[Guest]

Can someone with some anatomy savvy answer something for me?Why is it that when women have gynecological surgeries, their bladder and bowel often pouch and surgery is required to hoist them back up, but men, who never had a uterus to begin with, don't have problems with their insides falling out?Even though I had the supracervical hyst almost 5 years ago, this is now beginning to happen to me. I've had a small rectocele for a long time and it's gotten worse, plus the other day my obgyn told me that I've also now developed a cystocele.It's such fun being female....

She prescribed vaginal estrace for me and told me to try to avoid being constipated....yeah right...and even though she said Kegel's won't help the urinary retention problem, it might help strengthen the pelvic floor. I've been doing them for years, but they don't seem to help much.Having to strain the last 50% of urine out doesn't help the situation either.What are the rest of you menopausal + ladies doing about such things ?I'm gonna post this on the womens forum as well.This is all driving me nuts....

 

[Feisty]

Do not take your OB Gyn's word for what is wrong.Please see a colon/rectal specialist/surgeon.You may have Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. I would not trust a Gyn to do the repairs you will need sooner or later. If you need a bladder "tuck", a Urologist should be involved and do the surgery, not a Gyn. If you need rectal work or your intestines tacked back up (like I had to), a colon/rectal specialist/surgeon should be doing it, not a Gyn or even a General Surgeon.The specialist will want to do a bunch of different tests to evaluate you. If a Doc recommends surgery without ordering certain tests, run, don't walk out of that office!Some of the tests I am referring to are:Anorectal ManometryPNTML (Perdondal Nerve Test Muscle Latency)Transanal or Transrectal UltrasoundProtogramBarium enemaBarium GI SeriesI suggest that you not wait too long. It will only get worse and will require more extensive repairing.Good luck.

 

[zigmissus]

I feel your pain, Evie. I have a Grade II cystocele, recotcele and urethrocele, as well as a spastic bladder (which could be IC). I still have my uterus, but I think the muscles tore and separated during three extremely rapid childbirths. (My longest labor was 8 hours.) My ex-gyno loved to cut--surgery was his first solution for everything. He was pushing me to have an anterior and posterior repair. I looked into it, and it really is major surgery--the pain is supposedly worse than a hysterectomy; the hospital stay is a couple days longer; and you're catheterized 3-4 days after the surgery. So, until/unless things get worse, I'll deal with the associated problems such as difficult BMs, incomplete emptying of my bladder and frequent urethritis. (In fact, I have a bladder infection right now.) I understand that there is an insertable device called a pessary that can be used to hold the organs in place, but I'm not ready to wrap my mind around that idea yet.

 

[Guest]

Thanx for the heads-up, Feisty... I know you have a lot of experience along these lines. You've shared much with me in the past and have suffered greatly from your own issues. I will consider your advice very carefully.And thank you, Zig, for your insight here as well.Much appreciated. I'm not sure what to think at this point. I'm not one to run to docs/surgeons when trouble begins, but if it's going to keep getting worse, it may be the best thing for me to seek other opinions and get the surgery down now while I have decent insurance?Need to regroup and think things through thoroughly.

 

[zigmissus]

That was my problem, too; I had great PPO insurance that was about to end, which made the decision more agonizing. (He wanted to do a hysterectomy at the same time because I have some fibroids.) Now I'm on an HMO plan, which makes me more nervous about going under the knife.I agree 100 percent with Feisty's suggestion to get a second opinion and have those tests run. I asked the HMO gyno whether I should have the repair, and she said it's too soon. Of course, HMOs always want to do LESS, not MORE.