Is prolapse surgery successful?

If you are considering having prolapse surgery, it is important to have a good understanding of what you are signing up for!

A pelvic organ prolapse, or POP for short, happens when one or more organs in the pelvis move downwards from their normal position and bulge into the vagina. There are three main types:

• Anterior – This happens when the bladder drops from its normal position
• Posterior – This happens when the bowels bulge into or out of the vagina.
• Uterine – This happens when the uterus drops from its normal position

Unfortunately, there is still a lot of shame around this subject and conditions, causing a lot of women to receive misinformation or terrible to little advice. 

 

So what are the symptoms?

It’s important to note that it is not life-threatening but can cause a huge amount of distress and discomfort. The most commonly reported symptoms are:

• Leaking a small amount of urine when coughing, sneezing or exercising. 
• Going to the toilet more 
• Feeling a heaviness or ‘dragging’ feeling in your lower tummy 
• Feeling like there is something moving down your vagina 
• Seeing a bulge coming out of your vagina 
• A numb feeling or pain during sex

Because of the stigma, it’s unclear exactly how many women are affected but it’s thought that nearly 50% of women experience some form of POP[1]. Many women can experience POP as a result of difficult or multiple childbirths, transitioning into the menopause. 

 

 

What treatments are available?

Before considering surgery, there are several treatment options which could help to alleviate symptoms. Seeking support from a women’s health specialist is vital to ensure that you are doing what is right for you and your body. 

Some lifestyle changes such as losing weight, not lifting heavy objects and eating a diet high in fibre could prevent prolapse symptoms from getting worse. 

Pelvic floor exercises or kegels can be a helpful way to make sure that the pelvic floor is able to contract and release effectively but they are just a piece of the puzzle and shouldn’t be considered the only way to support your prolapse better. There are also a number of additional exercises you can do to support your recovery journey, including: 

• Arm circles
• Rib Cage Release
• Hip release
• Ball Squeeze
• Bridges
• Squats

You may feel like some of these are unrelated to prolapse symptoms but addressing things like your breathing, your posture and tightness around the pelvis are all vital to alleviate prolapse symptoms. 

For information on how to carry out these exercises, have a read of my ‘Will pelvic floor exercises help prolapse?’ blog. 

Other treatments that could be tried are hormone treatments and vaginal pessaries. You can get advice about these from your GP but ideally, get a referral to a women’s health physio. 

 

 

What if I need surgery?

If your quality of life is being affected, you may decide to have surgery to repair your prolapse. Surgery can be a great option for people whose symptoms have got to the point that they are not manageable but it is always worth understanding that it is not a quick fix – it is important to address the issues that contributed to the prolapse in the first place as otherwise, your symptoms are more likely to return. 

Here are some examples of things that should be addressed before having surgery: 

• If your posture causes you to put downward pressure onto your pelvic floor, you need to find ways to reduce that pressure, possibly by strengthening your spinal muscles to create more length in your body. 
• If your breathing tends to move down into your belly, rather than spreading equally throughout your torso, you need to create new breathing patterns. 
• If you find it hard to control intra-abdominal pressure due to lack of strength, you need to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, your abdominal muscles and your whole body globally to reduce the pressure going into your pelvic floor day to day. 
• If you are constipated, you need to address this to ensure that the pressure created by straining is not continuing post-surgery. 

Without these kinds of holistic changes, your pelvic floor surgery is more likely to be unsuccessful. 

 

Anterior repair 

The procedure will focus on reinforcing the weakened layers between the bladder and the vagina to improve overall bladder function and reduce any vagina bulging. 

It’s thought that this procedure is around 70-90% successful (Source: Bladder & Bowel).

I believe this figure could be improved if information about pelvic floor health and a more holistic approach (as outlined above) was discussed with the post-surgery team. 

 

Posterior Repair 

The procedure will focus on reinforcing the weakened layers between the rectum and the vagina to improve overall bowel function and reduce any vagina bulging. 

It’s thought that this procedure is around 80-90% successful (Source: Bladder & Bowel).

 

Vaginal Hystorectomy 

When the uterus drops a vaginal hysterectomy to surgically remove the uterus may be advised. It’s thought that this procedure is around 85% successful  (Source: Bladder & Bowel) but it is possible that some women will develop a further prolapse of the vaginal vault further down the line. 

It is important to remember that a prolapse can recur or another part of the vaginal wall may prolapse. This may be inevitable in some circumstances but I believe it is less likely when a holistic approach is taken and when people are better informed and empowered about their pelvic floor health. Healing post-surgery takes around 3 months and any heavy lifting and strenuous exercises should be avoided. You should consider a full rehab programme post-surgery which is not generally provided. You need to learn to control intra-abdominal pressure, improve breathing patterns, improve posture and gain better mobility and strength to improve pelvic floor function. 

 

 

Is there anything you should consider before having prolapse surgery? 

 

Any type of surgery is a huge decision and prolapse surgery is no different so here are a couple of things you may want to consider:

Age – if you are young, you may need further treatments down the line. The type of surgery you can have when you are older may be dictated by other health conditions and your overall health history. 

If you want more children – if you are looking to grow your family, surgery may not be the right option for you.

Health conditions – there may be other risks to consider if you are living with conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. 

If you haven’t already seen a Women’s Health Physio, make sure you go and get some advice from someone in person. Get your pelvic floor checked for as much support as possible. You can look for a local physio here.

You might be interested in The Pelvic Floor Project if you are interested in improving prolapse symptoms in a holistic and sustainable way.

 

As the festive season approaches, what better way to express love and care than by giving gifts that contribute to the well-being and vitality of your loved ones?

This year, consider presents that not only celebrate the joy of the holiday season but also set the stage for a revitalized start to the New Year. Here are five Christmas gifts designed to bring back the spark in 2024!

Also, remember there is no shame in asking for presents for yourself, that you truly want and need, so why not send this list on, or drop some subtle hints to Santa! 😉

1. The Glucose Goddess Method: A 4-Week Guide to Energy, Craving Reduction, and Feeling Amazing

In a world filled with hectic schedules and constant demands, energy levels can easily plummet. Gift yourself or your loved ones ‘The Glucose Goddess Method’, a comprehensive 4-week guide that promises to rejuvenate and revitalize.

This program focuses on cutting cravings, boosting energy, and promoting an overall sense of well-being. It’s the perfect gift for those seeking a transformative start to the New Year.

2. Centred Mums Pilates Retreat Day

A day of self-care and rejuvenation can make a world of difference. My Centred Mums Pilates Retreat Day offers the perfect escape. This retreat combines the benefits of Pilates with a focus on centring the mind and body. A thoughtful and invigorating experience, it’s a gift that promotes both physical and mental well-being.

3. Treat Yourself to a Massage from Fernwood Remedies

Indulge in the gift of relaxation and tranquillity with a massage from Fernwood Remedies. Their professional and rejuvenating massage services provide a holistic approach to well-being. This gift is an excellent way to unwind and relieve the stresses of the holiday season, setting the stage for a calm and collected entry into the New Year.

4. The Gift of Sleep from Clare McDonald @creative.sleep

Ease into the New Year with Sleepy Sundays, A 3 part playful, calming and nurturing experience for parent and child. Using breath work, imagination and fun activities. This intuitive approach to tackling worries and wired minds is back again in January. Enjoy the whole course for £49!

For adult adults seeking better sleep, there’s also the ‘Help For Sleep’ online course, for £39!

Clare herself suffered from insomnia from childhood into her late 30s but eventually found a combination of the Coherent Breathing technique, guided imagination, a lot of reframing around her beliefs about sleep and an overall intuitive approach worked wonders.

5. The Pelvic Floor Project: Ongoing Wellbeing

Invest in long-term well-being with my Centred Mums Pelvic Floor Project. This initiative offers continuous support for pelvic health, promoting overall vitality.

By gifting a membership to The Pelvic Floor Project, to either a loved one or yourself, you provide a resource that focuses on an often-overlooked aspect of well-being, contributing to a healthier and more energised lifestyle.

Making this commitment to your wellbeing will set up your pelvic floor health for the rest of your life. Get rid of those pelvic floor issues like wetting yourself that you’ve been putting off for too long!

Conclusion:

This holiday season, go beyond traditional gifts and give the present of well-being.

Each of these gifts is carefully curated to not only celebrate the joy of Christmas but also to lay the foundation for a revitalized and spirited start to the New Year.

Whether it’s promoting energy, relaxation, better sleep, or ongoing well-being, these gifts show that your love and care extend to the overall health and happiness of your friends and family.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Sparkly New Year!

Grace – Founder, Centred Mums

Becoming a mum brings about big (and small) changes to your daily life. And your night-time too. There are many physiological and psychological changes taking place during pregnancy which affect sleep. Many women struggle particularly during the first and third trimester while some women sleep relatively well during the second.

Once the baby is born, many mothers continue to experience poor sleep due to nursing the baby. And while there is some improvement in sleep quality in the months after birth, a recent study looking at heterosexual couples showed that sleep disruption can persist for at least 6 years. The same study also showed that while fathers’ sleep satisfaction is reduced too, this is much less so compared to the mothers. The authors speculate that this is down to the mother shouldering more of the childcare responsibilities and housekeeping tasks than fathers. Worse still, this is the case even if the mum is also working.

I think it is important to note that many couples attempt to divide family and
household tasks in an even way. But gender norms, the gender pay gap, and
societal expectations often get in the way. A mum might also have high expectations of herself, thinking she should be able to do everything for everyone, keep everyone happy and never stop smiling as she does it. All these beliefs and traditions lead to is that from a physical labour perspective mothers end up taking on more than their fair share of the chores. Compounding this is the emotional labour associated with looking after a family, with wanting to keep everyone else happy and be a ‘good mum’ that many women can feel.

Before I go on, let me explain what constitutes emotional labour: This is the act of managing one's own emotions to meet the emotional demands of a job. For mums, who are often the primary caregiver, this can include things like dealing with difficult children, managing conflict with their partner or other family members, and providing emotional support to others.

Sounds taxing? Well, that’s because it is. And while it is also exhausting, it often gets in the way of a good night’s sleep. Research found that women who reported high levels of emotional labour were more likely to have sleep problems than women who reported low levels of emotional labour.

And then there is the cognitive labour. This is all the organising, planning, preparing mums do.

Sounds tiresome? Yes, it is. And yes, you guessed right (and have probably
experienced it first-hand), cognitive labour has a negative impact on sleep too.

Research found that women who reported high levels of cognitive labour were more likely to have sleep problems than women who reported low levels of cognitive labour.

Cognitive and emotional labour take up a lot of time, energy and thinking. A big part of this thinking happens when you go to bed, and instead of slipping into peaceful slumber you find yourself lying there running through the ‘to dos’ of tomorrow and worrying how everyone will feel.

But – and this is a big but – you have to make it into bed first of all! Childcare, chores, and work fill up all of your day, and probably most of your evening too. Once the kids are in bed there is still plenty to do for mums to be ready for the next day.

Unfortunately, for many mums doing (or perhaps it is more apt to say having to do) these tasks will eat into their sleep time – by delaying their bedtime. What doesn’t change is their wake-up time though. The resulting night is short and often of poor quality. Not a great start into the next day.

The good news is that there are several things you can do to improve your situation!

• Set boundaries. Learn to say no to extra work or commitments that will only
  add to your responsibilities and stress levels.
• Delegate tasks. If you are feeling overwhelmed, don't be afraid to ask for help from your partner, family, or friends.
• Eat a healthy diet. Eating healthy foods will give you the energy you need to
  cope with stress and stay focused.
• Get regular exercise. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and improve
  your sleep. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most
  days of the week.
• And then … have regular sleep times. That is one of the most important and
  yet difficult ones for most people including mums. I have deliberately put it last
  on this list of suggestions because for you to feel that you can go to bed at the
  time that your body clock wants you to you need to know that all is done for
  today. And to help you with the latter I suggest implementing the other steps
  first.

Final thought: Remember, you are not alone. Many women – with or without children- experience sleep problems. By taking steps to manage your stress, and set boundaries, you can look after your sleep, and your mental and physical health too.

If you are struggling with sleep and finding it hard to figure out where to start to improve your sleep, check out my website or book a free call with me so we can have a chat. They can help you to develop coping strategies and develop a plan to improve your sleep.