said they were having prolapse surgery in January and..." + (show)
Profile picture for Gail, Alumni Mentor @baxtersmom

I was looking for someone who had said they were having prolapse surgery in January and can't seem to find the post. I had a sacrocolpopexy along with hysterectomy and a few other nips and tucks back on Oct. 18th. It was done mostly with a laparoscope and robotically along with surgical mesh, and It went great and has healed wonderfully. I will briefly go over my experience below.

I stayed in the hospital 2 nights rather than the one they said is usual, as I requested since I live alone. The day of the surgery I just went to sleep that night and slept really well. The following morning they put me back on a regular diet and breakfast tasted wonderful since I had been on liquids since a full day before the surgery. That same morning they pulled out all the cotton/packing material that had been left inside and it felt really quite strange but was not painful. I had no pain other than little tinges largely due to gas. They blow your tummy up during the surgery and it takes quite a while for that to pass. One of the 5 little holes they put in your tummy is for a drain and when they took the tube out of there before I left the hospital, that was probably the most pain I felt but it was over quickly. I came home from the hospital with a catheter and had to keep it for 7 days until I had my first post-op appointment. The two hurdles that they tell you about are your first bowel movement which came about 4 days after surgery and then when they take the catheter out (they do some testing to see if you can completely void, etc.). Both went fine although I did have a bit of persistent loose stool on and off for a couple of weeks following surgery. They say it is more common to have constipation from all the pain meds. So most people don't have this issue.

Everything has healed really well and I have no leakage or inability to fully void. I had a very big (level 4) prolapse and so the surgery has made a wonderful difference. There were no stitches on the little laparoscope holes (just some surgical glue) and they are pretty much healed with just a few little dots on my tummy left. There were dissolving stitches between the vagina and the rectal area and these have pretty much fully gone away now too. There are some innervation issues that affect the rectal area and this just takes a while for the nerves to regenerate but once they do you won't have any problems. This just causes some temporary lack of feeling in that area that may affect bowel feeling just a bit. But it all has gone away now.

I would say to anyone who is having this surgery that you should ask to stay in the hospital 2-3 nights if you live alone. If you are coming home with a catheter, make sure they spend time with you before you leave the hospital explaining how to care for the catheter, empty it, etc. Ask questions because you may still be a little foggy from your anesthesia and they throw a lot at you before you leave the hospital. I was so afraid to do this and should have done it years ago but was mainly afraid of the mesh. But have had absolutely no problems at all. I took a lot of time finding the right doctor and ended up selected a Urogynecologist named Tomas Antonini here in Austin, Texas. He was so caring and so available afterwards that I could not have asked for a better doctor. The reason he chose to use the mesh on me is because the ligaments holding my bladder were so stretched that he did not think doing it without the mesh would hold for the long term. I am 63 and I don't want to have to do this again if at all possible so this seemed the best alternative for me. Be aware thaat there are many approaches and the best approach for you may be different. But I do think that finding a Urogynecologist who has dealt with a lot of these cases is the key to getting the right surgery done the right way.

If you do find that you need a similar surgery and you have questions, please post them. And don't be afraid of it. It really was not bad at all and I am so very glad I did it.

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Thank you for this post. I am considering having this surgery. It scares me alot especially the mesh. I really do not want to wear a pessary the rest of my life. I am 67 and have no other health issues. Have had to cut back physical activity due to this problem. I just need to read many success stories to get myself ready for this. Thank you again.

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rosemary77 | @rosemary77 | Mar 24, 2021
In reply to @baxtersmom "Whether you feel you would like to avoid mesh or not, please make sure to discuss..." + (show)
Profile picture for Gail, Alumni Mentor @baxtersmom

Whether you feel you would like to avoid mesh or not, please make sure to discuss with your surgeon the likelihood that your prolapse will reoccur after your surgery. In my case, I had the mesh because the 3 top urogynecologists in Austin, TX all recommended sacrocolpopexy using the Da Vinci robot and this procedure uses mesh. I was terrified of it at first and delayed my surgery for many months for this reason. I discussed with all of them why they wanted to use the mesh and they all talked with me about the condition of my ligaments (very weak) and the extent of my prolapse (stage 4). Both of these situations made it almost certain that a simple ligament repair would likely not be lasting and that in a few years there was a high probability that I would have to undergo another surgery to repair the prolapse all over again. So just please make sure that you discuss how extensive your prolapse is (what stage it is) and the condition of your ligaments (whether they can be repaired in such a way that there is a good chance they will hold). I am sure we all hope that if we have to have this, that we only have to do it once. In my experience most of the more experienced doctors do use mesh but if you are predisposed against mesh as I was initially, please just ask these 2 important questions. Once I realized that the mesh used today was not the mesh we hear about in the lawsuits and that doing the surgery without it would likely result in me having the prolapse reoccur, I opted for the mesh and the surgery I have previously described in this forum. I have not had any issues and am so glad I had the surgery. Not trying to convince anyone that mesh is the way to go, just suggesting some questions to ask your surgeon before proceeding with or without mesh.
Best to all.

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I am considering having this surgery. They recommended robotic with mesh and said same thing about mesh. Apparently it should not be inserted the vagina which is why they won't use mesh for vaginal hysterectomy. Did you have the hysterectomy as well? Can a prolapse be a cause of back pain? I really want this over but need some encouragement. Any encouragement would be met with gratitude. Thanks.

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Gail, Alumni Mentor | @baxtersmom | Mar 24, 2021

@rosemary77 I saw your post and certainly can understand your need for encouragement. I did have a hysterectomy as well. They usually do hysterectomy with this procedure because it makes the surgery much less invasive and a lot shorter in terms of time. I did not want a hysterectomy as no one in my family ever had to have one so I just really thought if you don't have any issues why do it. But I think the uterus is actually in the way of where they need to work to do this surgery. That is what I gather from the way it was explained to me. If you have already gone through menopause then it won't be that much of an issue medically. I say that but it is an issue as a woman who never thought she would be having such a procedure. Once I got used to the idea and realized it was going to make for an easier surgery, I got to feeling okay about it. As far as back pain goes, I have degenerative disc disease so I have back pain all the time and it has nothing to do with prolapse or prolapse surgery for me. But I do think that prolapse can cause some back pain because when I first got a pessary, my back felt a lot better temporarily. My back was not as bad back then as it is today. The pessary was not a good thing for me at all as it caused a lot of bleeding and I was not able to get in and out by myself.

I am glad to answer any questions you have so please continue to correspond. I am a little tired this evening but will definitely look for your posts and am glad to help you get comfortable with the surgery. It really is something I should and wish I had done a couple years before I actually did it but it took me a while to get used to the idea as well.
Take care and let me know your thoughts and concerns.
Best,
@baxtersmom

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rosemary77 | @rosemary77 | Mar 25, 2021

Thank you for responding. So you had the robotic sacrocolpopexy with mesh with no problems? I am 67 and the hysterectomy part doesn't bother me , it's the other part. Just don't want to deal with mesh erosion and pain etc. The more I hear from women that have done this with good outcomes, the more encouraged I feel. I am trying pessary now but irritation has already set in. I really miss being active. Was on ball court twice and can't play with pessary in place as feels it is going to fall out so limit my playing. My main concern really is outcome. I think I have a good Dr who was recommended to me. She trained at Mayo and now works for Shands in Jacksonville doing this particular surgery all the time. Anyway, thanks again.

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rosemary77 | @rosemary77 | Mar 25, 2021

Thank you so much for taking the time to tell of your experience. It makes such a difference to hear positive things about women who have been through this experience. Glad all went well for you. Our mothers definitely did not have it as good. Mine had to do surgery twice as her first surgery failed. At least she didn't have to have mesh removed. How awful for your mom! Hope she did well after that experience.

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auntieb2 | @auntieb2 | Oct 6, 2023

In reply to baxtersmom and rosemary77: Thanks to all for your discussion about your experiences with considering and then having a sacrocolpopexy. I'm a physically active 69 year old and have been dealing with increasing stages of uterine and bladder prolapse for about 4 years. The pessary didn't work for me. But I've been diligent about getting pelvic physical therapy and doing my exercises daily over the last 3 years. But this spring, my prolapse reached the point where I couldn't do my normal activities (walking every day; gardening; beekeeping; lifting grandchildren) comfortably, especially at the end of the day. My recent visit with my uro-gynecologist ended with her recommendation that I get a sacrocolpopexy. At first I thought getting a hysterectomy as part of this was excessive but my doctor convinced me the results to correct the prolapse would be better. Especially for someone who is physically active. I was worried about the mesh, but it sounds like those issues have subsided with the newer meshes. I'm 15 years past menopause, but am wondering what hormonal changes can I expect after the hysterectomy part of the sacrocolpopexy? I had severe hotflashes (one per hour for 24 hours a day) for several years after menopause. Those have subsided. But could hotflashes come back after this surgery? Other hormonal reactions? Any thoughts from others with recent experiences with sacrocolpopexy? Are people generally still glad they had the operation?

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angeluc | @angeluc | Oct 29, 2023

Is anyone axing the same or similar bowel symptoms after surgery for a rectocele as before? I had surgery 4 months ago , at 6 week all seemed well cording t the surgeon, but i am still having defecation problems.

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