Pelvic Floor exercise advice after surgery

Women's health
1

Hallo it's me again......my surgeon never mentioned pelvic floor exercises but I have read a lot on the forum about this.   I go for my post op check up early December so am wondering  if she may mention it then.   However in the meantime should I begin doing them (I do practice a bit of squeezing now and again).  Also,I have read about physio on the forum for posture I think.  Do you know if this is part of aftercare on the NHS?      I am 4 weeks 4 days anterior, posterior, vagina and hysterectomy.     Is there a link for the pelvic floor exercises for after this kind of op? 

Thankyou 😁

2

My surgeon said to do the pelvic floor exercise religiously every day 10 long squeezes trying to work up to holding them for 10 seconds then 10 short squeezes. Trying to progress from doing them lying down to sitting then standing.

I also found a very good site called Stress no more which has lots of information about women's health including pelvic floor exercises

I am 4 weeks post op too.

3

Thankyou Liz .

4

Hi my doctors had told not until after my 6 week check. Then I could start. But if I wanted to do PT that I would need to wait 3 months. Where do you find a good site on how to do the Kegels? Thank you. So glad the site is here.

5

I called and spoke to my pelvic Physio she said to wait till after my 6week check to come see her. She said to not do kegals but it's ok when there is a sneeze or cough to do a small squeeze and lift kegal to give some extra support to the pelvic floor.

6

Hi, I need to know this also. Nobody told me a thing. From the information leaflet i guessed from day 1. So started a little after catheter was removed. Started bleeding more heavily after 5 days and wondered if the squeezing was responsible. So rang the gynaecology ward, I was on general surgery cos the gynae ward was full. They told me , most woman don't do any for 2 weeks, then the physio will ring me and go through it with me. She said it was unlike key that the bleeding was due to the exercises, but I've stopped them now. Maybe I wasn't informed due to the ward i was on. I think the NHS need to be clearer on this. Also walking, how far, when to start etc. Have read so much conflicting advice online. One piece of uk advice said 30 to 60 minutes by the end of the 2nd week !!. Hope you make a speedy recovery Carole. I would call the ward you were discharged from if i were you. Good luck .

7

Hi Deanne, I went private not nhs, and my surgeon said to start doing the exercises straight after I got home. I was in for 2 nights ant repair and vag hyst. Catheter was removed early second morning and all was ok so was discharged later that day. The physio came to see me both days and went through all the exercises in the leaflet and told me to do them every day which I have been doing.

No bleeding after 2nd day, only a bit like the end of a period. I've been gradually increasing walking too, but slowly to start with. Ive got my check up with surgeon after 6 weeks.

It seems there is quite a bit of different advice given!

Hope this helps a bit. Certainly not enough support for all of us!

8

HI Carole

Sadly so many surgeons do not tell us that we need to get rehab after our surgery. Its almost as if they think think they have 'fixed it'. Maybe thats because they do surgery and believe that will do the trick? Your surgery is the first step in your journey. It will repeair, but to make sure it lasts you need to change how you do things. As a Physio said to me recently 'You need to change how you do htings or the same thing will happen again'.- simply bcause the prolapse was/is a 'weak' spot and surgery does not strengthen a weak spot!. So do ask for an appointment with a Physio, you need to look at your posture - changing it can take the pressure off your pelvic floor. As so many wise women on this forum say, take it easy, look after yourself, don't push yourself at work. So, posture - check out Tasha Mulligan in her Hab-it DVD - clips are free on You Tube - sit up, dont sit on your coccyx/tail bone!

Watch your weight, you need to be honest with youreslf, if you are 1/2 stone, 1 stone or 2 stone overweight - this is all being carried by your pelvic floor.

Constipation - cure it naturally, try to avoid laxatives they make your bowel lazy, it needs to work properly but you need not to strain when having a poo. So detrimental to our pelvic floor, get a toilet stool and see/feel the differenec that this can make to easier, cleaner elimination.

Vitamin D3 - If you pelvic floor exercise, women with higher levels have stronger pelvic foors. Take it! And lastly, the thing that gels it all together, pelvic floor exercise. It has to become part of your daily or weekly routine.

Also have a look on YouTube for films by Michelle Kenway about Safe Pelvic Floor Exercise, and Sue Croft another Aussie Physio who specialise in looking after pelvic floors post surgery. 

Your hysterectomy means you are 3 x more likely to prolpase again (a statistic you won't want t hear, but I want you to know because if you know you can take action, so many women just aren't told and think that surgery is the end-game),

It is vital that you use this opportunity to make sure your surgery lasts a lifetime and you get really strong, living with prolpase is something that hundreds of thousands of women do, and it is managing it that will really make you strong!

Hope this helps

S

 

9

Thankyou for this advice.    I will telephone my surgeon's secretary regarding a physio appointment.      By the way what is a toilet stool?    

Many thanks.  

10

Thankyou for all of your replies.

11

Hi Carole, I believe it is a kind of footstool that rests around the base of the toilet. Apparently these provide the correct posture/position to openness your bowels with ease. This is important at all times and specifically after bowel surgery when straining ban cause problems. There are also physiotherapy exercises you can perform whilst on the toilet. If you go onto the Roayal Obstetrics and Gynaecology physiotherapy website. You can read all about them and download the pdf.

12

Thankyou very much 😊

13

A toiley stool is a plastic stool that elevates your feet. This means that your knees are higher than your hips and it takes any kink out of the colon ensuring better, less messy elimination. Sadly our upright toilets are terrible for helping us to actually poo! Can't say the trade name but Google toilet stool unicorn - thats a good one and shows you the anatomical advantages.

S