What is a Posterior Prolapse?
A posterior prolapse is a bulge in the back wall of the vagina
caused by weakness of the support tissues between the vagina and
the bowel. This can be improved by an operation to tighten
these support tissues. Usually you will only notice this
problem after menopause.
What does this involve?
A posterior prolapse repair is usually performed under general
anaesthetic and normally takes around thirty minutes.
Your gynaecologist will make a cut in the back wall of your
vagina to push your bowel back into place. Stitches will be
used to tighten the support tissues along the length of the back
wall of your vagina and the upper back wall if necessary.
Your gynaecologist will need to cut away a small part of your
vaginal wall so they can remove any excess tissue.
Dissolvable stitches will be used and a pack (like a tampon)
will be placed in your vagina. A catheter may be fitted to
allow you to pass urine after the operation.
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When will I recover?
You may be given fluids through a drip for the first 24 hours
after your operation and you will probably feel some pain and
discomfort which will be treated with painkillers.
The drip, the pack in your vagina and catheter (if one is
fitted) will usually be removed the next day and you will start
drinking and eating. You should expect a slight discharge or
bleeding from your vagina and you will be recommended exercises to
get you back to normal as soon as possible.
You will usually be released from hospital one to three days
after the procedure.
For the first two weeks at home you should rest and continue to
do the exercises that you were shown in hospital. You can usually
go back to work after six to twelve weeks and after three months
you should be feeling more or less back to normal.
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What risks should I know about?
A posterior prolapse repair is a routinely performed operation
but nevertheless carries some small risks.
- Difficulty opening your bowels if your bowel or back wall of
your vagina becomes bruised or swollen
- Damage to internal organs - the bladder, ureters, bowel and
blood vessels lie close to the womb and may be damaged during the
operation - risk less than 2%
- Developing a haematoma - Normally small collections of blood
inside the abdomen which can be treated with antibiotics
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Circle care
Prolapse repair is carried out at our state of the art
facilities and we have a dedicated team of surgeons and nurses who
will guide you through the process from first consultation to
after-care and will be available to answer any questions or queries
you may have.
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