Hi Jane,
I had the same operation as you 16 months ago. I'm a great believer in gut feelings and let's face it bleeding like you have described doesn't sound right. I wonder though, did your GP examine you and the stitches? On rare occasions the bleeding is caused when your body reacts to the dissovable stitches, as happened to me. Of course you might have just a slight infection or maybe you have been doing too much and popped some stitches. I hope you haven't been doing too much, by the way? I guess you know all about resting and not lifting etc they do tell you that for a reason you know? At 2/3 weeks I started getting spots of blood and a smelly brownish discharge. I went to see my lady GP who gave me a internal and said things looked a bit red and with 'slight signs of granulation around the stitches'. (Look up 'granulation of a wound' on Google). She sent me back to see my (lady) consultant who gave me antibiotics to begin with. These didn't work and then it was explained that on rare occasions some people reject the material of the dissolvable stitches which sometimes causes inflammation and bleeding. The following week I returned to the gynae outpatients clinic and had the wounds cauterised using a Silver Nitrate pencil. This does sting, I'll be honest; it felt like cigarette burns but although it was uncomfortable it was bearable. Within days I felt so much better. No blood, no discharge and all was good. After that there were no more problems and over a year late I can't believe how fantastic everything has turned out for me. If you're not happy and bleeding continues call your hospital consultant's secretary and she'll make you an appointment to return to the hospital. At least they will sort it out for you quickly. Let us know how you get on. LadyPink
Hi, thanks for reply. I came out of hospital yesterday as the bleeding stopped after the pack had been in for 2days. I was told it was probably due to infection or a clot forming behind the posterior repair causing bleeding to come through. When I had the op three weeks ago I bled after the pack was removed and the doctor was going to use silver nitrate, but she couldn't find the source of the bleeding despite a painful examination with a speculum. So another pack was put in and it settled down. I saw my GP when it started to bleed on and off 2 weeks later but she said it all looked red and swollen still and didn't want to disturb any stitches by examination. Now I'm on 2 types of antibiotics and iron tablets as my blood count was low after the bleed. Bp was low too due to everything going on. I hope I make as good a recovery as you, so glad it worked out and sorted the problem.
Hello Jane,
I'm so pleased to hear the hospital have sorted things out for you at last. Those speculum exams are a bit uncomfortable aren't they?
I really hope you go from strength to strength from now on and that you will be fighting fit and raring to go in no time.
Just take it easy for the next few weeks and you'll soon be feeling great. Well done and best wishes. LadyPink
Thanks for all of your replies and sorry I haven't responded until now. All is sorted now and the bleeding has stopped. I did phone the ward and was able to go straight in where I was looked after well. The advice on here about not bending down is good as I'm sure this is what made it worse for me. I didn't realise it was a no-no. It's good to read of your similar experiences, such a helpful forum.
That's good news jane. Take care and you are right this forum and others on this website are a god send. Take care.
Jane, I had an episiatomy when I gave birth to my son 5 years ago that never healed properly and I ended up with a very open and loose vagina. Did the anterior and posterior repair tighten things up? If so how much? Sorry to be so to the point but I don't know anybody who has had this problem or the procedure that you had. My doctor said the ideal vagina is about 2 fingers and mine is at least a 4 finger vagina. (sorry for TMI)
Hi Chey, posterior and anterior repairs aren't done to restore the vagina to its ideal or original size, they are done because the bladder and/or rectum are prolapsing into the vagina causing painful intercourse, difficult, painful or impossible (without assistance) emptying of bowels, incontinence, etc. There is a procedure that is done primarily to reduce vaginal size but I don't know the name of it or if the recovery is the same as what most of us are experiencing. Are you experiencing any of the other symptoms I have described?
Hi, the surgeon asked me whether I had an active sex life and if so she could tighten it up down there during the procedure. Im still healing so I don't know how effective it is. I'm much older than you, at sixty six years old, so I'm not too bothered anyway! So it seems it can be done, have a talk with your doctor about it.
Hi Jane, I was 69 when I had this procedure done - that was 16 months ago. I was/and still am very much sexually active. My lady surgeon said she only did the operation for me at my age because I was still 'firing on all cylinders'! HaHa. I hadn't long remarried again. The anterior and posterior prolapses were repaired very successfully as was the tightening of the perineum. Sex afterwards was brilliant. LadyPink
That's good news for Chey 317, LadyPink, glad it's worked well for you. My cylinders haven't fired for years, but that's another story!
HaHa Jane, ...never mind. Mine hadn't fired for years either as my first husband was terminally ill fot quite a while. Marrying again so late came as a wonderful surprise hence the importance of having a good result from this operation. Any ladies out there contemplating this procedure I would definitely tell them to 'go for it'! I have absolutely no regrets; only that it was a pity my surgeon couldn't give me a face lift at the same time! (Only joking). Best wishes - LadyPink
That is definitely good news! she said she could tighten it but that it would only be in the front, but that the rest would kind of follow the front which I wasn't too sure of.
I almost always have to assist with the bowel movements and OMG if I laugh or sneeze I have pee to my knees. I try to go pee even when I don't feel like I have to especially if I have a cold because I pee when I sneeze/cough/laugh. my boyfriend thinks it's funny to tickle me until I pee and it makes me so mad. I am very loose and open so I have no pain during sex or ever in my vagina. I feel like my perinel muscle/tissue is doing a disappearing act. I can feel my bowels from inside my vagina but it doesn't like go leaning into my vagina very much. That or I am so loose there is plenty of room left over when it does. My doctor said I am having posterior repair, recocele, prolapse, perineoplasty. things like that. I have so many issues I am unsure how to say what I am having all in one sentence.
Oh LadyPink you never fail to cheer me up.I chuckle at your responses that are so funny. Well I'm still waiting to hear from the hospital re: check up,will be ringing the docs again tomorrow morning. Still not swinging from them damn chandeliers,keep trying but still way too painful,will my undercarriage ever be normal again???
what is undercarriage? (sorry)
Hi Chey, What Rosieod1 means when she talks of your 'undercarriage' is the 'underneath part of your anatomy - the part that's hidden when you are sitting down - otherwise known here in the UK as our 'privates'. It's UK Speak. We can always tell Brits from anyone else by our humorous way of talking. Hope that helps. LadyPink
Thank you, I was trying hard to figure out what it meant without asking! How long after surgery should my "undercarriage" be normal? And when can I use it again(sex)? 
Ha, I used it in a sentence!
Hi Chey, You can always ask questions. You'll find that most of us Brits are very open and honest.
My gynaecologist (a lady) asked me several times when I went to see her post op - I had a problem with stitches not dissolving for a little while and then had to have the area cauterised to heal the tissue so I visited her on about three occasions - she kept asking if I'd "resumed sex yet?" Slightly bemused I enquired, "No, not yet - but why do you keep asking me about SEX??!" This would have been at around 6-8 week. She explained that sex was good exercise after this operation, as during sex the woman's tummy and vagina muscles all pull in and tightened. She'd added with a cheeky grin "It makes you feel good too". All of this hastens the healing as everything goes back into place firmly. Anyway, I guess after that, it was at around 10 weeks that we started again. Both my husband and I were very anxious, nervous and cautious. A drink or two helped us relax. Everything proved to be absolutely fine; no worries. From then on, all went far better than we could have ever imagined. 'Delighted' is the word I like to use. Well, that was my story but everyone is different. We all heal at different rates. Some quicker than others. You will know yourself when the time is right. Naturally things wont feel quite as they did before to the touch - down below, but of course they wont. You soon get used to the 'new you' and as for my lovely husband, I asked him how things 'felt' and he said GREAT -"Things didn't seem different at all", apart from tighter. This intimate side of married life was so important to me and I had worried a lot about it. I hadn't been remarried long (had been a widow for a while). My fears were unfounded. Things are great. I am so thrilled and delighted with the outcome and these days I always have a smile on my face to prove it. I hope all goes as well for you and for everyone having/or who've had, this type of surgery. Best wishes. LadyPink
Ha ha LadyPink,another great uplifting post from you. Been back on the phone this morning to my doctor's surgery to find out what is going on re: me seeing a gynaecologist.Receptionist very sympathetic and said she would look into it and if not her,the afternoon lady would get back to me.Well guess what?? No reply again. Will be back onto them again tomorrow,am going to be a proper pain in the arse,excuse pun,until someone does something for me.Hub and I had a tentative try at sex again the other night but no can do,still think they have sewed up my undercarriage,there is just no way in,without extreme pain,getting really fed up with this now. Post op eleven weeks tomorrow,surely things should be slightly more normal by now? Yours, getting more frustrated by the day,in more ways than one :D Rose x
Hi Rose,
A friend of mine warned me before my procedure, to remind the surgeon not to do the stitches too tight. Yeah, seriously. She'd had the same operation as me four years prior to mine and she was unable to successfully have sex afterwards - for a while.. She said she had to finally go back and have the vagina 'nicked' a little to open it up a bit. "That did the trick" she said, but added " Anyway, me and mee hubby don't do it anymore now....so that were a waste really...!" HaHa (True story).
Remembering my friend's warning, just before I went to the operating theatre, my consultant/surgeon came to speak to me on the ward. I reminded her that as I was still 'sexually active' would she please not do the stitches too tight. She was so lovely and so understanding and told me "not to worry" she would make sure all was well. And of course it was.
It could be that you are right and that the 'undercarriage' has been sewn too tightly. That would explain a lot. Or, as you use the word tentatively....If you are nervous, that might 'hinder' things. Have a couple of glasses of wine, get loads of lube, and see how ya go.
In the meantime, carry on pestering the secretary and hope she'll get you in to see your gynaecologist soon. Honestly you can get this sorted in no time so don't worry all will be well very soon. LadyPink