Rectocele repair

Women's health
1

Hi

I'm 35 years old and have rectocele and enterocele. I'm from Croatia and here they preform the rectocele repair op with synthetic Mesh. I read on the internet about many complications following this kind of surgery. Please let me know what kind of surgery they do in your county and what are the outcomes. I' m really scared and confused and could use an advice ...

2

Hi Nina

I had a rectocele & enterocele repair operation almost 4 weeks ago. My surgeon does not use mesh & I would not have allowed her to use it.

It is being investigated here as many women both here & in the USA have had dreadful side effects from it but then many women have had no problems.

My operation was performed using individual dissolvable stitches & both rectocele & enterocele were large. Although it is early days I feel it has been a success.

I would ask if there is any other method they would use.

Good luck & let me know if there is anything else you want to know.

Jennie x

3

Thank you Jennie for quick response. I fear they do only Mash op here... I hope all goes well with your recovery... If I can ask how old you are? And why did you decide to go foward with op?

4

I’m in the US.  According to my urogynocologist - the preference here if possible is to bring together a person’s own tissues.  They open the floor of the vaginal area - look to either side for healthy tissue - push back in prolapsed bowel and stitch the healthy tissue together then close the vaginal floor.  I do know that in more significant situations where either the prolapse is so big or the remaining tissue is not ideal - they use mesh.  I hope for your sake that you might find someone to consider NOT using the mesh if possible as from research/reading it just opens the door to more possible complications.  Wishing you the best!

5

I had a mesh sling urether suspension a rectocele and enterocele operation at the same time 6 months ago. I only read about the problems regarding the mesh afterwards or I wouldnt have had it. I have continuing UTI infections ever since I have had  about five and the antinbiotics seem to work and then it comes back again a cuple of weeks later. My dctor can't tell me what is causing these so often and has taken a blood sample to see if I have Diabetes. I aked if it could be the result of my operation but she said she didn't think so, but the next time I start I will say I want to see my conulstant again as I'm fed up with it all. 

6

I had what is called a Laproscopic hysterepexy, which is where they use a mesh to support the uterus, not sure if it’s exactly the same as your operation?

5 weeks tomorrow and I’m feeling okay at last, still really tired and achy but I have an under active thyroid and a mild back condition so it’s hard to say what is causing the tiredness and the pain.

I heard about the problems with the mesh  before the operation but was reassured that the way the mesh was used/postitioned in my operation, was different from the way women who had problems with it.

7

Hi pollyward

Thank you for your response..

My op would be preformed transvaginaly and not laparoscopic... so it sadly isn't the same as yours.

8

Nina please don’t get the mesh. I read where a woman had problems with it and her husband was actually injured during intercourse. Before my surgery my surgeon’s office gave me a pamphlet on how their surgery didn’t use the controversial vaginal mesh. I am so sorry that’s all they use in your country. I know if nobody offered it near me I wouldn’t be able to afford to fly out of the country to have it done. It’s a big surgery & I wish you the best. 

9

Ahh okay, I think Laproscopically it heals faster and isn’t so traumatic on the body?

It’s hard to decide tho as often the choice isn’t there, is it

10

Who did your operation? Gynaecologyst or colorectal surgeon? And what approche transabdominal or transvaginal?

11

Hi Nina

It was a Gynaecologist & the op was done transvaginally. 

12

Hi Nina,

       They have stopped using the mesh here in Scotland due to problems. I heard they had been buying cheap mesh from China and it wasn't right.

          Matron who worked in urogynocology and was also part of research team on this site use to say that in England they had sorted all the problems and that it was much safer. 

    I initially done research about 5 years ago when I first prolapsed and in the US they said the problems they had with mesh was dud to lack of specialist training. 

           So anyway in the South of the UK they have specially trained urogynocologist and only they are allowed to use mesh and are also trained on how to remove it too.

         I know a British lady who had her prolapse repair fixed with use of the mesh in the US a good number of years ago without any problems, but I also know of another lady who had her repair done here in Scotland a good number of years ago and has had terrible problems she is in pain constantly, no sex life, and can barely walk. She said her tissue is growing around mesh and mesh is damaging her internal tissue. They are having problems taking it out as it is knitted together.

                  Good luck with your search and I hope you find a satisfactory solution that is best for you.

x

       

13

Thanks!!! You didn't tell me your age? I ask because they said that without mesh it would be very likely that I would have problems with shortening of vagina and painfull intercorse and that it is more likely to come back...

14

Thank you very much!

My urogynecologist said taht they use expensive titanium coated mesh... but he also said that no woman is going to be 100% happy with the outcome of the operation and that I should wait as long as I can to have the op.

15

Your prolapse will never get better on it’s own. My doctor did surgery on me with only a 2nd degree prolapse. If I were you in the time you are waiting I would save money and fly to wherever you want to go that does minimally invasive transvaginal surgery. That’s the proven best way to go about dealing with this problem. I was tired of my sex life suffering. My doctor said I would have normal sex once I heal. It’s an important part of my marriage and I was willing to do whatever to fix it. Now I am probably going to have to quit my career because I can’t lift but luckily we have extra income through rental properties. 

16

Hi Jennie I had the same 3 and a half weeks ago. How do u know yours has been a success? I'm hoping to feel the same soon but think it's way too soon for me to tell. I still take stool softeners as am very fearful of straining . I have lifted the kettle (2kgs or less), bent down a bit (just to put sox on or pick something up etc). Not nearly ready to drive or anything! Feel very bulgey in vagina and still take some panadol. Bleeding stopped now but I worry all the time about lifting too much by mistake or getting constipated etc. I would love to be able to sense things are successful - any ideas for me? R

17

Hiya, how long are you not able to lift for? Have you started vacuuming and other household jobs? I am hoping to be able to do some lifting the rest of my life? R

18

Hi Phyl

That’s interesting to hear, whereabouts in the South of England?

I had mine done in the JR hospital in Oxford who seem to claim the hysterepexy as a procedure that they came up with?

They say they have a very high success rate and very few women have had any problems at all.

I ended up waiting a year for it, as it’s so sought after, if I’d opted for a hysterectomy the wait would have been far shorter.

19

Hi Nina

I've just had the same issues repaired vaninally. I live in NZ - there is a large group of women who have formed a huge group in Australia called "Mesh down under". Its use for the op Ive had is banned in nz and australia now and I'd urge you to think so carefully about it and do lots of your own research.

I know (I am a Nurse) many woman who have mesh and suffer terribly and sometimes the mesh has grown into the tissue so much it cannot be removed- leading to chronic pain, no sex life, and no working life.

I would never agree to it as the risks outweigh the benefits in my humble opinion. I would delay your decision and pursue other non-surgical treatment rather than use mesh. If a pessary, pelvic floor physio and bio-feedback don't all work then by all means consider the op - in another country! All the best- look for Mesh down Under work on-line. R

20

Nina thats not true - some women are 100% pleased with the results of their op. It's possible. I'm hopeful I will be, after reading positive stories on her. I had rectocele and enterocele too. I cannot understand how they cannot fix it by suturing back wall of vagina for you, as mesh is proving disasterous in that op for reasons folk have given here above. I don't have penetrative sex and so was happy to have the top part of my vagina perhaps be a little shortened, if that was going to be the case. The surgeon's skill is the important thing. I'm urging you to do further research and make your own decision based on evidence and best practice. R