Evelyn Lyles, MD
Michelle LeBlanc, MD
James Theofrastous, MD
Nancy Howden, MD
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Evelyn Lyles, MD Michelle LeBlanc, MD James Theofrastous, MD Nancy Howden, MD
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Information for Women Undergoing Outpatient Pelvic Surgery Goals of Surgery The goal of your surgery is to improve the problems which you have been having due to the loss of support of your pelvic organs. With your pelvic organs in their normal position, you should have normal bladder, bowel, and sexual function. You should be able to engage in the activities which you enjoy including exercise and social activities. If you are experiencing problems with bladder or bowel control, your control should improve. Risks of surgery The risks of pelvic surgery are very low, but any type of surgery has risks. Risks of surgery include bleeding which may require transfusion, injury to intestines, bladder, tubes from the kidneys, or nerves to the legs, or blood clots, which could be fatal or result in damaging conditions such as stroke or heart attack. Due to the risk of transmitting diseases such as hepatitis or AIDS, blood is only given in life-or-death situations. Good healing occurs in the vast majority of women, but occasionally infection or erosion of surgical materials may occur. Fortunately, all of these events are rare and occur in less than 1 in 100 or 1,000 cases. Vaginal prolapse is usually due to weakened or damaged pelvic tissues. Surgery can usually repair the damaged tissues, but it will not make the tissues stronger. Because of this, it is possible that you may develop prolapse or leakage problems in the future. You can reduce this risk by making sure that you take it easy during your recovery and letting your tissues heal. Preparing for Your Surgery Your surgeon will discuss your surgery at your office visit. Our scheduling office will contact you in 3-5 days to set up your surgery and will mail your paperwork. It is important to bring these to the hospital the day of your surgery. The anesthesia department will contact you, and you may have some laboratory tests performed. You should have a light lunch and dinner the day prior to surgery, and it is important to drink plenty of fluids. Generally, you should not eat or drink after midnight. The anesthesiologist will let you know if you should take any medications the morning of your surgery. While it is normal to be a little nervous about going through surgery, you should try to get a good night’s sleep. You do not usually need to take an enema, but you should try to have a bowel movement the morning of surgery. The Day of Surgery You will receive information about where and when to arrive on the day of your surgery, as well as whether you should take any medicines. You will have an intravenous (“IV”) line placed prior to surgery and you will usually receive some medication to help you relax. Your surgeon will usually speak with you prior to surgery. When your surgery is complete, your surgeon will call and let your family or friends know that you are doing fine. After Surgery You will be fairly sleepy right after your surgery, and will be given pain medications to keep you comfortable through your IV. There may be some gauze in your vagina and a catheter draining your bladder for an hour or so. If you have a procedure for bladder control, we will make sure that your bladder can empty before you go home. Your bladder catheter will be removed and you will try to empty when your bladder is feeling full. It is important not to strain when you are trying to empty your bladder. Your nurse will measure how much you void and will use an ultrasound machine to see how much is left in your bladder. When you are able to empty without much left inside, that tells us that your bladder is working fine and you will not need a catheter to go home. Sometimes, it takes your bladder a few days to be able to empty, & you will go home with a catheter. You will receive instructions on how to remove it at home, & will come into the office for an ultrasound to make sure you are emptying. Going Home With "same day" surgery, you will usually be able to go home a couple of hours after the surgery is done and you have recovered from the anesthesia. Most of the time, you will be able to empty your bladder without difficulty and go home without a catheter. If you need to go home with a catheter, it will usually be removed within a few days. You will be given a prescription for narcotic pain medication. You may also use something like ibuprofen (such as “Motrin,” “Nuprin,” or “Advil”) if you do not suffer regularly from heartburn, or have a history of a gastric ulcer or severe gastric reflux disease. You should avoid constipation and use a stool softener (such as colace) for at least a month. Adequate hydration and fiber use (such as Benefiber), are also useful in avoiding constipation. Recovery- What to Expect With proper healing, you should be able to resume your usual activities in about 4 -6 weeks. Eat a well-balanced diet and get plenty of rest. You should not lift more than 10 to 15 pounds (about a gallon of milk)for the first 4 weeks. This includes avoiding fun things like laundry and vacuuming (always a disappointment!). You can walk and go up stairs slowly. You should not drive for a couple to a few days until you can move around comfortably without using pain pills. You may have vaginal spotting similar to a period for a couple of weeks – use sanitary pads, not tampons. You should not swim or tub bath for 2 weeks or as long as you are having vaginal discharge or spotting. You should not have sex for until you are seen and cleared at your post-operative visit. While you can walk and go up stairs slowly, you should wait 4 weeks before exercising strenuously. After that you can start exercising, but get back into it slowly so that you do not strain a muscle or joint. A good rule of thumb is to start doing about ¼ of what you were doing prior to surgery, and to increase that by about ¼ each week after that. Depending on whether you strain and lift a lot, you can return to work in a week or two after minor procedures or in 4-6 weeks if you strain a lot at work. You may notice that your bladder takes a little longer to empty, and you may experience some urgency & frequency as your bladder adjusts to it’s new position. It is important not to strain while emptying, and this usually improves with time. Follow-up If you go home with a catheter in your bladder, you will be seen in a few days to see if you are able to void. You will usually be instructed on how to remove the catheter at home before your visit. You will see your surgeon about a month or so after surgery to see how things are healing. You will be given a list of things to watch for when you leave the hospital. These include vomiting, fever >100.5, and heavy bleeding (more than a period). You should feel free to call with any questions or problems: (828) 670-5665 (extension 315).
We hope that you have a good surgical experience and a smooth recovery!
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