Monarc Sling Complications/Pain

Has anyone had the manarc sling done and had pain from it?  I had it on 3/5/10 and have had pain on my left side every since.  The pain is in my bowels, my left side and down my left.  My leg to my foot actually feels like it is going numb.  If you have had issues with this surgery.  What was done to correct it?  Could they take it out?  Anyone that can give me some insight would be great. I have an appointment with a specialist i have been seeing on 10/1/10.  They first thought the pain was from a cyst but the cyst is now gone and the pain is still here.  Thanks!

[sherrieP]

Is your appt on Oct 1 with a urogynecologist? Was the sling procedure done by someone not a urogyn? I hate to say it but I hear from urogyns all the time about having to redo procedures that other physicians have done-it is not that the other physicians are bad physicians, it is just a situation where the support structures in the pelvic cavity are extremely intricate and POP surgery is extremely intricate and specific. if any procedure is done "too tight" there are as many problems as there is if it not structurely secure. It truly is a good idea to see a specialist for POP repairs. The sling complications should be able to be corrected but you will want the original issue to be taken care of at the same time. Moniter your symptoms daily until your appt with the specialist, I'd also suggest that if the appt coming up is not with a urogyn, that you consider shifting to that direction. Hang in there, it is not going to be fun dealing with the discomfort while you wait for this appt but if you need to have another procedure, you want it to be the procedure that fixes everything. 2nd and 3rd POP procedures are common but that typically is because women have them done by physicians other than urogynecologists or they become too active too quickly post surgery-it is very  important to stay low-key until fully healed post POP surgery.

Good luck, I hope this gets squared away for you!
Sher

[KGraySheehan]

My procedure was done by my gynocologist but I have been seeing a urogynocologist for about 5 months now.  I wish she had done it to start but I had no idea it was this detailed.  I was trusting my gynocologist as she told me it is a simple procedure and she does them all the time, which she does....I was of course the one with an issue.  I am very active but she didn't let me start working out again until over 3 months after the surgery.  My urogynocologist doesn't want to do surgery unless she absolutely has to. She said she has gone in and redone them but that is always her last resort since the procedure is difficult and painful.  She is having me go to a physical therapist first and a nerve doctor first.  We will see what come of it.  Thank you for your help.  This is the first surgery I have ever had and I am wishing I did research now about it and realized there are doctors that specialize in it.

[InPain4evr]

I'm sorry you are going thru this.

You are not the first with an issue with this product. Every one of us, there are thousands, heard the same from each of our doctors. Please look up "Truth in Medicine" online. There you will find help and many shoulders to carry you thru.
w w w dot truth in medicine dot us *******

I wish you peace and healing
A fellow mesh sling victim.

[sherrieP]

I am so glad you are being advised by a urogyn, that's a great start. Since your urogyn wants to try treatment options prior to surgergical path, I'd like to recommend checking out myofascial release therapy; it's extremely beneficial for releasing surgical adhesions and restrictions. I have to wonder if that might be of benefit to you as well InPain4evr; I have a lot of scar tissue and adhesions and am amazed at how they release from this therapy. If either of you have an interest in more info on this, send me a PM and I'll get info off to you as quickly as I can.

I hope you both find some relief!
Sher

[overit2006]

I had the same procedure by a urogyno in 1996 - initially I was in a degree of pain in my buttock area where I imagine the sling was attached - since then I had 2 episodes of EPs - since the second episode 18 months ago I have remained in a general state of unwellness. No amount of tests indicates anything wrong - they just do not seem to be able to find any 'cause' for how I feel - a GP did ask me had anyone suggested that the original clots could have been caused by the monarch sling procedure - but I don't even know how to go about finding out about such things. It is interesting you mentioned the numbness in your foot/leg - I have had numbness in the toe area of both feet that developed out of nowhere, also after the second lot of PEs

[sherrieP]

I hear about sciatic pain on a regular basis, more often prior to POP repair than after but do hear about it after the fact as well. I don't know if the numb toe is related or not, that one I haven't heard anything about. If you have clot issues, any procedure can cause problems for you, so difficult to track. What occurred 18 months ago should have nothing to do with sling, too much time has passed but that pain that initially felt in buttock was from sling procedure-that is common from procedure itself.

Is your blood sugar ok, foot/toe numbness can be a flag if you have diabetes. Please pursue diagnosis on that issue with your physician.

Sher

[KGraySheehan]

I have to say I did not have ANY numbness in my leg or foot before this surgery.  It happened afterwards.  The urogynocologist, physical therapist and nerve doctor all said the same thing.  It is probably because the surgery/sling is irritating the major nerve that runs through the groin and down the leg.  I have had some pain in the butt area as well but not bad at all so it is definitely something I can live with.  For me it was the pain on my left side in the groin and leg area.  I wish you well and hope you find relief!  Kelly

[sherrieP]

Thanks for your insights! The leg pain is one issue, I feel the toe is something separate. Have you ladies tried any sciatic stretches? There is one I do every AM that has truly kept my sciatica under control. If any of you are interested I can dig for a website to share technique with you or you can do a search engine for sciatica stretches. Results of course are going to vary with what cause is but sure worth a try-sciatic pain really bites!
Sher

[JenSevern]

Is there any law suits against this Monarc sling? I have had over a year of pain and problems and had to have another surgery to remove everything the other Dr did, now I have a 40k bill for it please let me know, I just got out of the nursing home after a 15 day recovery thank you;

[sherrieP]

There are a couple types of mesh that have litigation pending, best bet is to Google it to see what comes up. Often issue is more about how sling is installed rather than the sling itself. Too tight/too loose can both create issues.

[KGraySheehan]

Do you do the sciatic stretches because you have an issue with your sciatica.  I am now one year and three months post surgery and have had pain on and off since...more on than off.  Was doing better than three weeks ago I started having sciatic pain which was horrible.  I never had and ounce of pain before this surgery and now I am in pain from my waiste down.  I have had it so I am going to see a specialist out in Boston to get a second opinion.  I am 35 active and am hoping something can be done so I can go back to living my life pain free like I used to.

[sherrieP]

I do them now for prevention, don't have any problems with sciatic at all since I've been doing them but mine were not related to POP surgery. I sure think it's worth a try to see if doing them will help. Here is a site that has a video of a couple of stretch variations to try. If it bites too much do not continue; if by chance the pinching is caused by mesh anchored the wrong way or in the wrong place, it may aggrevate it. Since this is an on and off thing I am hopeful these will help. A physical therapist may be of some benefit if you continue to have difficulty after trying these stretches; I assume the specialist you are seeing is urogyn. Please let me know if the stretches help.
Sher

[sherrieP]

Forgot to put link to site with stretches-DUH!

http://sciaticnervestretches.com/

[Enyaloj]

I had the Monarc sling done in 2006 and its been an absolute nightmare since. I have never had children, but had my left ovary removed due to a cyst in 2000 and that's when the problems started. It took 6 years to get my GP to send me to a Urologist and have the problem dealt with and he advised me that a sling was what was being done. It was done on the right side of my vagina. For the first 2 weeks there was no lifting or straining on my part and everything seemed fine. When that recovery period was over, so was the honeymoon. I immediately started to have problems. Not only did the laughing, coughing, sneezing leaking return, but I had a hard time just making it down the hall to the bathroom. Then there was the pain down my right leg. As far down as the top of my knee and some days it was excruciating. I had to stop wearing underwear that had elastic around the legs as the scare tissue at the top of my leg where they made the one incision sits in the exact spot the elastic from underwear sits and when it rubs on the scar, the tissue swells and that causes the incision inside my vagina to swell and irritates the whole system. I returned to my GP several times and complained about this and all he said to me was "you probably have herpes, that's why your vagina is swelling inside". OMFG! I was absolutely devastated to hear that. He didn't do any tests to confirm this, but insisted that this was the problem. My partner and I educated ourselves and practiced safe sex and then the real problems began. Every time we had sex, my insides would swell up so bad and the pain would be so bad, I would have to ask him to stop. The pain would run down my leg and my whole genital area would be swollen and painful for a couple of days after. My right labia would swell to 3 times the normal size. Even the scar on the top of my leg (at the panty line) would swell up. All I could do was cry. Eventually we separated. I held a lot of guilt which I know I shouldn't have. In 2010 I was raped and went through the whole spectrum of tests for STD's. I was tested every 3 months for 18 months and it was at this time that I learned that I did not have herpes nor do I carry any antibodies for the disease. I was relieved, but extremely pissed at my now ex-GP. My problems with sex due to my bladder sling surgery still continue however and as do the problems with leaking, pain and discomfort from the surgery. I am terrified to have corrective surgery

[sherrieP]

Please see the response I left on the other post you positioned by sweeney. This does sound like sling attachment was done improperly.
Sher

[jjblack]

I don't know if my surgery has anything to do with what I'm going through but I'll be finding out in two days when I go see the Urologist that performed the Monarch Sling to begin with.  About three weeks ago I had a bunch of people at my house for dinner and felt this sharp pain in my rectum like knives stabbing at me!  I went into the bathroom had a loose stool bowel movement and I thought I was going to die from the excrutiating pain!  The pain in my butt was there for about 3 days and then moved into my lower lower abdomen and vagina area.  When I would even slightly bear down, whether it was urinating or a bowel movement, the stabbing pain would return.  It has even been hard to sit down, there are many many times that when I sit down I jump right back up because of the pain!  It's made me light headed and nausous at times.  Intercourse terrifies me and even though most of the time I give in and just deal with the pain and push through it, afterwards is painful for a few hours.  Even walking hurts from the pounding of the shock waves it sends up to that whole area!  I went to my family doctor last week and they said it was due to stress and that stress does weird things to your body.  So he put me on Xanex and Prozac!  Xanex I understand I've been on that before but thought I'd kicked that 4 years ago, Prozac I've never taken and don't consider myself in the slightest a depressed person, as my family friends strongly agree as well!!  Anyway I guess we'll see what the doctor has to say in two days, but any comments would be great if you've experienced any of this craziness!!

[UKlady1001]

I feel it is very important for you to see a Urogynecologist who can look at all prolapse issues for you, especially as you are having pain in several areas.  This way you can have your past operation looked at as well as your present symptoms all of which need to be assessed.

You are already booked in to see your Urologist who performed the operation so you can make sure you ask all the relevant questions about your pain and many problems.  It is a good idea to take someone with you as support as well.  I see your local Dr gave you Prozac etc.,  sometimes Drs look at the effect and not the cause.  Anyone with a lot of pain and difficulties like yours right now would feel very unhappy and down, however, surely solving the cause of this pain and difficulty is the real point.  However, if taking your prescribed Prozax helps you to deal with the journey in finding the answer for you, then see it is a support for right now.  

You dont say how long ago you had your operation and how soon after you had your pain and problems.  I hope you get some answers from your Urologist at your next appt.  However, before you make a decision as to what to do, consider a second opinion from a Urogynecologist.  I wish you luck jjblack.  Come back to us and let us know how you get on.

[summer59]

Please let me know what your urologist says tomorrow.  There is a possibility it might be the monarch sling causing you all this pain.  If you are not satisfied with the answer you get from your urologist I recommend you see a urogynecologist also.  Our brains can cause our bodies to experience all kinds of ailments.  I have also seen and heard doctors who have used that excuse when they just don't know what is wrong.  I went through a very tough time emotionally before my pelvic organ prolapse surgery and took Valium occasionally when I really needed it.  It helped me and I am glad I had it. Perhaps the Xanax would be enough help for you without the Prozac.  Good luck tomorrow.