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1436184 tn?1292084057

Anyone else in recovery after Fentons Procedure?

Had my Fentons procedure two weeks ago and still fairly sore to say the least. Where the "V" ends its quite low down and very raw. Stitches are still in tact but there is that particular part where just seems like it will take forever to heal.  Anyone had this same thing happen?  I've had Antibiotics already...completed the course.  Not sure if it was infected, but my doctor prescribed them anyway.  Now i'm not sure if thrush could be starting... so a thrush tablet may be the next thing.  Period due next week also, so i'm worrying about that... i'm beginning to wish i'd never had it done in the first place.  I'm back to work tomorrow after two weeks off and i'm still no further forward. Sorry i'm new to this site so hope i'm not over doing it by posting twice... Would like to hear from others who are going thru this or have had this procedure done.... many thanks :)
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Avatar universal
How were the stitches? Do they look like gauze?  Just had it done today and down there looks like i have a white small gauze on the vaginal opening
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Hi Denise,
thank you for your blogs (people do read them).  I am reassured that in time I will be better than I am now at 7 days post op.  My surgeon said I could go swimming after a week so was a bit worried that I am still very sore, stitches not dissolved and fresh bleeding.  I think her 6 weeks before sex says more for the healing time than the swimming advice!
Hopefully I will not be one of the unlucky as some of the posts seem to denote that it is not always a good outcome!
Good luck for your future
Fullofuild
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I am on week three and I'm very frustrated. I'm still so sore and hurts me to sit. I have a gross discharge that won't go away. The reason I did this is because I was tearing during intercourse.   I'm hoping after all this pain that it works. I found that sitz baths help and went out and bought a shower head that comes down. I had constant ice packs first two weeks and for some reason nights were so tough. I figured I'd be healed after three weeks but I was mistaken. If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Ladies, I had this operation 12 weeks ago. On my 6 week check up was told that the scar tissue was so bad they had to go a lot deeper than expected. I've never had children so it was apparently down to another operation I'd had down there on my cervix stealing all the good bacteria and my skin kept splitting and healing. The recovery wasn't to painful more annoying than anything. Tried to have intercourse since, it's not been painful just tight and uncomfortable. I'm more fearful than anything that the same bloody things going to happen again! I don't regret having it, but it has taken me longer than expected to heal and mentally deal with it all.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
HI there, I have just hade Fentons yesterday and if anyone reads this take homepathic ARNICA 30C just minutes before procedure and then every 2 hours after. I am almost pain free after only one day. To avoid thrush, it is worth investing in a good PROBIOTIC to start after surgery as they will prob give you an antibiotic to prevent infection.The general anisthetic wipes the immune system so worth looking after yourself, rest, good veg and protein and strong manuka honey. Liz
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
HI there, I have just hade Fentons yesterday and if anyone reads this take homepathic ARNICA 30C just minutes before procedure and then every 2 hours after. I am almost pain free after only one day. To avoid thrush, it is worth investing in a good PROBIOTIC to start after surgery as they will prob give you an antibiotic to prevent infection.The general anisthetic wipes the immune system so worth looking after yourself, rest, good veg and protein and strong manuka honey. Liz
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm so glad to find your comments page.  Im in the U.S. so this is going to cost.
I'm in my 7th decade with many fertility issues and procedures behind me so not unusual to wind up with the issue of a vaginal fusion which now will be operated on next month.
I was concerned about the recovery because I have two large dogs (akitas) & if I would be able to start walking them after a week, because keeping them in a kennel is really prohibitive here.
I assume sitting down will be an issue for awhile, & I will still be using a catheter
which was necessitated by the fusion.

So any tip would be helpful.  Thanks
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Lauren, Could you please update me on your success with your Fenton's surgery! You seem to have the same issue as me. No kids but still has tearing/fissures in the vaginal opening! I need some help and some advice Should I have this procedure done on any site who has NOT had children talk about there success with this procedure.  Only those that have who have had children say it's been successful. Having this after childbirth is  A COMPLETELY different issue then what I have. They had a normal vagina up until childbirth... and has scarring from that, I do not have that type of scarring! I just have a skin that don't stretch and it's thin!  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for the advice. However, my issues it that I didn't have any children so I didn't have a episiotomy to being with. Therefore my issue is that my skin down there is not stretchy enough and therefore my vagina opening doesn't stretch and it's also thin so it doesn't stretch it tears. I need to know if this will Widen the Vagina. I don't have any visible scars down there, It just seems like that that flap of skin (right at the base of my vagina is too tight and doesn't stretch enough). Anyway, I'm just so scared and depressed about this. I am fearful it won't work and it will make it worse, like the Lauren said had happened to her! :(
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had  a fentons procedure done last Thursday after putting it off and putting up with painful intercourse for years...........WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG!!!!!!!......... I was in theatre at 8.30am and out and wide awake in recovery at 9.10am.........pain was minimal..... I think they gave me some morphine, not too sure.  First day I had paracetamol with codeine (avoid that stuff if you suffer from constipation!)  I was home by 2.30pm same day, not in any real discomfort.  
Sitting for any length of time was a bit of a problem until Tuesday (5th day) from then on all was fine.  (I got around this by sitting on a ring cushion.  Right now I can't even feel the stitches which will dissolve in the next week or so.  I must say things look very different down there.,so much better!   I didn't go the whole salt bath bit for the stitches, basically I just covered the stitches with petroleum jelly (vaseline) as my gynaecologist suggested to keep the stitches from tightening and going too hard.
Ladies DONT' FEAR THE FENTONS PROCEDURE....... It's basically just a reversal of an episiotomy, the one I had when I had my kids 32 years ago was a bit of a mess to say the least.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi There,
I am 32 years old. I have never had a child but I have the issue of tearing at the base  of my vagina when I have sex. The type tearing someone would have if they gave birth but I didn't give birth! If I used lubricant it's not as bad and in a couple days I could have had sex again. Although, sex it's that enjoyable because I always had a little tear!  At first my Gyno said I had thin skin down there and gave me estrogen cream to thicken the skin. This did not work. I developed scar tissue (from repeated tears) and my gyno thought it was the scar tissue that was ripping repeatedly every time I have intercourse. She removed the scar tissue (not a full fenton's.. because she did this in her clinic with just a local anesthetic). Anyway I waited two and a half months to have sex again and when I did, (which has been only once) I ended up tearing very badly (the whole area where she removed skin) which is bigger than my original tear tear site.. (I'm so upset by this as she said "It can't make it any worse and it did).   So instead of having to wait 2 or 3 days now to have sex again.  It's painful when I sit down and move certain ways. I have to probably wait a good week and a half or two weeks to let it heal up because this tear is so much bigger. (I guess it's kinda like a cavity, the dentist has to drill a bigger hole to give you a filling, well she had to remove a bigger section to make sure she got all the scar tissue). Anyway, now I have a bigger tear (but I don't have any scar tissue, that was all removed). It's my actually operation site that is tearing! I'm at my lowest point! :( I'm so stressed out! I don't sleep or eat worrying about this! I've lost weight! My boyfriend lives away right now and he knows I have issues but he doesn't realize the extent! And how much more damage has been done! I don't know what to do. I scared to get the full Fenton's in fear it will only make me tear even more!!! or even bigger! (with a longer heal time).  I don't really understand the procedure either? does it remove scar tissue and WIDEN the vagina so there is more space ( less stretching at the opening). Can someone give me some advice? or has anyone ever had this done with success to help the issue of thin skin??? or tearing (without Child Birth)... Thanks!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had my fentons done today and must say its nearly as sore as the episiotomy I had after giving birth 6 months ago, I'm missing my partner terribly now as we've gone 15 months of no sex as he wouldn't touch me while pregnant, I just can't wait to be back to normal! But if we've gotta wait an additional 6 weeks it may be his best christmas present ever! X
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had my fentons two weeks ago and am now pain free but it took much longer than I was told. Still have some stitches, but some have gone which may be why I am more comfortable.
I was told to restart my estriol pessaries after a week, but I now have thrush, which I have self treated.  Terribly itchy and sore and inflamed.  I think the whole thing is far more uncomfortable than it is made out to be, I just hope it works.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm 27 and just had a modified fenton's procedure (second procedure after fentons last Feb 2011) a week ago because the skin down there tears/fissures when I have sex. The first fenton's didn't work only caused a skin bridge which then tore when having sex :-( never had a baby, and never had problems until 3 years ago. Guess I'm just unlucky!

So good to hear that you had success!

I am going through similar things as you were after your fentons. I had all last week off work and went back yesterday but it was so uncomfortable sitting down. Been having more pain last few days and went to see my GP today. She thinks I have a mild infection and has given me antibiotics. Fingers crossed this helps!

Taking the rest of this week off work, hopefully then I would have healed to go back.

Just seems like there is so much more healing to go!

How long did it take you to feel healed?

Thanks for your post!

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
At 60, I had the Fentons procedure. Best thing ever for me. I feel human again after 2 years of thinking the menopause was the cause and I would just have to put up with it. Discovered I had a condition called Lichen Sclerosis which made me very uncomfortable and caused the opening of my vagina to become very very small and made sex really painful. After a long and satisfying love life with my husband of 36 years I was really despondant/didn't feel whole. Still can't believe what a difference the op has made. I was a little uncomfortable for a couple of weeks. Initially worried about how I would heal etc (the image in the mirror was not particularly pretty) but things soon got back to normal. If I had to go in tomorrow for the op again, I would. Maybe I was lucky, but now I feel whole again.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm glad to have found your post, there is very little about this procudure on the net. I had mine done on 22 Nov, just had some antiobiotics for possible infection. I'm pleased to read that the operation is making a difference to you.  I really hope this is the case for us.
Helpful - 0
1436184 tn?1292084057
just a further update....just in case anyone ever reads these posts...
I just want to say that if anyone ever wonders wether to have this procedure done or not, then i would highly recommend it!...
Yes, my recovery went on a little longer than i anticipated....but i would say its the best thing i could have done.!
I have my life back in that respect...no soreness, no tightness or tearing.... everything has healed well now and i feel normal once more :))
Helpful - 0
1436184 tn?1292084057
ok, well its taken another good couple of weeks to feel ok.  I'm finally healing!! :)) thank heavens :))
Helpful - 0
1436184 tn?1292084057
I'm going to update this daily just so it might help anyone else who goes thru this.
OK, i'm 2 and a half weeks post op, on second course of antibiotics, second lot of thrush tablets etc and still sore..
Just hoping this heals up real soon and i can get back to normality including back to work.
I feel it actually IS healing, but very very slowly.
I wish it was another two weeks down the line and sorted.
Helpful - 0
1436184 tn?1292084057
Well after visiting the doctor this morning, I still have infection, along with thrush now, due to antibiotics.  I had some of the stitches removed today, however some still remain as nurse said they would cause too much discomfort to remove them at present, probably because of the swelling.  
Hopefully this lot of antibiotics help and finally help me heal.
I feel i've replaced one problem with another now.
arrghhh... fedup.com :0(
Helpful - 0
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