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Pelvic organ prolapse — Recovering from surgery Most repair operations take about one hour, but you'll need to stay in hospital for a few days. If the surgery is done vaginally, the area around your vagina will be tender and bruised. If you have a posterior (back) vaginal repair (for enterocele or rectocele), you may also have a few stitches at the base of your vagina. If your surgery is done abdominally, you'll have a few stitches in your belly and it will be quite sore. To help ease the pain you'll be given pain medication in tablets or injections and you may be given a device that lets you control the amount of pain medication you have. You will also have a drip in your arm to give you fluids. You may have a catheter (a tube to remove urine) in place but this will probably be removed within a day or two. Your catheter may be attached through a cut in your abdomen even if you've had a vaginal procedure. Some women find it difficult to pass urine for a few days after the operation but this should improve gradually. It's important to start moving as soon as possible after the operation. You'll feel drowsy from the general anaesthetic, but start by lifting your head off the pillow, pointing and flexing your toes and sitting up for short periods. You may be seen by a physiotherapist, who will show you some exercises and teach you how to get out of bed and move around without hurting yourself, but if not, ask the nurse for help or ask to be referred to a physiotherapist. |
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Getting better at home
Rest — get as much rest as possible and do not lift anything heavy (children, laundry, shopping bags, pets etc) for at least three months as this may damage the repair. Don't do any strenuous exercise (walking is fine) for about six weeks and try to take as much time as possible off work (including housework). If you live alone, try to arrange for someone to help with the cleaning and shopping for a few weeks after your surgery. Vaginal discharge — you may have a slight vaginal discharge for about six weeks. Some women notice threads in the discharge when the internal stitches dissolve. This is normal. Do not use tampons for about six weeks while your vagina is healing. Contact the doctor if the discharge gets worse rather than better or if you have any unusual bleeding or pain. Sex — Don't have sexual intercourse for six weeks or until the vaginal discharge has stopped. If you're unsure about when it's safe to have sex again, contact your doctor. |
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Written by Tamara Beus and published in printed format (2003) by Women's Health
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It will take about three months before you're fully recovered, but you may feel better after about six weeks. It's important to take it easy, even if you feel energetic, as your internal wounds will still be healing.