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How To Tell If Your Pelvic Sling Has Just Failed

Hi I had a pelvic reconstruction for bowel, bladder, perineum & pelvic floor in March 2012. My doctor inserted a pelvic sling at the time, the recovery period for the first month was very painful but all seemed to be so much better until about a week ago. I now have very sharp pain on coughing or sneezing and have a really full feeling in my pelvis (I had a hysterectomy done 15yrs ago so it is not uterine discomfort) and I am getting really sever pain on any internal bowel movements way before I actually need to go.  I was told this sling was disolving and would take 6 months to disolve which would allow my body to make it's own sling with scar tissue. It is now just past the 6 month mark. Is it possible that the sling has just given way and my body did not build up the scar tissue to take it's place?
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1128665 tn?1269273471
Interstim is for bladder incontinence control, if your concerns are more pain related and whether the prolapse was repaired properly, this is not the device that you need. I would recommend you seek counsel with a Physiotherapist, there are many female pelvic floor specialists in Australia. I would also recommend AGAINST having any surgical procedure prior to going out of the country, if you have any complications, you won't have access to the surgeon who did the procedure.

Sher
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Avatar universal
Thanks Sherrie, saw Dr yesterday and he feels that the pain was probably from a pulling of scar tissue from being overactive and he feels that the sling is okay but the surgery has not quite been successful and he anticipated. His next suggestion is to insert an Interstim Device for better control. I am a little concerned about this but since I am about to fly to America for holidays, I do not want to be concerned that urgency issues will be a problem. His examination showed that the bowel was still slightly prolapsing which I thought he fixed. I had the surgery done by a Colorectal surgeon.
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1128665 tn?1269273471
This must have been a porcine tissue sling, poly mesh does not disintegrate. I don't care much for porcine mesh procedures for this reason, they simply to do not hold up as well as poly. But it could also be that you now have a rectocele; this is a very common type of POP and women should be screened for all types of POP prior to surgery so they can get everything addressed in one procedure. Did a urogyn do your surgery or an ob/gyn?

Coughing can cause problems prior to POP repair but if repair was done properly, at 6 months it should not cause concern which leads me back to recto. Are you constipated often? Do you bare down hard when you have a  bowel movement? That is a flag of rectocele. Not sure on the sharp pain with coughing or sneezing, Please consult the dr who did the procedure and get checked-something absolutely needs to be adjusted.

Sher
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